Mike Magee writes his mini autobiography

[Guest guest]

Well, while I'm on this not-very-on-topic roll....

 

If you've been googling around the Internet,

browsing sites that self-identify as 'Tantric',

you've most likely run across the

Shiva Shakti Mandalam: http://www.shivashakti.com/

" The Inner Wisdom of the Hindu Tantrik Tradition "

 

This website is (largely, I think) the work

(translations, etc.) of one Mike Magee, who recently

posted, or had posted, his (auto?) biography on

another website he's associated with.

 

Mike Magee's [auto?]biography

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/02/28/asdfasdfsad

 

The following excerpt from the bio gives some background

on the Shiva Shakti website:

 

" In 1977, [Mike Magee] went to India and met

with an English tantrik guru called HH

Shri Gurudev Mahendranath (1911-1992) [....]

Mahendranath gave him the title of a guru and

a charter to form a group of students.

 

Later this was to become a nucleus

for the " Arcane Magical Order of the

Knights of Shambhala " (AMOOKOS) This

group was highly influential, particularly

in the way it bought Tantrik teachings

to the West. In the UK it had about 500

members.

 

In 1980, [....] the group fragmented.

Magee went on to do his own thing

concentrating more on Tantra. He

has also provided translations for

Tantra website Shiva Shakti Mandalam. "

 

Mike Magee's future plans:

" He's believed to be involved in

a future project based in foreign climes "

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/01/18/mike-magee-

leave-inquirer

 

If you're interested in the interface between

Western understandings of Tantra and Western

esotericism (e.g. Ceremonial Magic), Hugh

Urban has a book on the subject; I haven't

read it:

 

Magia Sexualis: Sex, Magic, and Liberation

in Modern Western Esotericism

by Hugh B. Urban

Publisher: University of California Press;

1st edition (October 4, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0520247760

ISBN-13: 978-0520247765

[Guest guest]

I was thinking whether I should write anything on this Macgee but then I decided

I shall. What I write below is just my view. But let me add a disclaimer first.

Whats written below applies to Indian Gooroos also. Ad Abhinava Gupta in 10th

century said

Guravo Bahavassadi shishya vithaapahaarakaaH

Durlabham Jneyo Guru shishya santaapa haarakaH

There are many gurus who steal deciples' wealth; but rare indeed are gurus who

destroy sorrow of deciples. That was said when there were no western claiments

to gooroohood.

The usual disclaimers apply. I am not saying anything on the personalities of

the individuals mentioned below. I have had limited interaction with both and

these are my personal impressions, which maybe a misunerstanding.

I agonized whether to write this post or not. Ultimately I decided I will. I

in no way claim to be the last word. Maybe I am mistaken and I am sure Devi will

forgive me if I am wrong but I think I must speak.

In my personal opinion (which can be faulty) this (Ma)gee or goose or whatever

belongs to a crop of people from the west that make great claims that are

unverifiable and claims lineages, again unverifiable and sometimes preposterous.

Their aim is to attract the gullible of both east and west with lofty claims and

some really fall for them hook line and sinker merely because they are white,

thinking if they attained these statuses (it never occurs to them to verify or

stand back and see whether they are acceptable) they are respectable and

acceptable but they are doing it either for ego boosting or for personal gain.

An unfortunate residue of colonialism also plays a part in this as far as

Indians are concerned and a bit of racism for the westerners.

Before I say what I see, let me state that his website is a mine of

information well structured and informative. The yantras are extremely well

done. The research is excellent. There are mistakes, of course- it is human and

we are not at it here. For example, this gee calls Panchadashi and Shodashi to

be BAlA mantras. But these are pardonable mistakes because any guru worth

his/her salt will correct these mistakes in a trice. No damage done, unless one

uses internet as gooroo. These are small corner stones, in a foundation, that

are made of very soft clay in the edifice this person wants to build. Here the

principle of “staaleepulaaka nyaya” of the Nyaya system will apply. This nyaya

principle indicates that when rice is being cooked it is necessary only to

sample a few grains to know whether the whole is cooked and there is no need to

check each and every grain.

An interesting claim of this gentleman is that tantra in India is dead and the

only authentic lineage is his of which he, naturally, is the ONLY

representative. (see http://www.shivashakti.com/dadaji.htm ) where these

following snippets exist.

“The succession Rites of the Adi-Nath Sampradaya have been passed on to Sir

Michael Magee who was given the initiation name of Shri Lokanath Maharaj in

honour of his first Indian Guru and because it was his own wish that the

leadership of the Adi-Naths should be in the West where its real value will be

appreciated.”

“The next important initiation was given by Shri Pagala Baba ( " The Mad

Father " ) of Ranchi, Bihar, India into the Uttarakaula Order (The Northern Order

Of Tantriks) and also his succession when he died. He was at that time

recognized as the last surviving Kaula and authentic tantrik Guru in India.”

So I guess it follows that the millions of upasakas and gurus in India are all

following false gooroos and teachings? So any adinatha or uttara kaula who is

NOT initiated by Magee is a fool? Pray who “recognized” Pagala Baba as the LAST?

Ranchi villagers or passersby? To think that 600+ Million people are so easily

dealt with shows the colonial mentality of this gentleman. There were 100s of

Babas before, during and after Pagala Baba. This claim of exclusivity is based

on the principles of exclusivity in Abrahamic religions that color the vision of

westerners unconsciously. But there is another problem Pagala Baba is,was, even

according to this “seer”, the last in Uttara Kaula school. Accepting it, for the

moment, to be true,then what about other Kaula and other tantric schools?

Another funny thing is the whole series of initiations his gooroo got,

collecting them like degrees – 10 Bachelors’ 22 Masters’ and 32 PhDs.

Wunderbar!! N’est cepas? This concept is based on the western thought process

and social concepts – more initiations – more power and more exaltation. But

flies on the face of the Tantric concept of “Eka guroorupaastirasamshayaH” – one

shall follow ONE Guru without doubt. (This is what the west understands, so

cash in on that!!) Which in Indian concept is pure Baloney. But then what do

these Short Dark Rice Eating (SDRE) natives know? They sell tantra for money!!

We are the superior race – the chosen!!

This great adinatha or whatever started AMKOOSE or whatever goose to impart

the lineage but it all “fell apart”( see

http://www.shivashakti.com/PersonalStatement.htm ). So, the sampradaya is dead

and gone. In short, there was no divine sanction. So all the initiation while

standing on head or given underwater or inside a fire-pit with fire everywhere

(I cannot think of other places equally impressive ……. Yet *smile*) were all

sham and worthless. A poor muzungu (means one who wanders aimlessly in Swahili

language of East Africa, used to indicate a white westerner) who was deluded

into thinking he got this or that exclusively to the exclusion of SDRE Indians.

The superior race was recognized!!!

What a kanpoosing state of affairs!!!

This is one line of trade in the west: “I am the sole recipient of

esotericism. All other lineages and thoughts are in “inauthentic”. This gee had

dreams of establishing a great lineage that ended as a damp squib and was even

disowned by Mahendra Nath, his gooroo, in his old age. This is glossed over as

due to dementia of old age.

Then there is another line.

I reached the most exalted stage but now I am a trader trading in on this with

a few Sanskrit shlokas and words (some that people who understand Sanskrit do

not understand) and so buy from me. This lineage baloney is intended to attract

gullible but rich Indians resident and NRI and open their purse strings. One

such site is http://richardshawbrown.com.

The gentleman, who initially belonged to some small ragtag music band – that

cashed in or tried to cash in on the Beatles mania; came to India and joined

the nascent ISKON (http://richardshawbrown.com/rsb-bio.html ) (to avoid doing

National Service by joining the army??) and he proudly speaks of his having

become an ISKON sanyasi or monk and then about renouncing monkhood! It looks

great from the western point of view (again an instance of claiming greatness)

but for a real Indian it is the greatest of pAtakas or crimes, whatever the

excuse!! To take up sanyas and give up for householder’s existence makes one the

lowest of lowest – a PAtaki - criminal and a bhrashta - outaste. And here he

crows about it!! The westerners and Indians not learned in shastras accept it as

a qualification. But westerners use shastras in a selective manner. If it

attracts customers its ok to distort or mislead. .

A Sanyasi is respected in India and he has access to the movers and shakers

almost as a matter of right.. It is His sanyasa that is respected not the

individual. But do westerners know that? So he uses pictures taken in some

minute long interviews (having been part of a rag tag musical group, he knows

the value of propaganda) as a sign of greatness. It was a time when Prabhupada

and ISKON was respected I wonder whether he will get even get an acknowledgement

if he requests interviews now as an ISKON sanyasi. Times have indeed changed.

The usual western colonialist tricks of smooth talk and presents have won him

a position in Thailand. Some Indians, without knowing the full story respect

him.

These are two streams of western behavior I have seen: Unfounded claims and

tongue in cheek claims for personal gain.

But truth must be said Magee has compiled a lot of material in an easily

accessible form. Mr. Brown, has established a good business albeit using his

knowledge of myths and his other assets are smooth talking to make these myths a

reality and some people fall for him.

Yes there is another set also led by the great Reverend Max Muller himself!!

People who pretend to Love India and things Indian and respect them. They fooled

the Indians for a long time. The aim of the work of Max Muller was to undermine

Hinduism as he himself admitted to his wife. He has inserted material in

creating the translations. Like time bombs. Rig Veda was translated by Max

Mueller in English. We still read his translation. And what did he tell his wife

in a letter about his purpose of the translation? The following:

 

“The translation of the Veda will hereafter tell to a great extent on the fate

of India and on the growth of millions of souls in that country. It is the root

of their religion, and to show them what the root is, I feel sure, is the only

way of uprooting all that has sprung from it during the last 3000 years”.

He had a dream!! Not realized yet L Evanjihadism has not even made a dent yet.

 

But the commonality is that they despise Indians and Indianness while they use

Indian assets to promote themselves.

 

msbauju <msbauju wrote:

Well, while I'm on this not-very-on-topic roll....

 

If you've been googling around the Internet,

browsing sites that self-identify as 'Tantric',

you've most likely run across the

Shiva Shakti Mandalam: http://www.shivashakti.com/

" The Inner Wisdom of the Hindu Tantrik Tradition "

 

This website is (largely, I think) the work

(translations, etc.) of one Mike Magee, who recently

posted, or had posted, his (auto?) biography on

another website he's associated with.

 

Mike Magee's [auto?]biography

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/02/28/asdfasdfsad

 

The following excerpt from the bio gives some background on the Shiva Shakti

website:

 

" In 1977, [Mike Magee] went to India and met with an English tantrik guru called

HH

Shri Gurudev Mahendranath (1911-1992) [....]Mahendranath gave him the title of a

guru and a charter to form a group of students.

 

Later this was to become a nucleus for the " Arcane Magical Order of the

Knights of Shambhala " (AMOOKOS) This group was highly influential, particularly

in the way it bought Tantrik teachings to the West. In the UK it had about 500

members.

 

In 1980, [....] the group fragmented. Magee went on to do his own thing

concentrating more on Tantra. He has also provided translations for

Tantra website Shiva Shakti Mandalam. "

 

Mike Magee's future plans:

" He's believed to be involved in

a future project based in foreign climes "

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/01/18/mike-magee-

leave-inquirer

 

If you're interested in the interface between

Western understandings of Tantra and Western

esotericism (e.g. Ceremonial Magic), Hugh

Urban has a book on the subject; I haven't

read it:

 

Magia Sexualis: Sex, Magic, and Liberation

in Modern Western Esotericism

by Hugh B. Urban

Publisher: University of California Press;

1st edition (October 4, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0520247760

ISBN-13: 978-0520247765

 

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[Guest guest]

That particular website is useful for a beginner or someone who likes

to read to know about basics of Godess worship, in the sense, it helps

one to understand various aspects of HER. A good collection of articles.

 

Couple of years ago, when I first visited that site, I did find it

interesting, until I got to the page where the author claims that he is

sole initiate of a particular nath parampara. And no true guru exists

in India. My thought was, " Oh really!! "

 

Then I did some more research and found that the organization that was

founded by the individual was split and eventually went to virtual non-

existence due to infighting.

 

I thought that it is sad that it happened if it were really the last

bastion of that particular parampara. After that I had the fortunate

experience of meeting someone who belonged to that organization on this

group.

 

Then it became clear to me why that organization died, given the

attitude, perspective and practices of the individual which closely

bordered on dictatorship. " It is my way or the highway. "

 

Even assuming for a moment that the individual (not the one who was

here) is the last guru of the parampara, there is a prayer in Sri Vidya

which says " Let Yoginis curse those who insult (the) religion

(Hinduism). " Which can be taken for any religion as well. If someone

claims to be the sole guru and the rest of the Gurus are charlatans,

there are very small chances that such an organization will survive.

 

 

As I mentioned earlier, the website is a good resource. Nothing more

and nothing less. If a beginner visits the website, learns new things

and now has a doubt that if the author or the " sole " guru is their

guru. No, it is not so. A true Guru will never, ever say that (S)He is

the only Guru - even from their parampara for they do not know how many

more their Guru had initiated (in person or otherwise). There is a

little lesson on how to analyze/judge a Guru, before taking to her/his

Lotus Feet.

 

, sankara menon <kochu1tz

wrote:

>

> I was thinking whether I should write anything on this Macgee but

then I decided I shall. What I write below is just my view. But let me

add a disclaimer first. Whats written below applies to Indian Gooroos

also. Ad Abhinava Gupta in 10th century said

> Guravo Bahavassadi shishya vithaapahaarakaaH

> Durlabham Jneyo Guru shishya santaapa haarakaH

> There are many gurus who steal deciples' wealth; but rare indeed

are gurus who destroy sorrow of deciples. That was said when there were

no western claiments to gooroohood.