Another Anthroposophical heresy

“Gautama Buddha's Successor” is a book by Robert Powell, containing some additional material by Estelle Isaacson. Powell is a leading member of the Sophia Foundation, a group claiming adherence to both Rudolf Steiner (the founder of Anthroposophy) and Valentin Tomberg (a defector from Anthroposophy who developed his own brand of spirituality). In my humble opinion, Powell strays mightily from both, and has launched a system all his own. His co-author Estelle Isaacson is described as a “mystic and seer”. The book also contains excerpts from Steiner's and Tomberg's writings.

Powell claims that the year 2014 marks the start of a new cultural epoch. Powell's nominal master Steiner divided world history into several periods, each characterized by its own particular form of spirituality. Thus, when Powell claims that we have just entered another cultural epoch, he is in effect saying that an entirely new religious dispensation has arrived. Powell believes that we will soon be witnessing three pivotal, earth-shaking events: the incarnation of Ahriman (a demonic being), the incarnation of a bodhisattva, and a kind of second coming of the Christ. The bodhisattva is the same being which will eventually become Maitreya Buddha around AD 4443. He incarnates once every century, becoming progressively more perfected. Powell believes that Steiner was an incarnation of (or perhaps a vessel for) this bodhisattva. Weirdly, Powell claims that the reign of the Anti-Christ started in 2013, so we are presently in the thick of it! The Christ, who returned invisibly in 1933, will reveal himself to all of humanity in 2016. The bodhisattva will preach the message of the Christ and inaugurate a synthesis of Buddhism and Christianity, which will (presumably) become the new spirituality of mankind.

Powell's proofs for the above contain mostly of convoluted astrological speculations. The author has a very free-wheeling approach to Steiner's and Tomberg's writings. While Steiner did indicate that Ahriman would incarnate on Earth at some point during the 21st century, he didn't reveal any details. He certainly didn't claim that a new epoch would start in 2014, or that Christ would reveal himself in 2016. Tomberg promoted a synthesis of traditional Christianity and Western esotericism, not Buddhism. It's also more or less unbelievable how Powell can claim that we live in the middle of the 3 ½ years reign of the Anti-Christ! Powell must be inpatient, since he can't wait until AD 4443 or the even more far-away Jupiter or Vulcan eons for the turn-around to come…

“Gautama Buddha's Successor” may be of some interest to those looking into alternative forms of spirituality, but at bottom it's simply another Anthroposophical heresy.