The Blog of Death

Barry Long's teaching is the most radical, all encompassing and practical one I have encountered during my own enquiry into the Truth. Being as transmitten by his presence and the truth of the living word still to be found in his books tapes and videos is a gift of the rarest value. I remain in gratitude.

I went to my first seminar back in 1994 and ever since Barry Long's penetrating presence and truth he was speaking, pulled me back to his seminars. His teaching changed my life and my ideas of love and relationships espesially. I am deeply grateful to him and glad to have all the books and tapes and videos to read and listen.

By dying, Barry Long demonstrated his true presence as master. While alive, I recognised his deep knowledge of love and truth. To live it, has been my most important purpose ever since. At the moment of his death something quite unbelievable happened. Whatever Barry Long was essentially, has not died but is alive inside me as living presence. It has no past reference to his person but is a magnificent energetic experience. Living what he spoke about has become so much easier. Thank you Barry for dying - that was your last contribution to me as woman on earth.

Since mid-2002 I have immersed myself in the teachings of Barry Long, and have found no other more piercing and compelling guide to the truth of love death and life. A curious thing happened to me too at the time of his death (before I even knew of the event) - his living presence (or immortal love as he writes of it) seemed to enter me at the same time (manifesting as a deep ache in the left side of my brain). It is not as acute now as it was but remains with me. Inner changes have accelerated during this time.
I take this as a measure of the enduring power and clarity of Long's teachings and presence. I am ever grateful.

On december 8 2003 the teaching of barry long first entered my awareness. I am now exploring his words of truth and finding them in my experience. I just missed the living master.

what a man!
thanks bary. however much i try to resist, my self is fighting a losing battle... if at times painfull. Ha. time will tell

I "accidentally" picked up the "Origins of Man and the Universe" at my university library. The next two days of reading (the time I took to read the book) were the most incredible days of my life. I do not mourn Barry because his truth is now my truth. Indeed is every body's truth whether they accept it or not.

Love

A great man , An intelligent man. A noble man. He did more to help others to help themselves than any man I have known.

Simply the most intelligent man I have had the honour to know.

Your star has appeared and will simply be there.

God I'm grateful the master came.

Farewell and Hello.

Barry Long spoke of woman and love like no other master I have ever encountered or of whose words I have read. His light shone on me as a woman and this ignited a love within that I had never dreamed possible.

Barry Long's teaching changed (and keeps on changing) my life for good. I'm eternally grateful. Thank you Barry.

I just found out about Barry's passing, I have the deepest gratitude for the wisdom and help and love that the short times that I was with him showed me. Barry enabled us to understand what a master really is. deepest thanks, Barry Long.

First elated with Barrys work when 18. Now 36. To date, there is no other work i have found which covers all with such clarity and totality. I would often shrug the suggestions of "guru hoppers" of auras. On the occassions i met him there was indeed a "fresh air" when close. I love.

It's devine spirit so what tribute shall i pay to that deep pentrating insight into which barry long existed, he is a genius of his chosen endure and he would long be staying in the form of spirit /presence in all of us.

Barry, thank you, thank you, thank you! Since this year I have missed you and started listening to your teachings again after many years of going it alone and moving further away since your visit to Jamaica. It was a shock to learn of your "death" when I decided to make contact again. Your teachings are the only ones that I have found so complete in guiding me to the essence of SELF, and now I listen daily again for their energetic presence. Thank you.

Barry Long lived his teaching. His teaching is practical, livable, authentic.
A great man. A real and true man of God.
The power of his teaching lives on.
It is immediately accessable here and now as the sensation of life within, from which it arose, through which it is empowered, and into which it will dissolve, when the world of selves finally comes to rest.

Barry's teachings have taught me to serve something greater than myself. His profound love of Woman, which brought me to his teaching, will forever be with me. Thank you to Barry and all who live the Truth.

I love the fact that barry long enabled me to learn to be truly intelligent in the real sense.
I constantly face the pain and loss i threw up when i learnt of barry's 'death' and this helps me to stay true and present. to stay in love.

Barry Long helped me to understand and articulate the spiritual connection that was already building within me and Woman (prior to my knowledge of Barry). This greatly helped me to live in Immanence - and to nurture and polish the mirror of God Immanence after planting the Seed of Truth via my Sufi Guide.

You will forever be thanked.

Barry Long was a rare example of an honest man.
I urge anyone who is not familiar with Barry Long`s teaching to buy one of his books or audio tapes.

Since I read his book "only fear dies", Barry Long's teaching has been changing me whether I want it or not. So powerful are his words.

I first met Barry in 1974. He was and is the single most important influence on my life. Barry body has gone but his teaching lives on in his published material, the thousands of men and women who attended his meetings, those who read his books or saw a video or heard a tape. He is a revolutionary and through him the experienced truth is articulated with an extraordiary originality. Barry taught there is no death. So Barry I honour you and say hello. Are you really dead???

1990. I turned my life around 360 degrees upon reading Barry Long's book 'Ridding Yourself of Unhappyness'. (Now called 'Only Fear Dies').
there just does not seam to be another enlightened person on the planet with his profound penatration into the truth and what a mirror he was. All that is not true in me is reveled daily to me.
Thank you. I love you. Thank you.

Barry Long gave the greatest gift possible to the world. His teaching on life, love, truth, death and God are so utterly straightforward, practical, clear - and cut through all the crap so simply. His books and tapes have the power to transform an ordinary part-dead life into a vital, wonderous, indescribable thing. What greater gift can anyone give to another?

Indeed...Barry Long had a spiritual alignment very much in the path of Immanence - which preaches to live with God in the presence, as opposed to constantly trying to search for it in Transcendence.
He has a down-to-earth and spiritually intelligent presence not dissimilar to the Prophet Adam.

Thank GOD it is time to wake up out of this terrible dream of ignorance of GOD.
Still living in ignorance, Barry is here to guide me. There is no DEATH. I,M most grateful for his teaching, and the hole organisation.

Never met Barry personally. But along the graceful growing perception and mastery of my own self, been meeting Him more and more, and more and more amazed of the transforming power of the right words written and spoken from divine place inside. Unspeakable bliss. Thank you.

thanks barry dont know where id be without your teachings, drifting on a stormy sea perhaps... but they found me and i love all the work that came through you thanks barry now i must be the master.....

I discovered Barry's incredible teaching at the tender age of 19.I am now 33.Like so many others I am continually amazed by how relevant and profound it remains as a living presence in my life.I have had to absorb many of the "normal " wordly experiences and pains while "growing up" however the presence of this truth has been so intimate and deeply connected in me it is inconceivable that I could ever lose it ( there is nothing to cling to anyway)I have absorbed his teaching of the love betweeen man and woman as earnestly as I could of course making my mistakes and having to humbly face my karma.I find now the result of this work is a joy with my man (of 14 years) that is such a fresh and true sensation that sometimes I just laugh with the freedom of it.We live a very ordinary life coping with all the rigours of work and family life and yet connected by a love that neither of us own or could attempt to understand.Barry through his uncompromising love showed me this way and demonstrated that there is no failure only the opportunity to be more true.To say I love Barry does not do justice to the deep and lasting legacy thou has left in me.I continue to do my best and give my life to thee.

Bary

search the book "seulement la peur" and "intuition sur l'origine"
best regard

Michel

Barry's work continues to amaze and change me for the better everyday!My eternal gratitude goes out to Barry and his organisation

I am what I am now that I know what I am Not. I am Love, In being Love I am now responsible for everything I say and do, No more excuses. Existence becomes cleaner and clearer every moment, the burden of the past less and less. As the truth is the same for everyone the man who taught me so much (Barry Long)is actaully me in another form. I work so hard to relearn what I was foolish enough to forget, this place with its trials and tests has certainly served its purpose. Thank you to Life, having appeared in the form of Barry Long to show me the way. I will endeavour to enjoy every moment I am priviliged to be in existence. LOVE Andrew

Barry Long is nothing more and nothing less then an individual expression of truth absolute and so can be everyone here as well. To embrace Barry's gift to us is to live our inner truth without compromise and stand up with the roar of living truth through us.

Thank you, Barry!

Barry Long was not what he said he was. He was obsessed with sex and with his own self-aggrandisement.

At his seminars, nearly every interaction with a “student” would eventually get round to the question “how’s your love life?”. The subsequent discussion made it clear that by “love life” he actually meant only “sex life”. The idea that love was involved in other areas of family life and friendship didn’t seem to occur to him. He was asked for his definition of love. His answer was “penis in vagina”. After a whole lifetime he still didn’t seem to realise that it takes a lot more than great sex to love someone.

He would talk about the “fiendess” in women. This anger against men was supposed to be a result of modern men’s inability to love women properly physically (by which he simply meant the inability to f**k them properly – again, love was restricted to sex). He ignored the fact that women have a lot more than a few bad bed experiences to be angry about, like thousands of years of oppression! The “fiendess” idea ended up just being a licence for bad behaviour on the part of many of the female students. This ranged from, on the one hand, simple constant ill manners and discourtesy to men to, on the other hand, major tantrums and deeply dishonest and manipulative behaviour. And this was blamed on the man in question. At no point were these women called on to take responsibility for their own behaviour like grown-up human beings.

Barry portrayed himself as the only man who could love (i.e. f**k) women properly and “take on” the “fiendess”. At one point he was “taking on” (i.e. f**king) five women simultaneously. It would have been more but several of his female “students” turned him down. Far from enjoying the experience and becoming happier, these women were fairly constantly angry and moody and used to get together to bitch with others behind his back about Barry. Complaints were on the level of how he would force them to listen to his boring poetry recitations, or how he would make them sit and watch boring old black-and-white TV Westerns. He used to boast about how love was the most important thing to him and he would make love with his partner(s) “morning, noon and night”. What he actually used to do was send them shopping together while he stayed in and watched violent movies. “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” was one of his favourites. Little evidence of even a happy family, far less a loving or spiritual one.

One of the worst pieces of Barry’s behaviour was to do with a boy called Simon. Barry wrote a book called “Raising Children in Love, Truth and Consciousness”. Much of the content was about his life his partner at the time and with her young son (by another man) called Simon. Barry would tell stories about interactions with Simon to illustrate some point about how to bring up children. After some time Barry left Simon’s mother (as he did with most of his women it seems – no long-term or faithful relationships for Barry) and mother and son moved to another part of Australia. After some time, when Barry was now with the five women, Simon tried to get back in touch with Barry to tell him about his life and ask for some advice, because he loved and respected Barry. Barry refused to communicate with Simon because “that was now all in the past”. This deeply upset Simon and, to do them credit, the five women.

Again – Barry was a deeply self and sex obsessed man. He had little consideration for those around him and was not a spiritual master.

Thank you Anthony. Sadly, I agree with you. Although the time and the manner of his death (from prostate cancer) gives us sorrow, he was not a master. Apart from his chequered personal history, his work is contains plenty of statements suggesting he had delusions of grandeur, and was quite a disturbed individual. A true spiritual teacher does not boast he is a master: witness the work, say, of J. Krishnamurti (from which he appears to have borrowed a great deal) or even Eckhart Tolle, for example. Their work is not full of self aggrandisement.

I have ask Anthony how many meetings he actually went to? He has clearly not understood Barry Long's teaching on love and sex, as the fundamental message was to learn the difference and give oneself only to love. As a woman I heard that I was absolutely responsible for everything in my life. It is an error to base your judgement of Barry on the behaviour of whatever individual women you seem to have associated with.
I'm also rather dubious about any statement says "a true master should behave like this or that"....when have masters ever been stereotypical! This only shows your ignorance. Barry did display alot of self aggrandisement, but that's not relevent to the truth he spoke regarding life, love, death and God. I am greatly indebted to him for freeing me of much suffering and I don't give a toss about his personal life. I don't need a teacher to be perfect to be able to hear the truth if it is spoken.

I am interested in Anthony Conway's appraisal above. Anthony has taken a particular slant on what Barry Long said and did, presenting facts and reporting opinion in his own way. However what Anthony doesn't seem to have understood from Barry Long, or any spiritual discipline, is that bitterness or resentment about another is a waste of time. If Andrew wants to dispute what Barry Long said and did, he would be better off doing it at the highest level - by displaying his own unique nobility – rather than at the lowest level – trying to climb up the heap by judgement and slander, which can be argued bitterly and pointlessly from one point of view to another till time is worn dry.
For myself, I leave judgement of Barry Long the man to God. The need to make a God or a devil of another is nothing more than an abdication of my own responsibility for life. I am nothing other than grateful for all the ways in which he showed me a deeper truth about myself.

Lyanne –I went to many meetings over a number of years, right through Barry’s teaching and out the other side. You don’t know me so you don’t know what I have or have not “clearly … understood”. The distinction between love and sex, which Barry said he was the first to teach, was taught me by my mother and by many other adults when I was a child, and is obvious to any experienced adult human being. I don’t know how a “true master should behave”. I only know that Barry made great play of living everything that he taught, whereas he in fact said one thing and did another. I also am grateful for what I learned from him. But I was interested in his dishonesty when I discovered it, and I think that it is worth pointing out to give a balanced view of his life.
Neal – you can’t present facts “in your own way”. Facts are facts, they are either so, or they are not. Opinions are different, of course. Don’t mix the two. Again, like Lyanne, you don’t know me and you don’t know what I have or have not understood. In particular, I am not bitter, and I am not resentful. Why would I be? It would indeed be a waste of time. Any bitterness or resentment that you perceive is your projection, your opinion presented as fact. I am, as you imply, indeed judging Barry, but I am not slandering, if that is what you wish to imply. Slander consists of lies, and I have not lied. I have no idea of what you mean by “trying to climb up the heap”. Which heap is that? I have no interest in arguments: certainly not bitter ones; certainly not pointless ones; and certainly not even for a moment, much less “till time is worn dry”. Do you? As I said above, I am also grateful for what I learned from Barry – partly from what truth and original perception there was in his teaching, and partly from seeing his dishonesty and mistreatment of others and deciding not to do the same. I have no interest in making a God or a devil of Barry. Do you? And my name’s not Andrew!

BARRY LONG... WOW!

I first came across Barry Long's first edition yellow book called, "Knowing Yourself". It was given to me by my father, when he was in recovery, from alcoholism. My life has not been the same since. I now have most of his books and know of no other writing like it, I read the same books every day, they are incredible.

I have experienced the Absense of Nothing (as discribed in Knowing Yourself (Edition 2) when I was 18 and this confirmed the real truth of Barry's teachings.

I wish I had had the opportunity to meet with Barry, which is something I will be more sorry for than words can explain, but it wasn't to be.

Thank you Barry for your teachings which allows everyone of us, that did not meet you, to understand the Truth.

Thank you also for your suffering, consciously, on this planet, so that the rest of us could see the way... True love.

I have found so much of what Barry said to be an invaluable source of wisdom and extremely profound insight. His words are so clear and direct, as distinct from other spiritual teachers I have read. There are some other things that should be said though.

There are many things Barry exhorts people to do, for example, be grateful, love the good, be still, descend into me, just give up the unhappiness, surrender to the infinite intelligence, die in each moment. Though I have read, listened and watched many of his tapes, books and videos, I am not sure when to do each of these or in what order. I do not think I can do them all at the same moment. And now that he is gone, I cannot ask him and he did not wish others to interpret his teachings for him.

I wished he had explained how his statement works that each of us is totally responsible for all the circumstances of our lives. I have my own theory on it, but would have liked him to spell out why or how this giant statement is exactly true. May be he explained how elsewhere.

Also, doing Barry Long's astrology chart, even without the exact time of birth, it clearly shows someone with a very, very large and powerful self image (if one wants to be kind) or ego (if one uses the usual interpretation) in terms of mind and spirituality (Jupiter opposes Mercury and Neptune conjunct in Leo with Sun also in Leo). Also, using his life events in a process called rectification, his birth time can be narrowed down quite accurately. It seems very likely Jupiter was in his first house which is usually interpreted as being very much larger than life and with it definitely being it Aquarius, very detached in personal relationships with love as an abstract ideal more than in person. It also gives him a Capricorn ascendant, a generally austere, dour and judgmental persona which I can see come over much of the time.

Lastly, I once saw Barry raise his hand and then lower it to stroke the head of a woman just before a seminar in London. All nice, except she really looked quite scared to me and this really surprised me. Perhaps she was just afraid of the truth or perhaps I misread her emotion, I certainly hope so.

All in all, I am not sure if he was perfect, but then who is? I am not sure if even Jesus was, after all, he lost it in the Temple with the money lenders, did he not?

So I am truly thankful to Barry for his words and inspiration. I once told him I was attracting cold, manipulative women into my life and acknowledged my responsibility in doing so. He told me to “find a woman with whom you can be your sweet self”, so I did! Even after 11 years with her, the love is so utterly sweet and precious!

I write for the benefit of the living. I am eternally grateful for the teachings of Barry Long which I have only known through his media. The grace and authority of his inspiration is overwhelmingly apparent. For your own personal growth and the future of our planet I urge you to explore his teaching. Thank you Barry.

Other than woman and the eternal within himself (the Being, God and Life and so on), could anyone refer me to a place where Barry showed gratitude for anything or anyone else in his life?

This would be of tremendous help to me.
Many thanks.

barry was a master alright. he had it all worked out.I wonder did any of these women he was bringing to "realization" have more than one master or was'nt that allowed .

The teachings of Barry Long have changed my life and it is my life that is the living tribute to those teachings.
Five years ago, I was introduced to them. For the first time in my life - I was then 54 - I found a comprehensive teaching that made sense to me and that was the solution to so many questions that other teachings didn't answer. I was hooked. I went to work. Life and love provided the opportunities.
Now five years later I am free of unhappiness, I have realised love, I have everything I need and I am in paradise.
I am not special. I am an ordinary, natural woman.
Living proof that Barry Long's practical teaching on truth and love is alive and real in me, in my life and in the world.
I never had the opportunity to be with him in person. It is through his material that I came to know his teachings.
To me the man is immaterial. It is the power of love and truth that he is able to reflect to me that is the mystery and miracle. That power is in me as it is in everyone whether they can see it or not, whether they are ready for it or not, and I thank God and BL for having been given the grace to rediscover and recognise its presence in every moment of my life.

That is what Barry said - that he was free of unhappiness and lived every moment in love. It is plainly obvious from attending some of his meetings and from the "letters to man in truth" that he still experienced irritation and judgmentalness. A number of letters Barry wrote back to men were not in love. Juliana is not bothered about whether Barry personally lived what he preached and that is her choice. Barry was however very much concerned about whether spiritual teachers lived the truth or not and commented frequently on them.

Perhaps Juliana has achieved what it seems Barry could not, whilst still using only his teachings presumably. If so, then that is a remarkable accomplishment. My partner is free from unhappiness about 90% of the time and she has never read a word of Barry's teaching. Go figure?

However, I for one shall sincerely contemplate what Juliana says in humility and honesty. After all, she is right in saying each one of us has the power of eternal life and love within us. Barry was not the first to say this, but he put it very clearly. As for his teachings as a whole, they have not after 35 years created for the vast majority of his "students" what it has apparently for Juliana. Either they did not put in enough effort or the teachings are incomplete. If Juliana is to be believed, then the rest should just work that much harder or smarter or something more!

Nevertheless, Barry and Juliana talk of God as if it is something distinct "I thank God". If one is truly one with God, then there is only joyous union, not the gratitude of a disciple or follower still looking up to God or in this case, down into God in one's Being. It is very much easier for disciples and followers to be "happy", just ask any evangelical Christian.

If what Barry said is true that we are all totally responsible for all the circumstances of our lives (e,g, if I am maimed and yet it is my responsibility), then each of us is the very God of our lives. As such, we are grateful only to ourselves and noone else or anything else and there is no need to thank God as if it is separate from our own consciousness.

Have I missed something? I actually hope I have, believe it or not.

It is to be grateful for the very life that is me. The creation of my life from the eternal Being, God, the father and mother, which is the source of my Being and the eternal, limitless source of truth and love within me. I am the birth, the son, yet completely responsible for my life, that is also eternal and holy, from the moment of my creation, since the beginning, through the aeons of time, from ignorance of myself to awareness of myself, through karma.

I retract all the words spoken by the ignorance within me and let go of the ego, the little self as the embodiment of that ignorance. All of you now have my love, not my resentment.

I am eternal yet a single point in existence, so humbled by the infinite source of all, yet realised as one with it. The infinite intelligence that manifests in me and in any man or woman has my eternal gratitude. I am infinite intelligence, we are all infinite intelligence. It is the master with no name, beyond Barry Long or Rap or Juliana, eternal, the source of knowing. It manifests and speaks. There is endless beauty and joy. I understand now. Blessed be.

Goodwill and love to all
Rap

It's so amazing to read all this, there's much gratitude and a little confusion. Barry's authority was undeniable as were the flaws accurately perceived by some (vastly distorted and exaggerated by others on this site!). The only thing to do is check it out for yourself and always return to your own divine authority within you. Barry was the first to say not to believe anything that he said but to check in your own experience. And I heard Barry express much gratitude to the Blessed John whom he called his master and to the people who worked for him.
Fascinating astro insights Rap...although I once saw BL's chart and he had Leo rising.

Personally, I have experienced some of the states that Barry has discribed. I have experience the point in oneself when in that moment you realise that you know everything you know, and have also seen that it cannot be held in memory - I have also plunged into the nothingness, causing a trauma that lasted over 7 years.

If you have not experienced yourself as Barry discribes, then you do not know, therefore you have to believe. But as soon as you believe, everything is already false because you are following your own way and not the way of truth. The way of truth has been discovered many times, because it is always the same, regardless of the expression.

Read the books, again and again and again and again until you get it... all his talking was not speculative or theorectical, it is physically real to you in the moment of experiencing, like life itself, or any moment you have had.

You are responsible for everything that happens to you because the world you are in is your own, and nobody elses, which is why no matter how hard you try, you cannot tell someone if they are telling the truth. Because that person is the only person who knows whether they are telling the truth. Its so simple, that it is overlooked.

This fact is also dis-satisfying, which is why we accept belief. To believe in one thing or another. But belief has nothing to do with truth. As Barry said himself, in order to believe something, you have to know, but when you truly know, you do not have to believe.

Know also that belief has no end, whereas desire only has an ends.

I work in education and would like to say that if any teacher, in a position of authority with students, ever had sexual relations with them, it would be considered an abuse of a privileged position and result in instant dismissal, even if the student was above the age of consent.

All teachers have to recognise that their students are emotionally open and vulnerable to them in that setting. (All the moreso in the subject of spirituality, which is obviously intensely personal and psychological). So to have such relations in educational settings is generally considered as taking advantage of that and highly unethical.

Doubtless Barry would say such ethics do not apply to him, a "tantric master of the West". What an easy claim and justification to make. Anyone can say that. The justfication for having sex with students as one of being love for them would not wash for a moment in any educational setting, even in an adult one such as University, from a lecturer. Besides, even on this site, people disagree about how much he was love to his cohort of women.

At any rate, spiritual teachers should not put themselves above everyone else, no matter how much they think of themselves. Where would that lead us? There has to be an independent standard and code of conduct, not simply the word and justifications of any one teacher, which is bound to be biased.

I first came across Barry Long back in 1986 and was immediately drawn to his presence and teaching. I attended his seminars for 14 years. The practical, down to earth simplicity of his teaching has helped me immensely. The teaching is now ingrained in me and serves me every moment of my life.

Barry exposed the enemy to me - the believer, the decision maker, the concluder, the worrier and the one who fantasizes. He exposed its every ways to me so I would not be tricked by it. He showed me how to see the fact of life and to give less and less time to my personal impressions. He taught me to only speak from my own experience of life. He taught me how to be in the present, in this body, in these five senses. He taught me how to stop thinking; how to be still. He introduced me to wonderful dimension of stillness in me.

Barry taught me to not compromise in my life. And he taught me to be honest and straight.

He taught me to be true to the situation, not to my feelings; possibly the most effective life-tool I have and use. He taught me to let go of my likes and dislikes. To allow life's will to take its natural course and to relinquish my own will; my own wanting.

Barry showed me the difference between sex and love. He exposed the selfish nature of sex to me and introduced me to the giving nature of love. Barry taught me to give up thinking and fantasizing about sex. To stop lusting, and wanting what I do not have.

Barry taught me that in many of us there is the potential to turn on the Master after following his teaching for many years. He warned me that this could happen. He taught me that my mind would pick on the 1% that it thinks is bad, and fail to acknowledge the 99% that is good.

Barry taught me to acknowledge the good in my life every moment. To acknowledge the good actions of others. To be grateful to my parents, who did their best under (sometimes) difficult circumstances. To be grateful for my life. To be grateful for what I am given, for what I have, and for what I am.

Barry taught me to let go of my inner prisoners; to let go of anyone I may hold onto as resentment, dislike or hatred.

All these lessons, the living of them as best I can, have contributed to my living life more and more from a place, a body, 'emptied' of the impediments to being here now, as pure awareness in these senses.

I could go on. But these seem to be the things that stand out in my experience.

Thank you Barry, for teaching me these things. Thank you for helping me to live a life more free of confusion, doubt, fear, worry, regret, craving, emotional discomfort and resentment.

Su (and others) - this is a blog for posting tributes to Barry Long

Definition of tribute:
"something given or done as an expression of esteem"

Do you have a tribute to give to Barry Long - or his teaching?

Juliana, it is actually called a Blog of Death at the top of the page and the main page of whole site. And an excellent site it is too. Please read other blogs on this site as they do contain some negative comment too about others who have died. So this Blog should not be considered an (unconditional) tribute site, no matter how much some people might "need" that.

The tone of your last e-mail is disappointing from someone who makes the claims you do. And you do not have to patronise me, I like most people, do know what a tribute is! :-)

It is a shame that some of Barry's followers cannot stand any criticism of him, no matter how reasoned. Still I accept this is a common trait, as there appears to be quite a lot of one sided, blind "devoteeism" here, which often happens amongst followers of masters, despite Barry's requests to the contrary.

Nevertheless as you request, I freely affirm that Barry's teaching were a great contribution to the field of spirituality. I did not say this before because it had already been said on this Blog several times before and I realized that his faults were simply being brushed under the carpet.

Please remember - no one is special, not even Barry Long. Yet I repeat, his realizations and teachings are great indeed.

Louise, thank you for saying for me what Barry was grateful for.

Regarding tribute. Earlier, I became aware of a deeper truth and love within me and communicated it. To live the truth and love an individual such as Barry stands for is to give true tribute to that individual. There is no greater honour.

Words of tribute without living truth and love are hollow and without meaning. Truth and love is an unconditional state of living compassion, harmony, respect and unity within me towards others, the Earth and the Universe, all of which I recognize as me, in the depths of infinite being. Conversely, to the extent to which any individual does not live the truth and love he or she professes, is self degradation, not tribute.

I do not speak these words by choice, for the bliss within me, being unconditional, does not require me to be anything nor do anything. But by the calling of infinite being within me, to give living tribute to that infinite being, that Barry so loved. And I give tribute to Barry and all persons, however much truth and love live or lived within them.

Peace and love to all.

Barry was a very, very spiritually perceptive and intelligent man. He combined things like bits of Buddhism, the things it teaches to be not attached to - the world, self, past and future, sex etc, with Gnostic Christian belief that God is inside us as much as all around us and we can know him directly and simply and the Taoist technique of being aware in the stomach to be still. His words had an energy I like.

I do think he made too many books, tapes and videos, a lot to have to get through, and then to practice. It’s also expensive when I add them all up. I don’t begrudge it, but I think it can muddle and confuse the simpleness of his core teachings. But his teachings are definitely worth the effort. They are very inspiring for me. I believe he did his best for us and I am very thankful for it.

I think these attacks against Barry's character are nothing new in terms of spiritual masters. Nearly every teacher or guide of significance has suffered because of their teachings - in one way or another. This is caused by jealousy, heresay, misinterpretation and an inability to understand the greater wisdom behind an action. My other teacher, who I know to be true, was accused of sleeping with another man's wife (I know for a fact he didn't do it) but words breed rumours and rumours convince others and it leads to character assasination. Barry tried not to have an 'ashram' for this very reason of rumours and discussions developing...yet, it still somehow managed to seep through.

Barry taught that you should take ONE woman on, with this understanding and receptivity to truth and love. What he may have done at the beginning may have been either a mistake on his part, or a wisdom that may be above your comprehension. But know this....his teaching on the love of man and woman is TRUTH. Because I have personally experienced it. There is even a Sufi master named Ibn Arabi who wrote that the perfect and most intense contemplation of God can POTENTIALLY be in the "conjugal act".

But Barry Long was not a sexualist or a materialist. He taught that you should stay present and remember the Mystery and Stillness Within. Man and Woman are the perfect reflections of this Mystery - even though it is beyond and above the bodies of both man and woman; we are the best pointers and reminders of this Reality than any other heaven or form in the manifest multi-verse. The Secrets are within us, and we point to them - but yet, they are beyond our comprehension. This is the mystery, and the paradox.

Can you not but love the mystery? I certainly do and I thank Barry Long for helping me to.

Hossein,

To summarily and effortlessly dismiss all the many considered and thoughtful criticisms here of Barry, a spiritual “master” as the result of jealousy, hearsay, rumor, misinterpretation or a failure of comprehension is hardly fair, reasonable or objective.

By itself, this argument is a typical, very easy defense used by autocrats (spiritual, political or otherwise) and their ardent supporters to say a “master” his teachings and his behaviour are all simply beyond criticism altogether. In other words, somehow infallible or perfect.

There is a tendency amongst many aspirants to view spiritual “masters” (only THEIR chosen ones of course and not others do they do not consider “masters”) as living on some elevated plane, incomprehensible to the rest of us, despite the “master’s” all too obvious constant human frailties and faults. Yet some of us can understand and explain his teaching and behaviour very well indeed.

You mention your other teacher. I am glad you have another teacher too, really. But Barry said he did not wish his students to also follow more than one teacher. He called such behaviour “shopping”. He said one “master” should be enough. So either you accept he was wrong on this and that his teachings were incomplete or you drop your other teacher.

Second, yes, he did teach monogamy, but only for his students. I myself heard Barry say that as the “master” he could “take on” several women, as he claimed to have sufficient love for all of them. His frequent judgmentalness towards the human race as a whole and the world - the benefits of which he himself enjoyed, rather than compassion, indicates to me at least, that he may not have had.

Third, Barry asked his students not too discuss or interpret his teachings. So you should not be explaining them as you did, if you accept his statement on it. I am as you can see, willing to do so, as I think he was in error here too as discussion is a major way for a “master’s” limitations to come to light especially as some, like the young and inexperienced, are prey to “masters” claiming “absolute truth”.

Four, he charged quite ample sums for his presence and teachings. Unlike Jesus, Buddha and many others “masters” who freely gave of themselves and their teachings, Barry did not live by what many call the law of providence, on donations and charity. Well, in my humble opinion, if it was good enough for Buddha or Jesus, it should be good enough for everyone else, including Barry. There is no evidence to suggest that Jesus charged an entrance fee for the Sermon on the Mount. So when Barry said he was a “master” of the West, he was certainly right that you had to have western level affluence to be able to afford to be, read or listen to him. Most in the developing world could simply not afford it.

Five, Barry himself said “truth” could not be copyrighted, but he did it anyway, perhaps to stop others taking his ideas. Yet many of the ideas Barry spoke of were clearly not his anyway. And if others were simply abusing his words verbatim as Barry claimed, as the “master” he should actually be pleased they are being reprinted so accurately rather than complain about not being given credit or revenues for them as the true author or “master” of them.

Sixth, Barry’s teaching on man and woman was not the full truth. Yes, one can experience heaven and absolute bliss by pure love making. Like yourself, I too have known it. Yet the heart of man is woman and the heart of woman is man. Merging these two energies can be accomplished internally, fully. So it is also true that such infinite and absolute bliss can and is experienced without any physical act or dependent upon anything at all, whatsoever! I have experienced this accidentally and have witnessed others experience it too, even at will. There are also the accounts, especially from India, witnessing spiritual “masters” spending days in such states of pure and absolute indescribable bliss, joy, love and so on, nothing to do with making love with another person at all.

I still say again, that despite all this, he made a truly wonderful contribution to the understanding of “truth” and love.

Just to say, this post is really meant for those who read this blog and approach Barry with an open and objective perspective, wanting to reasonably and maturely consider both “sides” of the discussion.

Thanks Barry.

Thank you Anthony Conway!

As I've seen countless times in my own experience within the tantric. Coincidences do not exist. The Universe shall provide what you need when you need it. Gratefully, I came upon this blog (and most importantly, your entries) at a time when I needed it the most.

Without going into all the details of the how and why here on a blog, I just wanted to say that for quite some time I have struggled to understand Barry and to align his teachings with my own Truth.

My initial response was a rather strong aversion... particularily to his use of the term "cunt power", his teachings on the tyrannous emotionality of women, fiendess, etc. I found him to be abrasive and misogynistic.

I'm rather new to tantra and for the longest time thought the "problem" was with me. That I was not understanding"
Your message rang loud and clear with me. I've decided to start fresh this new year, associating myself with another teacher (and community)with whom I feel more comfortable.

Thank you!

Barry had deep spiritual experience and was a craftsman with words. He had a gift for stating his spiritual insights in simple English, which was easily translatable into other European languages. He rarely used Sanskrit or other terms unless he couldn’t find a way to express himself in simple English. “Karma” was about the only such term he used regularly. Listening to his tapes, reading his books, watching his videos or being present at one of his meetings, one could be led to experience his perceptions for oneself. Now that’s a real teacher. I owe him a great deal for that and so do many others that I know.

Unfortunately a number of his students, having developed real perceptions through Barry’s teaching, went on to develop a condition that Barry called “guruitis” – presuming to teach before you’re ready, mostly through recycling Barry’s phrases, and before finding out what the real situation is and what your hapless “pupil” actually needs. Lyanne Compton’s and Neal Bowhay’s contributions above are good examples.

There were some things about Barry as a “spiritual master” that I found inexplicable. He was very twitchy about other “masters” and said that masters were always very wary around each other. I could never figure out why. If they’ve seen the truth, it must be the same truth, or it isn’t the truth, so why wouldn’t they just collaborate for the greater good to help others see it?

He had something against scientists for some reason, although he was happy to use their medical, mechanical and electronic products. He seemed to think that the wives or female partners of scientists were bound to be particularly unhappy and unloved, but could never give any reason for this opinion.

One of the great things about Barry’s teaching on sex was that he would talk straightforwardly and explicitly about anatomy and the importance of sensation – but only up to a point. He was asked more than once about the effect of condoms on sensation and therefore on lovemaking, a straightforward and relevant question which he always refused to answer. He also said that the widespread use of contraception had led to the population explosion. Never did understand that one.

Concerning Barry’s teaching on children, when the matter was being discussed at his meetings Barry said more than once that the best thing would be if nobody had any more children and the human race died out, and then nobody would be unhappy any more because there would be nobody to be unhappy. That never struck me as the saying of a man who was free from unhappiness, as he claimed he was.

Along those lines, in the last few years of his life he promulgated the teachings of some of the Gnostics about a male deity called Ialdabaoth. He was supposed to be the result of the rebellion of Sophia (female divine Wisdom) against God because she wanted her own kingdom. The result was the birth of Ialdabaoth, the “demiurge”, the Creator God of the Old Testament who was not actually the “real” God but a kind of Anti-God, who brought the material world into existence but, as Barry put it, as a kind of “aborted foetus” when compared with the “real” world of non-material existence. All a bit weird and not really verifiable in anyone’s experience, but a very poor view of the material world. Again, Barry seemed very unhappy about existing materially.

Concerning Barry’s tantric teaching, if it is to be judged by its results as exemplified by the women that he had relationships with, and if these women are examples of the New Woman that Barry was bringing to Earth, as he claimed they were, then his teaching leaves a lot to be desired. If they read this, I’m sorry to the women concerned to have to say that, because they are well-meaning people. They were left in a dissociated and emotional state by being with Barry, trying to put a positive and spiritual spin on an experience that in unguarded moments they revealed that they had found confusing and angering. The inconsistency between what Barry said and how he actually lived was what angered them most. If Barry was recommending a course of action to his pupils, the efficacy (or otherwise) of which was supposed to be shown, according to him, in his personal life, then his personal life matters as an example of the results of his teaching. I did “give a toss” about it as someone put it above.

After a time, I took Barry’s teaching on families and relationships with a large pinch of salt. Profoundly grateful though I am to Barry for his early teaching, he couldn’t sing in tune and I wouldn’t have considered asking him for singing lessons. By the same token, I wouldn’t take advice on family and relationship matters from someone like Barry with a string of failed relationships and abandoned and unhappy women and children behind him, going back at least half a lifetime. Would you take driving lessons from someone who’s been regularly crashing cars for most of their life, however enlightened they were?

Michael

Thank you for so beautifully and eloquently bringing me further clarity. As an unintentional/unsolicited "student" of a Barry Long follower, I have indeed found myself in a dissociated and emotional state... I was forever trying to put a positive and spiritual spin on what I was experiencing which in unguarded moments with myself revealed much confusion and anger.

How ironic that this "Blog of Death" has become such a source of insight, validation, clarity and comfort for me at a time when I was/am feeling at my most vulnerable and wounded.

"Would you take driving lessons from someone who’s been regularly crashing cars for most of their life, however enlightened they were?" Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

Namaste,
Lucia

It is fascinating to see the worldviews of some of Barry Long’s followers as demonstrated in their responses to those who fail to accept his teaching unquestioningly.

Neal Bowhay regards the publication of alternative information about Barry and of alternative responses to his teaching, outside the censorship of the Barry Long Foundation, as “climbing up the heap”. Is that why Neal moved his family halfway around the world to work for the Barry Long Foundation? Was that far enough “up the heap” for him? Or am I guilty of Neal’s fault of ascribing motive where I am actually in ignorance and perhaps projecting something of my own motivation onto him? And why does criticism or questioning of Barry entail making him a devil? In the samne way that accepting all his teaching unquestioningly makes him a God? Isn’t he just a man with gifts and flaws like most of us? (In his case unusual and profound gifts and very ordinary flaws which were enlarged by the public stage on which he chose to exhibit them.) Unlike Neal, some of us don’t see the world in terms of competing to get to the top of some heap or of being on the side of God or the devil.

Tim York regards the lack of a suitably unquestioning attitude as “turning on” Barry. Why? Again, he’s just a man with flaws and inconsistencies just like anyone else and with more insight than most. Why is the publication of questions, alternative views, new information and lesser-known facts about Barry regarded as “turning on” him? Why does Tim view these quite normal things in terms of aggression and conflict? Does Tim wish to stifle all of this healthy questioning and promote Barry as a master who must just be believed? That really is totalitarianism writ small and it is something that Barry would never have wanted. As he put it, the Master needs “preening” by being questioned in front of the people. It keeps him straight and clean.

At the risk of adopting the approach of the ‘guruitis’ sufferers above, these people have clearly failed to understand one of the most fundamental parts of Barry’s teaching which he repeated many times. Don’t believe him. Listen and question. Test what he says in your own experience. If you find it to be true, then it’s your discovery. If you don’t, then you don’t. If you’re grateful to Barry for helping you discover something then all well and good, acknowledge him and tell others if you are so moved, but don’t be a follower or a believer or you will really have learned nothing.

Barry never wanted followers and never wanted people to interpret his teaching to others. Everyone can read it, hear it and see it for themselves through the books, tapes and videos. These followers are being presumptuous. At least those who question Barry, whatever their motivation, have the courage to do so from their own experience. If the followers wish to teach, then they should have the courage to do so on THEIR own account and from THEIR own experience and not hide behind Barry’s name. Their behaviour is unworthy of that name and of his teaching.

I’m glad that there is some dissent on this blog from the unrelentingly rosy view of Barry and his teaching promoted by the first few entries.

He was undoubtedly a great and talented teacher with some profound insights to impart. My life is different, and for the better, for having met him and been with him for some years. However, his treatment of women and children was scary. It’s been mentioned above and I can’t really add much. I can, by the way, verify Barry’s treatment of Simon which confused and upset the boy greatly.

Barry’s teaching of the difference between love and sex has been mentioned, and he made a big deal about being the first to teach it. Well, he just wasn’t. It’s obvious to anyone from a teenager upwards. My mum taught it. The Church has been teaching it for a couple of thousand years (not that I’m recommending the Church). The fact that the two are different doesn’t mean that sex is bad and only love is good, either, as Barry taught. The funny thing was that Barry himself seemed to confuse the two. The only form of “love” he seemed to know was sex. Many other things that are claimed to be features of his teaching, such as being responsible for your feelings, are just normal parts of growing up. Many of us may not learn these lessons fully, but they are just ordinary life lessons – nothing unusual, nothing spiritual.

He had a real hang-up on sex – he saw it everywhere and so, eventually, did his students. A King Brown snake striking at the window of a female student from her garden was the sex, from which she was trying to free herself, striking back at her. (Shades of a Christian upbringing? On one occasion when someone disagreed with him in a seminar he pronounced in portentous tones “there is a Judas in the room” – which made him who … ?) The use of irony in conversation by English people, which confused Americans and Australians in the group who didn’t habitually use irony, was discussed very seriously by some of the five women mentioned above and was declared to be sex, and was thereafter studiously avoided.

At the annual Master Sessions, held at a Scout camp in Australia, men were instructed to leave the toilet seat down as a gesture of the “noble man” to women who might use the cubicle afterwards. A lot of the women thought this was just plain funny. Some found it inconvenient as they liked to squat over the bowl without touching it and were now forced to lift the seat.

Several women questioned Barry about his teaching on seminal retention. They actually liked their men ejaculating inside them. Barry never really had a good answer for them.

His view of men just did not square with the facts. Most men that I know like sex, but they’re not selfish and sex-obsessed, far less sex-possessed, in the way that Barry portayed them. I wondered sometimes if his view of other men was his own projected Christian sexual guilt that he couldn’t get over. Perhaps the only way he could have guilt-free sex was to make it “spiritual”. He painted a wonderful word portrait of “the noble man” but my very ordinary, non-“spiritual”, loving husband is far more noble than Barry ever was. It takes a lot more than seminal retention and leaving the toilet seat down to be noble.

His meditation technique was great on forgiving others (“freeing your prisoners” as Barry usefully put it with typical down-to-earth pithiness) but not once in his teaching that I heard did he mention asking forgiveness of others and making amends for one’s own faults.

He divided humanity into three levels: firstly, Barry at the top, sex-free tantric hero, come to rescue womankind; secondly, women in the middle, passive and helpless victims of mens’ sexuality who could only be rescued by the tantric master; thirdly, every other man except Barry at the bottom, possessed by the evil of sex and injecting the evil into women with each ejaculation. (Oh, I forgot, there were ‘other masters’ in there somewhere too, but they had to be men, because women can’t teach, and anyway they weren’t as good as Barry because they were only ordinary masters, not *tantric* masters.) His view of men was not great, which is fairly well known, but his view of women was hardly any better. Given his track record with women and children, I found his view of himself at the top of the tree to be self-serving and deluded in the extreme. Laughable, silly and sad, had it not caused so much damage by so many people taking it seriously, and against the clear evidence.

There is an interesting piece at www.maggietapert.com/html_en/ess_ode_fr.html showing a woman’s point of view very different from the unquestioning adulation shown above. And, for good, well-based, consistent suggestions on sex and love, Jolan Chang is a very good writer.

I am so relieved to read some of the criticism of Mr Long and his followers, I got sucked into a lot of similar hogwash by someone with a fundamentalist attitude to the teaching and it drove me nuts. The mixture of genuine insight and gobbledigook given out by Mr Long is a pretty potent mix.
I think there is too much of a temptation to be grateful to Mr Long and thereby attributing your own self knowledge as someone else's doing. It's kind of dualistic innit? He can't hear your thanks, he's dead, and if you are fantasising about talking to him in gratitude you're daydreaming.
The guy who leaves judgement of Barry to God may want to consider wether God is judgemental like the one in the monotheistic religions. And is there anyone left to judge?

Barry Long is
long dead and gone.
His truth marches on in me
wherever I be.
Good bye this blog of living;
click!

Lauri Siirala

Laurii

As irresponsible and self-centred as one would expect from one of Barry's disciples. If you just refuse to acknowledge the damage done, it didn't happen, eh?

And another thing. If Barry's "long dead and gone" how come it's "His" truth? If it's the truth it's not "Barry's" truth, it's not anyone's truth in particular, it just "the" truth accessible by everyone. And if it's not accessible by everyone then it's not the truth.

Haven't you realised yet that you can see the truth for yourself? Maybe Barry showed you a thing or two, but that doesn't make it "His" truth, any more than my giving you directions in the street to a hotel would make them "my" directions or make it "my" street or "my" hotel. And if he did show you a thing or two, it still doesn't make up for the damage that he did and that his teaching continues to do.

Anthony

How many people at one time are are able to be one with the Earth Spirit of Level 7? If it's only for a privileged few how are the rest of us going to verify it for ourselves? If only a privileged few are allowed that level of realization, does that mean humanity as a whole will never be free unless there is a drastic population decrease by about 6,000,000,000 or so?
Will the number of Level 7 realized people change after whatever disaster is about to befall us?
In the first edition of 'origins' we are supposed to destroy ourselves by war. In the second it's possible natural causes that spanks us.
Where did the certainty of edition 1 go to?
In 'the way in' Mr Long said that after the cataclysm anyone with the sort of self consciousness displayed by humanity now will have the world blown out of them. Does that mean we will have a two tier society, brave new world style?
How will this blowing out be done?
Can it be done now?
Would it be unpleasant?
If I live long enough to witness all this (and I wouldn't mind) - how do I get to be in the evolved elite group?
Will I get to wear white robes and live in a radiation proof dome?
Or on the moon?
Or in the desert with Mad Max?
Will it be like Zardoz?
Who's to say Mr Long wasn't having a bit of a laugh - and why not?
Or did someone show him their plans?
Has anyone realized solar consciousness yet?
How come Level 7 is realized after nothingness?
Anyone know?
At the beginning of the 'origins' book, masters are described as taking over the donated bodies of their disciples. If a master is beyond reincarnation and self consciousness and does not return - how is this possible? Is the master not impersonal and in all things anyway?
(N.B. I do not wish to hand over my body to anyone thanks, not even for a loan)
If the Earth spirit is listening to it's confused offspring, I'd like some loving help thanks.

By the way, in my experience Mr Long was effective at pointing to the finer and more profound aspects of self knowledge, and most enjoyable they are too! He obviously knew what he was talking about first hand for a lot of things.
Or nothings, as I have discovered.
Ho hum.

Su, you take issue with the fact that Barry “charged ample sums for his presence and teachings”. You say that Buddha and Jesus Christ “gave freely of themselves”. Bullshit! Where did Jesus spend his nights? Whose food did he eat? Who washed his feet with her hair and gave him at least one night of carnal pleasure (according to the Da Vinci Code)? And did Barry Long need your charity? No! It was your own charity, it is you who were poor in truth, ignorant, and helpless; that’s why you went to see Barry Long in the first place.

By your reasoning, Barry Long would have been perfect if you didn’t have to sacrifice not even one cent from your fortnightly paycheck to have him reveal hard-won knowledge and experience of life, love, sex, death & god to you. You are right, many in the developing couldn’t see participate in BL’s teaching, not just because they couldn’t afford it, but because they would risk punishment, imprisonment, torture and death (think Falun Gong in China) for hearing the words of such a radical and original mind in such an oppressive political and social climate.

Michael Schiller, you claim that many women who were with Barry “put a positive and spiritual spin” on their experiences with him while secretly complaining of feeling “dissociated and emotional”. I assume we are talking about grown-up, mature and responsible women, and not little girls in need of a father figure? Wasn’t Barry Long’s teaching all about taking responsibility for your own life and getting rid of your emotions that cause unnecessary suffering? Why didn’t these women honestly express how they felt? Why did they keep it a secret? Did Barry have that kind of attitude towards life? No, he didn’t.

And Michael, you say Barry “was very twitchy” when speaking of other spiritual “masters”. Well, I’m twitchy about it doing that too. The last time I mentioned the word “meditation” in the workplace the response I got was like I had carelessly spoken a dirty word. That’s what it’s like in the world isn’t it? Or maybe you live under a rock somewhere? And why should “masters” work together like you suggest? Do social workers move around in groups helping poor and ill people like you?

Finally, Michael, you found Barry’s attitude towards scientists “inexplicable”. Barry wasn’t in close contact with the world like many old and retired people are. He once asked, “Why do they call the US president George W. Bush? Did his father have the same name as him?” I think “scientist”, for Barry, was a loose term that included people who worked with computers or “nerds” as we know them. Nerds and computer geeks have a reputation in our society for being anti-social and generally unwholesome characters in need of development. I’m a nerd and I get this attitude from people all the time, including my parents.

Lucia: Do you think Barry Long used too much cursive language? Have you listened to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh’s (Osho) joke about “usage of the word fuck”? It’s on “YouTube”. Barry Long was a gentleman by comparison to some popular spiritual teachers of the modern world.

We were so lucky to have a teacher like Barry Long, especially those who lived close to his area of operation in sunny south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, one of the most beautiful regions in the world. Those who are ungrateful for Barry’s contribution to the world are very much confused. Tell me, is ignorance bliss?

I think Jesus did a bit of carpentry on the side, he just kept quiet about it - I mean if the Romans nailed him up for handing out bread and fishes free of charge and going on about his destiny a bit, imagine what they would do for tax evasion.

Hi Tim

I note the obvious resentment of another who defends Barry and would also I assume, claim to be practicing his teachings. This is ironic.

I say in truly genuine disappointment, where is the understanding, compassion, love, grace and humility from those who still practice Barry's teachings towards those who speak of his limitations? It seems that those who do not agree with the "master" somehow forego all that.

That is most interesting. It may indicate that Barry's love and that of some of his followers is very conditional, only if one is part of his club or at least not critical in any way. If so, this is very narrow, partisan and nothing new. Most religions have become so.

Yet I shall still respond to your points to me and of course let the others you address respond in their own way, save one to Lucia.

First, there is a big difference in the nature of the relationships, between a dependent, conditional transaction and an unconditional transaction. I am glad you acknowledge that Barry did at least charge ample sums, so we come to the issue as to whether Jesus and Buddha did or did not.

My simple point is noone HAD to give Jesus or Buddha anything to listen to their teachings.
Noone HAD to feed them or put them up if they DID NOT WANT TO or COULD NOT. Yet Jesus and Buddha STILL taught them anyway. It is an obvious world of difference! I am genunilely sorry you do not wish to see this. There are plenty of poorer people who do see and appreciate the difference.

You cite the Da Vinci code. I guess you find this a credible text to cite! Even so, Jesus sleeping with ONE woman some times causes me no issues. Barry could hardly object to that himself!

Yes obviously, as you say, Barry did not need anyone's charity, his charges meant he did not. That is my point. Those were his conditions. Jesus and Buddha placed no conditions on anyone to put them up or feed them at all!

I do not know what you mean by MY charity, but I fully acknowledge that I have been poor in truth, ignorant, and helpless which is why I went to Barry in the first place! Is that a big revelation? It is not for me! And makes no difference to my points about him! For:

1) I however, do NOT claim to be a spiritual master!

2) My points were addressed as to how Barry exploited his "position" and did not live the truth as fully as he might have given the title "Master".

3) Your point about freedom of religious expression (in China) is not applicable. For there are hundreds of millions in the developing world who ARE free to follow any teaching they like, except people like Barry's, whom they could not and cannot afford, as you yourself acknowledge.

I have other teachers now or spiritual guides as they call themselves, who make no charge of me, who DO GIVE of their hard won knowledge FREELY to any and all who wish to listen! I do not have to feed them or put them up! Indeed, they are on different continents from me!

It is purely up to me to give donations and I have done so, freely and willingly, so your point about "sacrificing a cent from my fortnightly pay check", is not applicable. If I was not in a position to give any donation, I would not have done so and they would still continue to help me with compassion and grace. No sex or money required.

As for Barry's original mind, as was mentioned earlier on this blog, one could cite plenty of sources for Barry's ideas. Just one example of many is Ramana Maharshi's discourse on "Who am I".

Lastly, your point to Lucia I must quickly respond to. Yes, Bhagwan was worse. So what? I would certainly be foolish to defend Bhagwan's language, sexual or financuial behaviour. Yet there are spiritual "masters" who behave(d) much better than both of them! I can cite you a list if you like.

Through other means than Barry, I have finally learnt to let go of (most) resentment very quickly, so my best wishes and tidings of peace to you, really.

Su

I never met Barry but his teaching changed my life, through his meditation tape and his book “Stillness is the Way”.

I didn’t understand his book about “The Origin of Man and the Universe”, things like the place of the Great Ear in the creation of the universe and the Draconic Transverse and star signs and a ring of ideas around the Earth near the moon. I couldn’t see what he was saying for myself and I don’t know anyone else who’s found these things. The reason I liked his other books was because I could see for myself. I didn’t like his talk about women needing to be “mastered”. It seemed to send us back hundreds of years.

Re the critics of Barry Long (mostly grateful critics, I think) it would help me if the ‘defenders’ of Barry could say exactly where a critic has said something that is inaccurate about Barry or his teaching or his behaviour, and not just cast aspersions on what they imagine are the critic’s motives. If anyone who knew Barry reads this, could they do that please?

Thanks

"I think Mr Robinson needs to change his job and make love. Go for it Timmy."

You couldn't be more correct. Thats pretty much the only thing you've contributed so far that makes any sense.

Tim

To respond to some of your comments:

“The Da Vinci Code” is a popular novel, a work of fiction, not a historical source.

You wrote: ‘Michael Schiller, you claim that many women who were with Barry “put a positive and spiritual spin” on their experiences with him while secretly complaining of feeling “dissociated and emotional” ’. Well, no, I don’t claim that. I wrote that they were “were left in a dissociated and emotional state”, not that they complained secretly about feeling that way.

You write that you assume that the women who were with Barry were grown-up, mature and responsible women. Unfortunately your assumption is wrong. I am not going to be so rude as to say that they were “little girls in need of a father figure” as you put it. In fact they were not.

You ask if Barry’s teaching wasn’t all about taking responsibility for your own life and getting rid of your emotions that cause unnecessary suffering. No. Only some of it. The rest was about, among other things, God, nothing, yin, yang, astrology, Gnostic mythology, gender stereotyping, getting your life right (a very important one that is often forgotten), sex, love, work, Kris Kristofferson’s “The Silver Tongued Devil and I”, the penis, the vagina, the solar-plexus, the top half and the bottom half of the body, stillness, presence, absence, make-up, advertising, the media, science, pseudoscience, scientists, the past, talking about the past, life, death, nobility, worthiness, truth, facts, men, women, raising children, justice, flying saucers, the moon, the sun, terrorism, violence, prayer, martial arts, masters, tantric masters, teachers, the constellation of Draco, the symbolism of the physical world, marriage, toilet seats, meditation, being, … . I could go on. It was a multi-dimensional teaching that can’t be reduced to a soundbite.

You ask why these women didn’t honestly express how they felt. Well, I don’t know, I’m not the person to ask. If you really want to know, then you would be better off asking the women themselves than posting a question on an open public forum which they may or may not read. Barry announced their names at a public meeting and they can probably be contacted through the Barry Long Foundation if they wish to speak with you. Apparently you live in the same area so you might even know one or more of them though the coffee circuit there.

You ask why they kept it a secret. Well they didn’t. I wrote that they revealed it in unguarded moments.

When I refer to Barry being “very twitchy” about other masters, I don’t mean it in the way that you have taken it. I don’t mean that he was reluctant to talk about them in public for fear of the response that he might get from other people. He didn’t care much what people thought of what he said and had no fear about saying it. What I mean is that he spoke about other masters as if they were competition and as if they had no option but to compete with each other. At one seminar he even said that this is inevitable. I couldn’t see why.

Since you ask, I live in a house, not under a rock.

You ask why “masters” should work together. Why not, if they can do more good in the world? You ask if social workers move around in groups helping poor and ill people like me. Well first of all, it’s not clear if you are implying that I am poor and ill like the people that social workers might help, or if I go around helping poor and ill people in the same way that a group of social workers might do. I am actually not poor (or rich, for that matter) or ill, neither do I go around helping poor and ill people. The fact is that, where I live at least, social workers do move around in groups helping poor and ill people. That’s the job that the government pays them to do.

About Barry’s criticism of scientists. Firstly, Barry was very precise with words (which was one of the delights of listening to him sometimes) and did not use “scientist”, or any other word, as a “loose term”. Barry’s criticism of scientists was not because of the “nerd factor”, which is in fact an inaccurate stereotype of scientists, or because they were “anti-social and generally unwholesome characters in need of development” as you put it. It was because, according to him, they tried to apply objective methods of study to matters which were purely subjective – see this month’s email from the Barry Long Foundation. In fact most scientists know very well the limits of the experimental method, as well as its value. If they don’t then they’re not good scientists.

As you say, we were lucky to have a teacher like Barry – I would say that we were very lucky - but I (and, apparently, others) learned some things from him and his behaviour which were not in his teaching. It’s often as valuable to see an example of how not to do something as it is to be told how to do it.

You say that those who are ungrateful for Barry’s contribution to the world are very much confused. Well, it makes sense to be grateful for what has helped you, and many, if not most, of Barry’s critics on this blog have expressed gratitude for what they gained from Barry’s teaching. I’m grateful. It also makes sense not to be grateful for what has not helped you or what may have damaged you. Barry’s teaching contained elements which were helpful and elements which were unhelpful or positively damaging. It is those who think that you must be 100% for Barry or 100% against him (make him a God or a devil as someone said above) who are confused.

You ask “Tell me, is ignorance bliss?”. Well, in the case of the committed followers of Barry Long (whom he said he never wanted, by the way) it would appear that ignorance is indeed bliss, or at least they think that it is. It would appear that it also acts as an excuse for not reading what is written, for making unwarranted assumptions about what is going on in other people’s minds and lives, and for ill manners and rudeness. Ironic because Barry was at all times punctilious in his use of words and, in personal conversation away from the stage, courteous to a fault.

Lastly, you write that John Smith’s suggestion that you change your job and make love is pretty much the only thing that he has contributed so far that makes any sense. As far as I can see, nearly all the questions that he has posed in his other posts, and which you state don’t make any sense, are in response to direct assertions made by Barry Long, mostly from his book “The Origins of Man and the Universe: The Myth that Came to Life” but also from "Making Love: Sexual Love the Divine Way” and “Raising Children in Love, Justice and Truth”, and perhaps others. If the questions don’t make any sense to you, do the assertions in the books?

Michael

I apologise for my rude and ill manner. Sorry.

Tim

Thanks. I wasn't just referring to your posts by the way.

Michael.

I was struck by Elina Haapanen’s post above, although it was over three years ago.

“By dying, Barry Long demonstrated his true presence as master.” Err…, no. By dying, Barry Long demonstrated that he was mortal like the rest of us.

“At the moment of his death something quite unbelievable happened.” Did you know the moment of his death? Were you there when he died? Fair enough if you were. If you weren’t, how do you know that you didn’t imagine it?

“Whatever Barry Long was essentially, has not died but is alive inside me as living presence. It has no past reference to his person but is a magnificent energetic experience.” Absolutely true. You don’t need to believe it. It’s a fact. This is the same magnificent energetic experience which is inside everybody and always has been. Perhaps you had forgotten this and Barry pointed it out to you again. There’s no need for a so-called master. This living presence was there before Barry died, and would still be there whether he had lived or not, but it seems that you attached it to him and he allowed you to do so, along with many other students. What his death has shown you is that you never needed to do that. But Barry was very good at speaking about this presence. And it was nice to listen to him. And he needed to make a living.

“Living what he spoke about has become so much easier. Thank you Barry for dying - that was your last contribution to me as woman on earth.” A true statement indeed. Barry’s endless speechifying and flogging of yet another book or tape or seminar no longer complicates and distracts attention from the simple truth which is inside every body anyway. His ex-students can now get on with just living it, which is all they ever really wanted anyway. This is a contribution to all human beings, not just women, but women in particular can feel easier now that there is one less sexual predator on the public stage encouraging other men to emulate him. The way that many of his male students used to go round at meetings checking out all the women as prospects, and the way that they used to talk about having to bring their new partners “up to speed” with the teaching as if they were idiots was patronising to the degree of being disgusting. The way that some of the single women would put up with this behaviour was very worrying. It really was an abusive mini-culture that Barry created.

It’s a pity, because he benefitted hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people by drawing their attention back to the universal energetic presence inside them, but then he went off on his sex-guru power trip. Oh well. Let’s acknowledge the good, as Barry would have said in his earlier and truer days, be grateful, and not get distracted by his human, though serious, foibles.

In speaking of the male followers of Barry, Grant writes "...way that they used to talk about having to bring their new partners “up to speed” with the teaching as if they were idiots was patronising to the degree of being disgusting." He writes of Barry's mini-abusive culture... yes yes yes... that's how I felt when I allowed myself moments of true clarity. Of course, when I expressed this, I was labeled "unenlightened". All was continually blamed upon past male imposed trauma.... never was responsibility taken by my teacher/master... the "empty vessel".

Lucia

I've found this interview with two of the five women. http://www.wie.org/j13/sally_jade.asp

Getting free from sex addiction (if you actually had it in the first place) is of course a good thing. But there are some worrying bits in there.

The women were not allowed to talk directly to the press. Only written questions and answers communicated via Barry.

Jade thinks that the depersonalisation of her life will go on, and seems to think it a good thing.

Sally says: "Woman is not a master, not a teacher. If she thinks she is, in that alone, she is not. That would be the sexuality in her — the want to exist as something."

These women have been brainwashed.

Anthony

Reading earlier entries today, I wondered how I would ever find these "five women" and get some insight as to what their "relationship" was like.

Once again, I must thank you. The interviews with Sally and Jade have given me much to "sit with".

Lucia

John - you said "Su - what's a foxy interdimensional being like you doing on a drongo planet like this?" Thanks for the compliment, but I do love this Earth, as Barry referred to it, pure, and pristine. As regards the world and human society, there is much that is wrong, as Barry said, but some things are useful though. After all, if it was not for the world and human society, would we not all have to be hunter gatherers or low tech farmers to survive?

Anthony - many thanks for the "interviews" link. I refer to it in inverted commas as it was through Barry, rather than directly, never mind in person with Sally or Jade. This is rather odd, the fact that Barry refused the magazine's request to speak to them directly.

It would appear that Barry felt he had to make sure they said things that were acceptable to him. Hardly a sign of a truly intimate and loving relationship. My partner would not dream of imposing that on me, ever, even if I was publicly writing about my relationship with him. Something to do with trust and respect.

If they really did think and feel what was written here, I do not see the reason why it has to go through Barry at all. And if they felt differently, they should still be free to speak directly and freely, on their own terms. They are individuals, like all others in the free world, with freedom of expression, or so I hoped. Once again, Barry's conditions and behaviour does not inspire me. For censorship, unless it is to protect the young from inappropriate sex or violence or in the national security interest, is generally used by authorities to control and manipulate!

What is strane is that "their" words do seem to have the same style, brevity and insight as Barry's words! Doubtless some would say it is Barry's mastery transforming them. In which case, he really should have allowed them to speak directly to the press to genuinely and objectively prove that transformation!

If I wanted to genuinley evaluate someone, say an interviewee, I would take up references DIRECTLY from their previous employers, not just liaise through the interviewee as a go between. That opens up the real possibility of words being edited - as when an editor does so in a newspaper! Wasn't Barry once an editor?

Also, that it was only two of the five women. What about the other three? What did they feel or think?

Su

Theres something rather sour about the critics here who show up riding on the moral high ground after someone's died. Right or wrong it's a bit like the carping saloon hounds in High Noon, all has a carping and sour ring.

Someone above got very excited about Barry's reference to 'upright toilet seats' but dont grasp the humor or irony that was part of his wellspring. The comment was part of a talk on causes of arguments between men and women and was said with a twinkle. I suppose if he'd used the old chestnut about who controls the tv remote the above critics would say Bl had a doctrinne against remote controls because they represent fear of the phallus or some baloney.

Bl advertised himself as the master of the west, if you didn't fancy that claim at the time of his life then you would have stayed away. So why show up now rehashing out of context side references and sideswipe.

As for censorship well we have a policy in our house of agreeing anything that has to be said and i dont recall me or my wife crying censorship.

Bl always said that after his death they would make a doctrinne of his teaching and judging by the above that's well underway.

si(mon)

Simon

To your point "theres something rather sour about the critics here who show up riding on the moral high ground after someone's died."

Well, if there had been a forum to discuss all this before Barry had died, I certainly would have participated then. And had I come to these conclusions whilst Barry was alive, I also would have said them to his face. The simple fact is, I came to these conclusions over this last few years as I've had a slower pace in my life to do so. Is that bad of me? Just to add, when a criticism is made does not in itself change whether it is valid or not!

You refer to the critics "it's a bit like the carping saloon hounds in High Noon" I do hope you realise that there is more than a ring of sourness to your comments.

I am not sour as you suggest, though I must say it is hard work making points with calm reason in a discussion ridden by the kind of low grade insults you and others engage in. That is wearing, I must say. But I think this whole discussion has revealed much that needed to be explored.

You say "BL advertised himself as the master of the west, if you didn't fancy that claim at the time of his life then you would have stayed away"

I agree, I did accept BL's claim at the time, in my naivety. OK, I'm human! You then say:

"So why show up now rehashing out of context side references and sideswipe."

Because it is perfectly reasonable to evolve or change or refine a view of someone and his teachings in the light of new insights, experiences and information.

Your point is very general so all I can say is that the points made were not side references to me, but rather important, central issues about the very authenticity of a self proclaimed
"master".

As for "out of context", in my opinion, the points were made with sufficient context or explanation or simply quite self evident as to then be useful to the discussion.

As for "sideswipes", well it seems that the points are not sideswipes but direct criticisms with reasons to try to back them up. Though I appreciate that you might have used the term "sideswipes" just to casually lump all the points together and then dismiss them as irrelevant with actually having to address the vast majority of them at all.

You see, I do not mind debate. If you came back with logical counter arguments, I would listen and respond and learn and benefit for having done so.

Lastly, my point on Barry's censorship over the
"interviews" with Sally and Jade are hardly changed by what happens in your household between you and your wife.

Best wishes Simon, in whatever path you are on.

Su

Simon

Just to add, you say " Bl always said that after his death they would make a doctrinne of his teaching and judging by the above that's well underway"

Those who put forward reasoned arguments attemtping to point out the limitations of BL or his teachings can hardly be said to be the ones making his teachings into a doctine. After all, a doctrine is generally held by those who accept teachings with little or no question.

Su

To back up the request of Derek Francis, could the defenders of Barry (or perhaps just one defender, if that's not too much to ask) please respond to the substance of the critics' posts (or perhaps just one post, if that's not too much to ask) rather than complaining about the mere fact that criticisms are made of a "master", or about when they are made, and without questioning the critics' motives with no grounds for doing so, and without calling the crtics names.

I would be genuinely interested in hearing from anyone who has derived benefit from Barry's teaching on sex, love and raising children where that teaching is not plain common sense. Some detailed examples of exactly how the teaching has helped would be helpful.

The critics have been detailed, factual and to-the-point. Defenders - the floor is yours to answer in the same vein.

Simon, perhaps you could start?

Anthony

PS concerning Simon's point as to why these questions were not asked of Bary when he was alive I, for one, did question his teaching while he was alive. I got branded "unenlightened", "sexual", "Judas" and got shunned by the rest of the "student bod", for wanmt of a better phrase. In the end I had better and more productive things to do with my time.

And concerning Barry's irony, there wasn't any. Sue Goddard is right - it was banned as "sex". Barry was very often a tender and perceptive man, but his humour was crude. Irony and subtlety were not to his liking. In fact after his return to Australia he mentioned his time in England as one which "dried him out" through the level of indirect communication which is part of English culture. Barry ironic? Nah.

I've already made an effort to state my case earlier on this blog, Judas, ;-)

I guess we can only conclude all the money and time you spent going "through Barry’s teaching and out the other side" was an utter waste.

Sally and Jade... brainwashed? At the very least they were participating in harmless fun, let alone ridding themselves of unhappiness.

Simon

Just to expand my point in response to your point about censorship, you said:

"As for censorship well we have a policy in our house of agreeing anything that has to be said and i dont recall me or my wife crying censorship"

That is my point - we do not know if there was actually free and equal agreement between Barry and Sally / Jade when Barry insists on being the go between and refuses the magazine direct contact with them. My very point is that if there was the agreement that you speak of being necessary, Sally / Jade could / should / would just as easily, have been the ones to speak directly to the magazine, proving it was really, truly their thoughts, feelings and words!

Su

twenty five years ago Barry predicted this.Two thousand years ago another man did the same. Ho Hum there's nothing like evolution is there? To whoever started this 'blog' shut it down now!!! The rest of you, GET A LIFE!,you idiots.

Tim

I’ve scrutinised your posts above but was unable to find any specific detailed statement of any benefit that you have derived from Barry's teaching on sex, love and raising children where that teaching is not plain common sense.

My time spent with Barry was not any kind of waste, let alone an utter one. Why can you "only conclude" that? More "unwarranted assumptions about what is going on in other people’s minds and lives" as Michael Schiller put it above. And what makes you able to write on behalf of others using the assumptive "we"? Why can’t you speak for yourself? Let others make their own conclusions, if they want to.

I learned things with Barry that I would never have learned anywhere else and I'm very glad that I spent time with him.

Sally and Jade were not "participating in harmless fun" as you put it. That is my point. They were damaged by the experience, as were all those five women, all of whom I knew and two of whom I called friends. They were left able to exist in only two states: a detached, glazed-eyed, wafty, half-dead, "spiritual" state, and temper tantrums. Some of them couldn't even make it to a tantrum but stayed in state number one which it seems they would have called “self-annihilated” (Sally) or “depersonalised” (Jade). Sally talks about the “sweetness” of her “being” that she endeavoured to communicate. Undoubtedly this sweetness existed but was overlayed by this dynamic of deadness/tantrum that Barry injected into her and into the others over the years.

It was only when I spent time around these women and was forced to compare their state with that of other "unspiritual", "unenlightened" but bright, happy and alive women that I realised with horror what had been done to them. It was literally as if part of their brain and their intelligence had been removed.

It’s no joke Tim.

And I see that Philip Lindley's ill-mannered communication style is well up to the "follower" standard that has been established on this blog - not by all followers, but by most.

Is the ability to call people names really all that you derived from Barry's teaching, Philip? I'm really sorry for you if that's the case. There was a lot more there than that, in amongst the harmful stuff.

If you derived more than that, if Barry's teaching was valuable to you, please demonstrate it. How about sharing your experience, talking about any benefit you gained and responding to some specific criticisms?

Before anyone goes shutting down this blog, does Anthony have any more inside information? I'm sure we would all like to know.

I apologise for making jokes about the issue here and making unwarranted assuptions about others.

Thank heavens your back to your old self, John Smith, for a second there I was desperately concerned about your speech impediment.

Oh no! Its seems after going through Barry Long's teaching and out the other side I've become just another brown stain on the mattress. But you have become a smelly, thick turd with a speech impediment!

This is bad. I think I have a solution: blame it on Barry Long, don’t hold yourself accountable. Heed my counsel, O retarded one.

This has been a fantastic read, thankyou to everyone who has taken the time to comment. I have been listening to Barry Longs tapes for a little while now and am finding some of it to make sense, and some of it not, which seems aligned with a lot of people here.

I know this probably isn't the place for questions, but these are practical and logical things that I have observed from my own point of view that seem to conflict with what Barry has said. I'd love it if someone could shed some light onto these.

1. According to Barry (and many spiritual teachers, I've found), the tingling or warmth in the body is supposed to be "life" and I'm using something beyond my five senses to feel it. "Aperception" he says. As far as my logic tells me, isn't this just me using my good old sense of touch to feel the blood flowing through my veins? I come to this conclusion a few ways. a) The feeling sometimes pulses with my heartbeat. b) If I hang my hands down for a while then lift them above my head, I can feel the feeling drain from my hands, much in the manner blood should in that situation. c) If I cut off my circulation in my arm I get pins and needles, which really just feels like an amplified and painful version of the "Life" feeling. If I have fallen asleep on my arm and it's fallen asleep completely, I can't feel the arm at all, no aperception, nothing.

2. That animals run purely on instinct and have no self-awareness. How does he know this? We are animals, why are we so special that we get this "gift"? I have seen documentries on communities of monkeys and their relationships are extremely complex and very human-like. If I didn't know better I would have thought some of them got depressed, anxious etc. It have heard it stated that dolphins rape. Here, have a reference: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro04/web1/eberdan.html
Also about the fact that monkeys masturbate without feeling guilty, and if they had self-awareness they would automatically feel guilty. What? The only reason I ever felt guilty masturbating is because I was brought up catholic. What does that have to do with self-awareness? I don't get it.

Is any of this relevant? Am I missing something about the nature of self-awareness? I feel that I am.

3. Barry Long says that when we wake up after a deep sleep, we don't remember it but we still know it was good somehow anyway and uses this as proof of our continuing consiousness beyond existence. Well my argument is surely we know it was good because we can't remember being disturbed and are feeling refreshed in the moment?

If anyone does take the time to respond so my queries I would be most grateful.

Stuart,
rather than tackle your points i can only offer the following.
Beyond question there is the truth that we are beyond existence. Try this one question only,
Now. Do you have any problem Now? Is there any ever any problem Now?
If you can see that then without question you have the answer
regards
simon

I acknowledge ALL that has been said on this blog.

Any attachment, be it mental or emotional or both, that any person has for or against Barry or towards others commenting upon Barry either way, is not truth. That is, a state of peace, freedom, oneness, love. Such attachment causes inner disturbance, whether it is communicated or not on this blog.

This attachment is a function of the self, as that self attempts to hijack the spiritual life towards its own illusory ends. The attachment can be dissolved. This brings forth peace, love and truth for all concerned towards all concerned here.

For each person, realising the master within can only come after releasing any master without. In so doing, the illusory distinction of inside and outside may afterwards fall away at that profound level.

With the realisation of nothingness, there is no personal master, there never was. For the realisation that I am nothing is beyond any personal spiritual status or accomplishment. It is unconditional of all these things. In being unconditional, it is perfect freedom and bliss.

Barry and all else are simply facets of the one Absolute existence or God. Put another way, the Absolute is the only master. There is no other, for there is nothing else. No self or ego realises truth. The I AM that I AM is the Absolute itself, indivisible and whole.

Peace and love to you all.
Rap

I keep being drawn back to this 'blog', don't know why ,maybe i just miss the silly old bugger but - - - no wait a minute somethings coming through barry long - good man - dead, osho -good man - dead romana maharshi,krishnamurti,buddha,jesus. Now let me see,who did i put in charge of the guns.Overpopulation,global warming corruption money - i have the answer,i'm the new master yeehaa ,bang! oops.

Its interesting that a man who dedicated himself whether it be good or bad and talked of Love, God, Truth and Life is having his wisdom disgraced.

He did not want a following. He was preaching in the same way as others, like Jiddu Krishnamurti and Eckhart Tolle that there may be another way to look at our lives that does not bring pain and suffering into ours lives. Whether his character, the person that was paraded on the outside, was this or that is almost irrelevant because the truth of which he spoke went way beyond the forms of labelled objects and believed rights and wrongs. It is a shame if some people who were lucky enough to have stumbled across Barry Long's teachings misunderstood the truth he spoke and could only see as far dancing images on the waters surface - his personal circumstances.

I recommend that anyone who did not understand Barry Long's teachings should keep hold of his material, because sooner or later no matter what you do, or where you run, you are going to have to face (in Barry Long's words)... the Awful Truth.

Ben

1) His wisdom is being questioned in detail. Several anomalies have been highlighted, pretty all of which remain unresponded to in this blog. Intelligent inquiry, even with some wit, is not to disgrace. Even critics have acknowledged good things in his teachings.

2) He talked about many other things apart from Love, God, Truth and Life. You have overlooked the post that listed all the others stuff he spoke about. Please be more thorough!

3) None of his critics said he did want a following. Your point about the fact he did not want a following really applies to all the people like you who wish to accept everything about his teachings and his life blindly, WITHOUT question - the definition of a follower some would say! Is that not hypocritical?

4) He was NOT "preaching in the same way as others, like Jiddu Krishnamurti and Eckhart Tolle..." - Barry's claims about himself were very much more grandiose and larger than life than those others you mention. Plus, Jiddu was disappointed at the end of his life I hear, that so few came to realisation from his teachings!!!

5) You say "Whether his character, the person that was paraded on the outside, was this or that is almost irrelevant because the truth of which he spoke went way beyond the forms of labelled objects and believed rights and wrongs."

You overlook all those posts which questioned his TEACHINGS, as distinct from his behaviour, which you yourself must be referring to when saying his teachings were being disgraced. Please make up your mind!

Convenient for you (and Barry) that you can so easily separate teachings from personal behaviour. Some, many people actually, think that a good way of really measuring the effectiveness of a teaching is to see if the personal behaviour of those teaching it corresponds to what they preach. Otherwise it's hyprocisy. Quite a reasonable approach actually, though not for you obviously.

6) You say "It is a shame if some people who were lucky enough to have stumbled across Barry Long's teachings misunderstood the truth he spoke..."

You really must refresh yourself on what Barry said! The law of karma he spoke of precluded luck - a person is totally responsible for all the circumstances of his / her life he said - thus spiritual teachings one encounters and reads about are not good luck / bad luck.

7) You say "I recommend that anyone who did not understand Barry Long's teachings should keep hold of his material, because sooner or later no matter what you do, or where you run, you are going to have to face (in Barry Long's words)... the Awful Truth."

How sad for you Ben. As it happens, the truth, as many, many masters throughout the ages have said, is beautiful, cleansing, purifying, joyous, loving, inspiring for those of us without too big an ego to live with. Run from it, hardly, one should embrace and surredner to it. Oh wait, some of us do, and the joy flows from it!

Should your or Barry's truth be awful, then I suggest that it may be a creation or projection of your own reality, fears, ego or negativity?

It would be so nice if the conversation with Barry's unquestioning defenders could rise above these kinds of misapplied arguments, which are so very simple to respond to.

Pete

I'm starting to feel sick now,I cannot understand the truth I can only know the truth ,or not.If the truth could be understood barry's meetings would have been full of scientists trying to write down equations for it. They weren't ,by the way. Any truly fulfilled or enlightened being would not even be reading this, let alone contributing {yes I know}, they'd be out there getting on with it. Why did barry bother to teach, now that's a question, as he said himself that was his stupidity. The truth is out there, somewhere 'let us boldly go where no man' -- no no no ---- GO FETCH BOY , OR GIRL.

By the way can somebody tell me what 'tantric' means ,i keep thinking of tentacles or an octopus.

Hmm.

It seems from this blog that it's the critics who take Barry's teaching seriously, seriously enough to listen to it and live it and see if it's the truth; seriously enough to question it openly, explicitly, politely, and constructively; seriously enough to openly seek responses to their questions and concerns.

It seem's that it's the supporters and followers who really don't take it seriously and are content to have the comfort of "belonging" unquestioningly to a "teaching", without actually attempting to live that teaching, directly contrary to that teaching itself. One follower has apparently known Barry's teaching for twenty-five years, but still thinks that calling people "idiots" is a helpful thing to do, and still doesn't know what the word "tantric" means.

To quote that same follower's two-thousand-year-old teacher, "by their fruits shall ye know them" and "why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" and "not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." Pretty old-fashioned in its imagery and cosmology, but to the point, I think. As that follower said in so many words, not much has changed in two thousand years. Presumably the irony with which he demonstrated that fact with that very posting was untintended. And that post is far from the only example.

Group identity still seems to be more important to some people than the truth.

Anthony you presume a lot.For your information this 'idiot' left barry long in 1992 and only discovered his death three years after the fact,coincidentally ,to the day{my brain says that means something, shut up you organ you}.On a more serious note, perhaps we could get together and have a fight sometime.I fully intend to enjoy the rest of my life despite anything you might accuse me of.

Could you let me have your address Phase Two 'cos there ain't a lot of TRUTH in the bit of the world i'm livin' in.

Sorry Phase i'm afraid i don't know the chorus

BL the man is dead The truth is here now

BL the man is dead The truth is here now

BL the man is dead The truth is here now

Barry Long is in the past

Only now is real

Philip

Why would I want a fight? Why do you want a fight? Would you enjoy it, as you claim that you intend to do with the rest of your life? I wouldn't enjoy it, so the answer's "no".

Did you pay attention to anything that Barry said, or that your two thousand-year-old teacher is supposed to have said?

Similarly, to Tim Robinson. This blog is not about "inside information", as you put it, at least it isn't for me.

It's beyond my comprehension why anyone would waste their time making such posts to what is intended to be a serious blog on a serious subject, and why they would expect anyone else to waste their time reading them.

I've tried to instigate a serious debate on a serious subject here, but I've clearly failed. I give up.

Anthony

I’m satisfied to see that the critics take the teaching seriously and have little regret for being involved in it. If there were medals given out for logical, rational & critical thinking it would be a case of honorable declarations all ‘round. I think that as much as we would like to think differently, we have much in common for one obvious reason.

Oh and there will be purple hearts given out for spirited debate.

We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the hills, we shall nevar surrendar!

Anthony , i love thee but i wouldn't want to live with you. One quote that i have always liked {not sure even if its one of barry's} 'life's {small L} a serious business but its not that serious}. Tim , you have wisdom beyond your years, i'll bet you're 80 really aren't you.

Philip

So why are you offering violence?

Anthony

Today is beautiful. The sky is a wonderful blue colour and the sun is shining. How good it is to be alive.

Yes indeed Tim

The dedicated pursuit and realisation of truth inside and outside, with integrity, honesty, courage, to whatever conclusions it leads to, comfortable or not.

To live the life of truth and love, to be grateful for goodness everywhere that it is. Barry would have been pleased to see people live like this, I am sure.

Su

Without a doubt, Su. Thank you Anthony Conway for initiating this contest of opinion. Others: feel free to continue. Tis' a sunny day here in Queensland.