an interview with Wayne S. Peterson
If you haven’t heard about the Maitreya story, which has been circulating since 1977, is that an extraordinary, enlightened being — an ascended master, if you will — is in human form, traveling the globe along with a few other masters, performing miracles and affecting all aspects of human life, religion, politics and international diplomacy included. This story was introduced to the culture by Benjamin Creme, a British metaphysician, who claims to be in a kind of telepathic rapport with one of the masters working with Maitreya. As a New Age journalist, I had been following this story for some time, but the notice that someone as "establishment" (to revive that ’60s term) as a former U.S. diplomat was now coming out and declaring that the Maitreya story was valid seemed like major news to me. Since I couldn’t be in Seattle for Peterson’s public presentation, I was anxious to talk with him and hear what he might have to say. In advance of the interview, I obtained a copy of Peterson’s book, and I found it — and him — to be both credible and fascinating.
Steve: Could you tell me where the name Maitreya comes from? Wayne: Well, it’s obviously a very old name, and certainly the Buddhists have always used it in reference to Maitreya Buddha. Before the Buddha’s death he said about the Maitreya Buddha, "In the future, one will come who is greater than I, and will have many followers and change the world." In one of my lectures a Buddhist stood up and said, "The name Maitreya means ‘The Happy One.’ " You actually learn a lot giving public lectures. Steve: So it probably is from Sanskrit? Wayne: Yes, it goes way back into history someplace; I’m sure the original name is probably lost. But from what we’re told, the personage will use it not as a title; it’s a name. Steve: I thought it was interesting that prior to your first seeing Benjamin Creme on The Merv Griffin Show back in the early ’80s, you had not read any esoteric literature; you didn’t know anything about the Theosophical Society either. For a large part of that time, you were one of the directors of the Fulbright Scholarship Program, which is funded by Congress and administered by the U.S. State Department. Wayne: Well, actually, when I first heard of Ben’s story, I was just on that threshold, going from a career diplomat into the civil service where I did work with the Fulbright Program. It was a transitional period in many ways. Steve: In other words, it was happening at the same time as the beginning of your involvement in the Maitreya story. Was there any kind of conflict within you about this? Did you feel strange that you were developing this esoteric interest and involvement at the same time that you were in this government position? Wayne: Surprisingly not. The difficult part was that officially I was silent. It’s sort of like being in a convent, I suppose, and you have to respect the orders from other superiors or the pope or whomever. When you’re with the U.S. government, you do follow certain rules and regulations, and one is that you do not write anything, or do any public speaking, unless you present all this first to a panel, who then say, "Yes, you may," or "No, you may not." I just knew that there was no way I was going to present this Maitreya stuff to a panel and say, "I want to go out and speak about this publicly." It was a bit frustrating, but I soon found a bit of an outlet: by strange coincidences, I began running into people who had stranger stories than my own, who were very respected people because of their line of work. When we began to share stories, we began to recognize that this was all one and the same topic. That’s when I began to have little conversations in salon groupings that would take place in the Washington area; I would speak to people, but it was very quiet and very private. When I was at one of their organization’s public events in 1982 in Washington, D.C., it was years before any photographs existed of Maitreya. I only had a brief statement from Benjamin Creme that Maitreya was in a physical body that was about six foot four, and that he had features like someone you would expect to see from, say, northern Pakistan. When I saw this strange man, I said, "Gee, this guy could fill the bill," Then I said to myself, "Oh, just a coincidence," but soon he made it very clear. Steve: You’re one of the only people I’ve heard of who’s had that kind of conscious interaction with this being, Maitreya. Could you describe how it happened? Wayne: Well, at first, of course, the thought keeps running through your mind that there is always the possibility ... that this gentleman standing before you has the physical appearance, and he just seems to have a sort of a presence that not everyone has. But even then you keep dismissing this — even when he managed to get into the room while I stood blocking the only door that I knew of into that ballroom and immediately came right through that door somehow. That stunned me momentarily, but only for while. It was only when I went back out into the lobby, and he and I began to speak, that I realized something was up. "Will you help me?" he said, and immediately I thought "This person is hitting me up for some money." As I was trying to explain to this man that we’re not a charitable group, he kept smiling at me like he was on the verge of laughing, because clearly he knew every thought that was passing through my head. When I sort of ran that course and nothing was making sense to me as to why this stranger was asking for help, I suddenly stopped and thought, "This is ridiculous; this man is clean, well dressed, healthy, young, and speaks perfect English. Why would he need any money? He looks like he has everything he needs." That’s when I had this stunning sort of experience. That’s the word I think Benjamin Creme used, and it’s the only word I can think of that gives it some meaning, this experience that you have. You just absorb a certain energy or consciousness from him, and you immediately seem to sense everything there is to know about what he’s talking about. I just stood there frozen, and he eventually said goodbye and walked out. It was only then, when it was over, and I could begin to move and think again logically, that I said, "You know, this was Maitreya, and I blew my opportunity to say anything to him that would have sounded logical." Steve: You mention in the book that there will be a "Day of Declaration" when Maitreya will appear on a worldwide radio and television broadcast, marking the beginning of his open mission in the world. Do you think this will occur within our lifetimes, say in the next 25 years? Wayne: Yes, I’m afraid so! Wayne S. Peterson’s book, Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary People, is available through his Web site, <http://www.waynepeterson.com/>. For permission to reprint this interview, please contact the author at <ommm7@earthlink.net>. |
A flyer inserted in the April 2001 issue of The New Times announced the then-upcoming speaking engagement of Wayne S. Peterson, a recently retired American diplomat and former executive of the Fulbright Scholarship Program. Peterson, who had authored Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary People, was in Seattle to talk on "The Emergence of the Maitreya."