Richard Rose (mystic)
Richard Rose (born March 14, 1917 in Benwood , West Virginia , † July 6, 2005 in Weirton , West Virginia) was an American mystic , philosopher , author, poet and researcher of paranormal phenomena. He published a number of books and lectured at universities and other institutions during the 1970s and 1980s.
Rose has developed a system that he described as “withdrawing from untruth” - a questioning of one's personal belief systems and one's own lifestyle. In this system, step by step, everything that is recognized as wrong is discarded. He believed in an ultimate spiritual truth that could be discovered through persistent effort and a skeptical approach like his.
He looked closely at the human psyche, human weaknesses and human potential, then wrote provocative texts on topics such as psychology , psychiatry , religion , the higher education and legal system and the New Age movement . His criticisms included peer pressure , dogmatism , financial motives, emotional temptations and trust in questionable authorities.
Life
Richard Rose was born in Benwood, West Virginia, USA. At the age of 12 he attended a Catholic seminary in Butler, Pennsylvania . He later remembered his joy at the time at the prospect of living with monks and nuns who are supposed to have a direct connection to God. However, he was disappointed by his teachers and their demand for a blind faith. He left the seminary at the age of 17, still searching for God, but this time he wanted to use science. He studied chemistry and physics at college, but was again disappointed in his search for God and truth. He then traveled across the United States and made a living in a variety of ways. So he worked z. B. on the first nuclear submarine for Babcock & Wilcox in Alliance , Ohio . He worked on the antibiotic stryptomycin for the National Jewish Medical & Research Center in Denver and performed metallurgical tests for Martin Aircraft in Baltimore .
While in Baltimore , his older brother James was killed while serving on a merchant ship by a torpedo attack by a German submarine. This came as a great shock to Rose and was to have a major impact on his further spiritual development.
In the summer of 1947, Rose was working as a waiter at a tennis club in Seattle when he had what he described as an "experience of God." A few months later he described this event in "The Three Books of the Absolute."
A few years later he married and started a family. He earned the necessary financial means with a painting company and a cattle breeding company.
During this time he worked with people interested in parapsychological phenomena such as extrasensory perception or hypnosis. Even so, he said he had never met anyone who was really interested in finding answers to questions about the nature of mind and reality. During this time he worked on his first book "The Albigen Papers" (published 1973), which is an outline of his philosophy.
In 1972 Rose was invited to a panel discussion at the Theosophical Society in Pittsburgh . Two participating students from the University of Pittsburgh then came up with the idea of forming a discussion group around Rose. Finally, in 1973, Rose and a handful of students established the TAT Foundation to bring Rose's teachings to the public. TAT stands for "Truth and Transmission". This group gave rise to other groups at universities in the Northwest and West of the USA (e.g. Denver and Los Angeles). Rose also made his farm available as a retreat for gatherings and individuals. For this purpose, under the guidance of Rose, the students built two large meeting buildings and a few small huts. This resulted in hundreds of people embarking on their spiritual quest over the next two decades.
As these groups grew in number and size, Rose published more texts. He continued his public appearances until the early 1990s, before the first signs of Alzheimer's disease made this no longer possible.
Teaching
His student David Gold describes Rose's work as discreet and direct. Rose did not want to create a popular movement, but rather a subtle network of close students. The author Joseph Chilton Pearce belonged to the circle of students and interested parties that developed from this.
Although Rose came from a modest background, he chose to study science. His teaching was based on a lifetime of experience and search, particularly his experience as a thirty-year-old. Joseph Chilton Pearce describes him as a "serious man from West Virginia who wanted nothing more than to pass on to other people the revolutionary experience, the enlightenment that struck him out of the blue".
Principles
His student John Kent finds Rose's teachings difficult to describe because Rose viewed the inner search as naturally subjective and confidential for everyone. His teachings consisted more of a search for personal insight and introspection than of a collection of special techniques. Even so, Kent said, Rose formulated a doctrinal system based on his studies of other belief systems and his own insights. Kent summarizes the core questions of the teaching as follows:
- Who am I really)?
- Where do I come from (condition before birth)?
- Where do I go (after death)?
Rose recommends an in-depth search of "who" lives and experiences the world in order to clearly define the self and the ego. He also insisted that a life of activity is meaningless until the actor's identity is recognized. The occupation with spiritual teachings for the purpose of finding peace or improving one's own life, he found nonsensical and "utilitarian". Instead, he recommended total surrender to the search for truth - especially regarding the self and the ego - regardless of personal consequences.
He used the term “Jacob's ladder” as a description of a supra-personal travel route. Based on this, he used expressions such as "law of the ladder" and "ladder work" to describe different levels of knowledge he found in seekers of truth. He also believed that only those who are on the same or an adjacent step on the ladder can be helped or be helped. He believed that above average results can be achieved when a group of people unites their efforts on one cause. He called this "Contractor's Law".
Rose cautioned against pretending what truth should be - about the self and ego, for example - and then trying to reach them. Instead, z. B. tries to clear misunderstandings out of the way. His definition of truth was "a state in which all untruth has been removed". He used terms such as “withdrawal from wrong” and “reversal vector” to describe the process of moving away from what is obviously wrong - from “garbage”, as he said. This is supposed to clean up thinking and intuition so as to reach a point at which more subtle falsehoods can be recognized.
Rose published "The Albigen Papers" in 1973, what he called a travel guide for seekers. Later his theories about the conversion of energy from the body via the mind to what he called "spiritual quantum" were published. Similar to current theories, they describe the mind as a force field. He published a pamphlet explaining a method of meditation that leads to overcoming psychological problems and understanding the self through dispassionately looking at past traumatic experiences. His book Psychology of the Observer contains his views on the structure of mental processes and what he describes as an inner ascent from a personal, conflicted view of the world to a more universal perspective.
Occasionally, Rose would demonstrate his hypnosis skills, saying that an understanding of hypnosis is key to understanding the mechanics of the mind. In his criticisms of the New Age and other spiritual movements, he often referred to their use of self-hypnosis methods.
recommendations
His student John Kent describes the philosophy of Rose as "most closely comparable with the non-dualism of Advaita Vedanta ". However, Kent also writes that Rose had less of a concept, structure, or specific practice on which to build his teachings, but that he instead advocated immersion in existing methods and religions; and always with what he called “respectful doubt”. As a result, his students acquired a broad knowledge of a number of esoteric groups and methods, which they in turn could pass on to their circle of friends. This was in line with Rose's view that one's progress on the spiritual path is linked to one's efforts to help others on their path.
Based on his research, there were authors of spiritual literature that Rose recommended to his students, and other authors he was rather derogatory. Among those he thought most worth reading were the Indian guru Ramana Maharshi , the Chan master Huang Po, the Christian mystics John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila , Georges Gurdjieff, and the researchers Paul Brunton and Richard Maurice Bucke . In his Albigen Papers he describes the books by HP Blavatsky as "some of the most valuable that a student can own" and in his publication Profound Writings Easy & West he mentions their Book of Golden Precepts (also The Voice of the Silence or as a German edition The Voice of Silence ) as "a concentrated guide to the deepest teachings of humanity". Rose advocated the study of what he called thaumaturgical laws as a means of protecting oneself from invisible influences while exploring the dimensions of consciousness. Here he was referring to texts by Eliphas Levi et al. a.
Teaching style and methods
According to Kent, Rose demanded strong personal commitment in the spiritual quest, similar to Gurdjieff , and advised against half-hearted engagement. And so some aspects of his teaching style were also z. B. Methods of confrontation as used in Zen, the advocacy of a celibate lifestyle and the critical examination of what he called the sacred cows of politics and society. In personal dealings he tried to remove the illusions and falsehoods of his students that hid them from themselves. This led his students to call him a Zen master, even though he was a strong critic of mainstream Zen. In fact, however, the first working group founded by Rose in Pittsburgh was called the Zen Study Group (in German: Zen working group), which reflected his fundamental affection for the methods of Zen. He later summarized other groups under the name Pyramid Zen Society (in German: Pyramiden-Zen-Gesellschaft), referring to the fact that only a few people (the top of the pyramid) are interested in a total commitment to the spiritual search. He believed that pushing determination among his students would create a more engaged group of thinkers and researchers.
Rose gave numerous lectures in the 1970s in which he presented his approach to Zen and which also mentioned Zen by name: The Psychology of Zen (in German: The Psychology of Zen), Zen and Common Sense (in German: Zen and common sense), Zen and Death (in German: Zen and Death) u. a. Some of these lectures were transcribed and published based on audio recordings. For a closer circle, Rose published a treatise called The Monitor Papers , which introduced rules, guidelines, and techniques related to confrontation in private discussion groups.
Rose had great respect for Alfred Pulyam, a Zen teacher from Connecticut, who gave him a method of transmission as it is mentioned in Zen literature. Based on this, he published Energy Transmutation, Between-ness and Transmission in 1975 .
Based on his spiritual research, he often referred to his findings on paranormal phenomena in his previous lectures.
influence
Rose worked closely with groups that initially mostly consisted of college students and freelancers from the northeastern United States (e.g., Pennsylvania , Ohio , Massachusetts , Maryland , West Virginia ). Over time, due to the entry of students into working life and the associated spread of group members, working groups also emerged in Colorado , California , North Carolina , Florida and Maine . Many of these groups have disbanded since Rose needed inpatient treatment for his Alzheimer's disease in the mid-1990s . Some, however, still exist today, especially the Self-Knowledge Symposium (in German: Self-Knowledge Conference) at various universities in North Carolina.
His followers believe that Rose never went for great popularity. The members of the TAT Foundation , the current umbrella organization for Rose's teaching, are geographically dispersed. Interested persons can take part in working groups without having to become a member of the umbrella organization.
New Vrindaban
In 1967, Rose wanted to start an ashram on his farm in Marshall County, West Virginia. To this end, he wrote a letter that was published in the San Francisco Oracle. In this he expressed his desire to found a non-denominational, not-for-profit ashram that serves as a place of retreat or refuge where philosophically oriented people can work together or individually.
Among other seekers who replied to this letter were the Hare Krishna disciples Kirtanananda Swami (Keith Gordon Ham) and his partner Hayagriva Das (Howard Morton Wheeler). Rose gave the two of them a 99-year lease for part of his farm. This part of the farm eventually became the seat of the New Vrindaban community including their temple Prabhupada's Palace of Gold. This community put heavy pressure on Rose and his farm. When Rose tried to get his land back in court, there were community discussions about "taking him off" and allegedly he was briefly pursued by a hit man. Despite the conflicts with the Krishna followers, Rose has never expressed his regret at leasing this part of his farm. "In some ways it is better to have the Krishnas around than the hillbillies ," he once said. "At least they don't get drunk or steal the coolers from the trucks."
Fonts
- Albigen Papers , 1973, 1978 ISBN 1-878683-00-4 , ISBN 1-878683-07-1
- Energy Transmutation, Between-ness and Transmission , 1975 ISBN 1-878683-02-0
- Psychology of the Observer , 1979, 2001 ISBN 1-878683-06-3
- Meditation , 1981 Pyramid Press
- Carillon: Poems, Essays & Philosophy , 1982 ISBN 1-878683-03-9
- The Direct-Mind Experience , 1985 ISBN 1-878683-01-2
- Profound Writings, East & West , 1988 ISBN 1-878683-05-5
- "The Three Books of the Absolute" is part of The Albigen Papers and Profound Writings, East & West .
literature
- After the Absolute: Real Life Adventures With a Backwoods Buddha by David Gold, 2002 ISBN 0-595-23994-3
- Richard Rose's Psychology of the Observer: The Path to Reality Through the Self by John Kent, PhD, 1990 Dissertation
- Peace to the Wanderer: The Philosophy and Friendship of Richard Rose by Robert J. Martin, 2007 Link opens a 324 KB PDF file
Web links
- The TAT Foundation - philosophical community founded by Richard Rose
- Richard Rose Teachings (Rose Publications) - Official site for obtaining his works
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kent, John (1990) pp 1-2
- ↑ http://www.nationaljewish.org/
- ↑ Martin (2007) p.82
- ↑ http://tatfoundation.org/
- ↑ Kent (1990) p.6
- ↑ Gold (2002) p.196, 319
- ↑ Gold (2002) p.171
- ↑ Kent (1990) p.50
- ↑ Kent (1990) pp 50-51
- ↑ Kent (1990) p.54
- ↑ Kent (1990) pp 54-55
- ↑ Kent (1990) pp. Vi, 24, 32, 42, 254-255
- ↑ Kent (1990) pp 121, 140
- ↑ Kent (1990) p.140
- ^ Rose (1978) p. 206
- ↑ Kent (1990) p.17
- ↑ Kent (1990) pp 76, 120
- ↑ Kent (1990) pp 213, 216
- ↑ Rose (1982) p.144
- ↑ Kent (1990) pp. 190-191
- ↑ Direct Mind Experience, pp. 28-29 and p. 291.
- ^ Six unpublished, recorded lectures and demonstrations: 1978, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1988
- ↑ Kent (1990) p.99
- ↑ Martin (2007) p.86
- ↑ Kent (1990) p. 35
- ↑ Kent (1990) p.126
- ↑ such as B. celibacy
- ↑ Eliphas Levi, Transcendental Magic; Arthur Edward Waite, Ceremonial Magic
- ^ Unpublished lecture at Kent State University on April 12, 1978
- ↑ Kent, John (1990) p.76
- ↑ Kent, John (1990) p.174
- ↑ Lecture in Columbus, Ohio, April 5, 1977. PDF at searchwithin.org
- ↑ Attribution to Zen methods learned from Alfred Pulyan are in unpublished talk in Columbus, Ohio on Oct. 23, 1977. Laws, Yardsticks, Exaltations
- ↑ Mentioned by Rose occasionally in public and private talks, currently being transcribed. For example: http://www.searchwithin.org/download/columbus_ohio_lecture.pdf Also there is a series of unpublished correspondence between Rose and Pulyan in the possession of the heirs.
- ↑ Martin (2007) pp 74-75
- ↑ Gold (2002) p.166
- ^ Richard Rose, Letter published in The San Francisco Oracle (December 1967)
- ↑ "McCreary Ridge Hippies Live Quietly in Hills Meditating" (July 13, 1968, Wheeling Intelligencer) [1]
- ^ Hayagriva Das, The Hare Krishna Explosion (Palace Press, Moundsville, West Virginia: 1985)
- ↑ Richard Rose, quoted by David Gold, After the Absolute, chapter 16
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Rose, Richard |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American mystic, philosopher, author, poet, and explorer of paranormal phenomena |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 14, 1917 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Benwood , West Virginia |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 6, 2005 |
| Place of death | Weirton , West Virginia |