| For those of you who lived in LA through the late | | | | who are promised entry into heaven and salvation |
| 60's and into the 70's, you may remember what | | | | from the rapture. |
| is affectionately known to some as "The Cult | | | | How does one know that they are a member of |
| Explosion." During this time there were a myriad | | | | the one million? |
| of new age religions, belief systems and sectarian | | | | "When you have accepted Maitreya and his Holy |
| groups. Some gave out hugs while others gave | | | | Initiation into your heart and life, Maitreya will |
| out super potent batches of LSD made in various | | | | come to you in the Spirit and Consecrate you to |
| university labs around California. | | | | God and give you a new Holy Name from God. |
| The days of free love and Utopian ideals are long | | | | When you hear Maitreya say your Holy Name |
| gone for the general populace of LA. Now it | | | | within you, you will know that he has Consecrated |
| seems that rather than embracing free spirited | | | | you to God and you have become a Maitreyian |
| and open minded existence, the cults of today's | | | | and a New Person In Spirit who has God's |
| Los Angeles are waist deep in pseudo-Christian, | | | | Supreme Promise and is assured of Perfect Final |
| apocalyptic fear. It would appear that today's cults | | | | Union at the end of this life."(Maitreya, [ |
| are also a lot more technology savvy. | | | | I called the number on the site and spoke to a |
| Take the Maitreyans for example: An | | | | man who knew a lot about the religion. He told |
| advertisement in last week's copy of LA WEEKLY | | | | me that he could tell already that I was one of |
| (page 56) and ultra high tech website ( complete | | | | the million and that it was only a matter of time |
| with looping midi soundtrack! Not to be confused | | | | until I received my new name. After a little bit of |
| with the actual definition of Maitreya, the future | | | | chit chat with my new friend on the phone, he |
| Buddha. One thing that does however remain the | | | | informed me that he himself was Maitreya! Wow, |
| same, is the absolute devotion that these groups | | | | its not every day you get to speak an actual |
| require of their followers. After seeing the ad in | | | | saviour... |
| LA WEEKLY, I knew I simply had to call the | | | | Maitreya was a likable guy, full of compliments and |
| Matreyans and discover the "one true way to | | | | insight. He did insinuate that there was an |
| divine critical mass." I decided to do some | | | | impending event (perhaps the apocalypse) and |
| research and clicked onto their website, which is | | | | that it is a very... hands on religion. |
| filled with extremely vague, ambiguous promises | | | | LA is filled with interesting little factions, seeking |
| and rhetoric. Apparently the religion is some | | | | attention, money and devotion. I'm sure the |
| bizarre offshoot of Christianity, created to find | | | | Maitreyans are just one of many. It just so |
| the one million special souls who are now and | | | | happens that these guys advertise in LA |
| always have been Maitreyans. The select group | | | | WEEKLY. |