The State of Global Hinduism

[Guest guest]

have found.Much of their information is at least 5 years old so exact figures

can not be given.I have also added information from my own research and first

hand knowledge of various organizations. Contradicting information in the

report reflects the different perspectives of various research material used.

The impact on the accuracy of the report is minimal.I start the report by

highlighting the fact that the Indic traditions still have the largest

following in the world. I follow with a short list of Hindus by Region. This

list is short because I only added items of interest and importance such as the

plight of the Afghani Hindus who are still 0.06% of Afghani population. Over

5000 Afghani Hindus have imigrated to Germany. I also added the contact info

for the non-Balinese Hindus of Indonesia. These are groups that have managed to

survive hundreds of years as Hindus in Islamic controlled territories, while

millions of Indian

Hindus converted to Islam and Christianity. It is hoped that a report like this

will highlight the plight of these struggling Hindus.I conclude the report with

an alphabetical listing of various Hindu based organizations that have large

non-Indian followings and centers outside of India. I have not been able to

include information on Hindu based groups in South America or Africa because of

a lack of information on the subject. It is safe to say that there has been a

tremendous growth of Hindu based groups in both South America, esp Brazil, and

Africa. In the near future, I can put togehter another reprot focusing on South

America and Africa.This report cannot be seen as comprehensive nor

representative of the exact current sate of affairs within the Hindu Global

community. It is just a sample of what has developed globally and a glimpse of

the immense potential for a United Dharma Family. From the membership totals in

this report

alone, Hindus, Buddhists and other members of the Dharmic and Indigenous

traditions are representative of approximately 1,335,130,000 people.Including

the Indigenous peoples and non-Indian Hindus of Africa and South America,

brings the total to approximately 1 billion 500 million people.HinduismMajor

Branches of HinduismBranch Number of AdherentsVaishnavites 580,000,000Shaivites

220,000,000neo-Hindus and reform Hindus 22,000,000Veerashaivas (Lingayats)

10,000,000Total:Approx: 832,000,000BuddhismMajor Branches of BuddhismBranch

Number of AdherentsMahayana 185,000,000Theravada 124,000,000Lamaism

(Vajrayana/Tibetan/Tantric)20,000,000Total:Approx:330,000,000SikhismFritz B.

Voll:"The spiritual leadership of Sikhism is invested in five elected heads of

five major Gurdwaras in India. After more than two hundred years of

non-uniformity within Sikhism these leaders consulted with Sikh scholars and

theologians in the first half of this century and defined belief and practice of

Sikhism in a code of conduct for individual and corporate life.""Sikhism is

opposed to exclusive claims of any religion, including Sikhism itself."Major

Branches of SikhismBranch Number of AdherentsSikhism

23,000,000ZoroastrianismWorldwide there are less than 200,000 Zoroastrians.

Many estimates indicate there are only about 100,000 practicing

Zoroastrians.There are growing communities of immigrant Zoroastrians in the

United States, Canada, England and elsewhere -- perhaps 30,000 total outside of

the Persian and Indian homelands. But these communities have yet to acquire

sufficiently unique national identities to be considered divergent "branches."

In this era of improved communication, especially via the Internet, and because

the overall Zoroastrian community is already so small, the diaspora Zoroastrians

should remain quite unified

with those in the geographic centers. Most individuals retain the Zoroastrian

identity of their national origin.Zurvanism, the only known Zoroastrian heresy

of real numerical significance, died out about 1,000 years ago.Major Branches

of ZoroastrianismBranch Number of AdherentsParsis 110,000Gabars

20,000Total:Approx: 130,000Primal-IndigenousAlternatively termed "tribal

religionists, "ethnic religionists," or "animists," estimates range from 100

million to 244 million. This group also includes, but is not limited to, people

whose native religion is a form of shamanism or paganism (such as millions of

people in traditional Siberian shamanist cultures). Obviously this is broad

classification, not a single religion. AFGHANISTANHinduism 0.60% --as of 1998

Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: 1998); 99.3% Muslim; 0.6% Hindu; 0.1%

all other (Christian, tribal, etc). Population: 15,551,358 (1979

Census) Sikhism in Afghanistan 10 Gurdwaras- as of 1993 O'Brien, J. & M. Palmer.

The State of Religion Atlas. Simon & Schuster: New York (1993). Pg

30-31.Includes Map: Number of Sikh gurdwaras ( "a gurdwara is both a place of

worship and community centre ")RUSSIARussia has an estimated 100,000 Russian

Hindus, sources at International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)

here claim. A temple in a makeshift building in Moscow's Khoroshevski Shoshe

currently caters to the needs of 20,000 Indians. Thousands of Russian devotees

too visit the temple.Source:MSN IndiaGaudiya Vaishnavas (excluding Iskcon

members) RussiaApprox 3,000 to 5,000This includes disciples of Govinda

Maharaj-SCSM,Narayana-GVS,Chris Butler-SOI,World Vaishnava

Association-WVA.ISKCON Russia 3,000 membersInternational Society for Krishna

Consciousness (ISKCON) has been catering to the needs of the 16,000-strong

Indian community in Moscow

apart from more than 100,000 Russian HindusShterin, Marat S. "NEW RELIGIONS,

CULTS AND SECTS IN RUSSIA: A CRITIQUE AND BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE PROBLEMS " the

Krishnas have 2,500 - 3000ISKCONRussia -0.50% Nazarene web site: Nazarene World

Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) Table "Religions ";

total population: 153,646,000; [Listed in table as "Hare Krishna "]Rahasya

Sampradaya aka Tantra SanghaSwami SadashivacharyaTantra Sangha, P.O. Box 70,

Moscow 103055, RussiaFormed in 1992, with the intent of promoting Hindu Tantric

philosophy and worship.Swami Sadasivachariya: "There are fifteen spiritual

communities and satsang groups with 250 members in Moscow and other towns, but

they are not yet registered officially. Only Moscow center has official

recognition. We are followers of Hindu Tantric religion. We are devotees of

Lord Siva and Divine Mother, of Saiva and Shakta traditions."USA"There

are about 2 million Hindus living in the U.S. Of American Hindus, about 1

million are of Indian descent. The other million are non-Indian American

Hindus." Dr. Frank MoralesHinduism in 1990=227,000 in 2001=766,000 0.4% ofUSA

pop. increased +237%Buddhism 1990=401,000 2001=1,082,000 0.5%

increased+170%Wiccan/Pagan/Druid ?307,000 0.1%Native American Religion

1990=47,000 2001=103,000 ?increased by+119%Spiritualist ?2001=116,000New Age

20,000 68,000 ?+240%Sikhism 13,000 57,000 ?+338%TOP TEN RELIGIONS IN USA AS OF

2001. NOTE THAT INDIAN RELIGIONS ARE 4TH AND 5TH IN RANK and non-conflictive

religions like Pagan,Spiritualists and Native American are in 7th,8th and 9th

positions.Christianity 159,030,000 76.5%Judaism 2,831,000 1.3%Islam 1,104,000

0.5%Buddhism 1,082,000 0.5%Hinduism 766,000 0.4%Unitarian Universalist 629,000

0.3%Wiccan/Pagan/Druid 307,000 0.1%Spiritualist 116,000Native

American Religion 103,000Baha'i 84,000According to the 2001 edition of David

Barrett's World Christian Encyclopedia, the largest non-Christian organized

religions in the U.S. are:*Jews: 5.6 million*Muslims: 4.1 million*Buddhists:

2.4 million*Hindus: 1 millionOther Sources:Hindus at 1,000,000 and 0.36% of US

popBuddhist 2,400,000 0.87% 2001 edition of David Barrett's World Christian

Encyclopedia.Neo-pagan (incl. Wiccans) 768,400 0.28%The Wiccan/Pagan Poll Final

Results, conducted by the Covenant of the Goddess (CoG) beginning in late July,

1999. [Online source: http://www.cog.org/cogpoll_final.html]Native American

Religionist 2 103,000 0.04%American Religious Identity Survey (ARIS) conducted

in 2001, with a sample size of 50,000 Americans.GERMANY"Another more detailed

assessment for Germany covering many more movements concludes that well over

one million people are involved or 'influenced' by new

religions, with a 'full-time' membership of 64,200."Clarke, Peter B. The New

Evangelists: Recruitment, Method and Aims of New Religious Movements, London:

Ethnographics pg. 10-14GERMAN HINDUS 7,500 in 2000Tamil Hindus (Sri Lanka)

45,000 in 2001Indian Hindus 35,000-40,000 in 2001Afghani Hindus 5,000 in

2001Afghan Hindus came to Germany fleeing the civil war during the 1980s. Of

the about 66.000 Afghans in Germany, a minority of some 5.000 refugees are

Hindus. They maintain four nicely constructed temples in Hamburg, Frankfurt and

two in Cologne. The temples are often visited by Indian Hindus and Sikhs

too.Finally, there is the group of Germans who have converted to a Hindu

tradition. These western Hindus in groups such as the Hare Krishna, Ananda

Marga, Transcendental Meditation or the Osho Movement might be estimated to

some 7.000-8.000 people.Martin Baumann (University of Hannover)A paper

presented at The 2001

Conference in LondonOsho-/Neo-Sannyas-Rajneesh Followers 5,000

1997Transzendentale Meditation 1.000 dedicated followers in 1997 Engerer Kreis

der Yoga-Lehrenden. Umfeld ca. 5,000-10,000 congregational followers.Divine

Light Mission 500 1997ISKCON (Hare Krishna) 350 dedicated devoteees 2001

2.000-5.000 congregational members.Brahma Kumaris 300 1997Sajaha Yoga 200

1997Ananda Marga 100Weltloge Tantra 28 members 2001 3 Masters, 25 FriendsGERMAN

BUDDHIST 40,000-50,000 as of 2000Buddhist Vietnam 60,000 in 2000Buddhisten

Thailand 25,000 in 2000Buddhisten Asians 20,000-30,000

2000Source"Religionswissenschaftlicher Medien- und Informationsdienst e.V. "

[REMID: Religious Studies Media and Information Service, Marburg, Germany]; web

page: "Informationen und Standpunkte " Table: "Religious communities in Germany:

Numbers of members " [data published July, 1999]JAPAN1998 Religious Almanac of

Japan, the

statistics on religion in Japan are as follows:104,553,179 Shintoist95,117,730

Buddhist1,761,835 Christian11,214,331 other religions212,647,075 Total.Since

there are only 120 million people in Japan, these statistics seem to indicate

that most Japanese adults believe in both Shintoism and Buddhism.Only a little

more than one percent of its population is Christian. This makes Japan unique

in the world.INDONESIABalinese Hindus 3,000,000 - 1998 Gall, Timothy L. (ed).

Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 3 - Asia & Oceania.

Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998); pg. 80-81. "Balinese:

Location: Indonesia; Population: 3 million; Language: Balinese; Religion:

Native version of Hinduism "NON-BALINESE HINDUS"Gerard Persoon (Universiteit

Leiden) discussed the local religion of a small ethnic group,the Mentawai, on

the island of Siberut (West Sumatra). He had evidence to

show that this local religion had not disappeared despite various concerted

efforts by the government and Christian or Muslim missionaries achieve this,

because this religion had never organized itself, which made it impossible to

come to grips with it. Moreover, more recently, a more positive attitude

towards this indigenous religion has developed as a result of the great

appreciation for this shown by tourists, while the efforts to preserve the

natural environment of the island also implies a greater respect for the

indigenous culture." Source:Dr Nico J.G. Kaptein is the co-ordinator of the

Indonesian-Netherlands Cooperation in Islamic Studies, and secretary of the

Islamic Studies Programme at Universiteit Leiden.Hindu Dharma

Indonesiahttp://www.geocities.com/parisada2002/Parisada Hindu Dharma

IndonesiaSekretariat JenderalJl. Anggrek Nelly Murni Blok A No.3, Slipi Jakarta

Barat Telp. (021) 5485181Jl. Ratna - Tatasan

No.72 Denpasar Bali Telp. (0361) 224965List of Indonesian Pandits of the Harian

Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia Masa Bhakti 2001-2006 at bottom of article at

this link.http://www.hindu-indonesia.com/ItalyISKCON 2,000 - - - 1987 Clarke,

Peter B. The New Evangelists: Recruitment, Method and Aims of New Religious

Movements, London: Ethnographics (1987); pg. 10 to 14. Table with following

columns: Movement; Total Membership; Full-Time Members; P/T Members;

Sympathizers.; For this study Clarke "approached researchers & observers in the

field of new religions [& org./church reps.] to obtain their opinions & any

hard... data "; Total: 2,000; Full-time: 500; Sympathizers: 30,000.POLANDISKCON

[international Society for Krishna Consciousness, Hare Krishnas] has six temples

in Poland, with 250 resident monks. They claim 12,000 adepts. It is noteworthy

that we have an active ISKCON schism in Poland named Mission of

Czaitani, or Identity Institute International, founded by Chris Butler (Jagad

Guru, Siddaswarupananda Paramahansa), present in all the larger cities, where

they have more followers than the Hare Krishna themselves. They look more

European in their dress, and don't shave their heads. Last year, some of their

adepts from Ukraine and Russia came to a meeting with a California guru in

Lublin.Acharya's Yoga and Meditation Centreworld membership 5,000 - 1 Center in

1 country, Australia as of 1998Ireland, Rowan. Web site: La Trobe University,

Bundoora, Australia; web page: "New Religious Associations in Australia ",

written January 1998.Acharya's Yoga and Meditation Centre is not a religious

headquarters but a teaching place for a universal outlook of faiths and

beliefs. The movement originated in Australia in 1969 when its founder Acharya

Upendra Roy arrived in Sydney. The centre in Sydney is the only one of its kind

in the world. It

has an estimated 5000 members. "Advaita GroupsHere is a link to a list of

Non-Indian Advaita Gurus and Teachers. 45 Names and other details are given.

http://www.globalserve.net/~sarlo/RatingsA.htm#gangaAdidam, The Way of the

HeartThere are approximately 900 members in the United States, 100 in Canada,

and several hundred overseas. A different source quotes approximately 3000

adherents as of 1996. Some of the devotees currently live at the resident

retreat center in the Fiji Islands.Founder: Franklin Albert Jones currently

known as Ruchira Avatar Adi Da Samraj began to study with Swami Rudrananda,

commonly known as Rudi, an American disciple of Muktananda. Muktananda lived in

India and was a disciple of Nityananda before he founded the Siddha Yoga Dham.

This form of Indian yoga emphasized the key to God-realization as being the

awakening of a powerful energy normally resting at the base of the spine. By

drawing this

energy up the spine into a crown above the head, one may become spiritually

enlightened. After Rudi's study under Muktananda, he returned to the United

States to establish his own movement. Jones eventually left Rudi, travelling to

India to be a disciple of Muktananda, as well. Under Muktananda, Jones attained

yogic liberation in 1968.He has published many books, some of which describe

his personal journey to re-awaken to the "Bright" and others that describe the

beliefs of the Way of the Heart. Among the latter, much of the text is a

transcription of the guru's formal lectures, which are said to be very well

presented, even with little or no planning. (Scott Lowe, "The Strange Case of

Franklin Jones") These books, which reach a large number of readers each year,

appear to be the primary way in which new devotees are recruited to the

movement.There are now three sanctuaries of the Adidam practice. These are the

Mountain of

Attention in Northern California, the Love-Ananda Mahal in Hawaii, and the

Ruchira Buddha Dham in the Fiji Islands. The guru now spends most of his time

in Fiji, where a resident retreat center is open to devotees, but he takes an

occasional trip to give lectures abroad.The group claims its religious

practices draw on the "Crazy Wisdom" traditions of Tibetan Buddhism as well as

devotional practices of Hinduism.Alliance of Religions and

Conservation/ARCFounded in 1995 by His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Husband of

Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom. Headquartered in UK.Current President is

Prime Minister of Mongolia Mr Nambaryn Enkhbayar. Seeks to unite all the major

world religions into a 5 billion strong enviromental movement by accessing each

religion's built-in ecological traditions.By its selection of a well-known

Buddhist Activist to be its 1st international President, ARC seems to be making

a commitment to preserving

ancient traditions."ARC is a secular body that helps the major religions of the

world to develop their own environmental programmes, based on their own core

teachings, beliefs and practices. ARC helps religions link with key

environmental organisations - creating powerful alliances between faith

communities and conservation groups.ARC was founded in 1995 by HRH Prince

Philip. ARC now works with 11 major faiths through the key traditions within

each faith.Between them the faiths reach out to every village and town, have

the trust of more people than any other national or international group and

their followers number at least two-thirds of the world’s population.In 1986,

HRH Prince Philip, then President of WWF International issued an astonishing

invitation. He asked five leaders of the five major world religions - Buddhism,

Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism - to come and discuss how their faiths

could help save the natural

world.He decided to do this at Assisi in Italy, because it was the birthplace of

St Francis, the Catholic saint of ecology.In November 2002 Her Majesty Queen

Elizabeth II hosted a celebration dinner at Buckingham Palace for ARC and its

key supporters and religious leaders. As a thank you, and in celebration of Her

Majesty’s Golden Jubilee on the throne, ARC held a Celebration of Creation in

London’s historic Banqueting Hall, which Her Majesty and HRH the Prince Philip

attended."Alliance of Religions and Conservation - Aims1. To assist and

encourage the evolution of practical, educational projects which further the

involvement of religions in caring for the natural environment.2. To assist and

encourage the development of religions and ethical programmes within

conservation bodies.3. To assist and encourage events that bring together

religion and conservation groups in order to further ties and develop practical

conservation projects.4. To raise and grant funds for the above aims.5. To

publish and promote materials which explore the links between religions and

conservation and further the aims of ARC.ARC's statement on Hinduism:"Hinduism

is the indigenous religion of India. It grew over thousands of years into a

body of teaching and culture which we now call Hinduism, named after the

Western word for India, formerly called Hind, the land on the other side of the

Indus River. India’s own name for its religion is Sanatan Dharma which means the

eternal occupation of the soul. Religion in India has always been a natural part

of daily life: for the body the natural thing is to breathe and to eat, and for

the soul the natural occupation is religion."In June 2003 His Excellency the

Prime Minister of Mongolia Mr Nambaryn Enkhbayar agreed to accept the post of

International President for an initial three years.ARC’s patrons include

leaders

of all major faiths, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Prince Hassan of

Jordan and Sri Kushok Bakula who is the 20th incarnation of the Buddha’s

disciple."Source:http://www.arcworld.org/Ananda Church of

Self-RealizationApproximately 5,000 members Worldwide Nevada City, CA"ANANDA

COMMUNITY: founded in 1968 by an American, J. Donald Walters, who called

himself SWAMI Kriyananda. This is one of the more successful NEW AGE type

communities to have developed out of the 1960s COUNTER CULTURE. The community

has around 300 members and finds its inspiration in the work of Swami

Paramahansa Yogananda. One of Yogananda's disciples, Swami Kriyananda (b.

Donald Walters, 1926), broke from the Self-Realization Fellowship and

established a separate commune, the Ananda Community, in the California

foothills of the Sierra mountains. "Ananda Marga250,000 members1,500 centers in

160countriesThe largest concentrations of Ananda

Marga are located in India and in the Phillipines, but members are found

throughout the world and can be found in most countries.Worldwide, there exists

spiritual and social activity centers in over 160 countries.Ananda Marg has had

one of the largest Western followings among Hindu groups and claims 2.5 million

converts in India.Ananda Marga is an international spiritual and social service

organisation active in more than 160 countries around the world...

approximately 1500 centres worldwide, with an estimated 250,000 plus

membership... Today the organisation operates over 2000 children's schools,

orphanages, disaster relief, medical and community development projects all

over the world. The projects of Ananda Marga are funded by public

contributions, other charitable and religious organisations, and by national

governments including Australia, Canada, the United States and several

countries of Western and eastern Europe. "

Large concentration of followers in India and Germany.Art of LivingCourses

attended by over a 1,000,000. Active in over 140 countries.Numerous educational

and charitable organizations around the globe. .Founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

in 1982. He established the Art of Living Foundation to promote self

development and health-related educational programs, many of which feature the

Sudarshan Kriya technique. To date, his programs have been enjoyed by more than

a million people in more than 100 countries.he served on the advisory board of

Yale University's School of Divinity and chaired the International Conference

of Religions at Kyoto, Japan. In 1995, Sri Sri spoke at the United Nations'

50th Anniversary celebration.The Art of Living Foundation is an international

nonprofit educational, charitable, and humanitarian foundation. Our educational

programs are offered in more than 140 countries around the world, and in most

cases our

foundation is registered as an educational nonprofit organization.As a

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), we work in special consultative status

with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations,

participating in a variety of committees and activities relating to health and

conflict resolution. Source:http://www.artofliving.org/AUM SHINRIKYO now Known

as ALEPHThe Aum principal membership is located only in Japan, but a residual

branch comprising an unknown number of followers has surfaced in Russia.The Aum

current membership is estimated at 1,500 to 2,000 persons. At the time of the

Tokyo subway attack, the group claimed to have 9,000 members in Japan and up to

40,000 worldwide. As of 1999, when the new Tokyo Center was completed, there

were now 34 centers in Japan.The group reveres Shiva as their chief god, and is

involved in ancient yoga, primitive Buddhism and Mahayanist Buddhist teachings.

The group's

ultimate aim is to 'save all living things from transmigration.' The group is

often referred to as a new Buddhist sect, but it also claims to be an original

religion based on Hinduism and created by Shoko Asahara (born Chizuo

Matsumoto). He became famous in New Age circles for his mystical journey

through the Himalayas. He even earned the blessing of the Dalai Lama.After the

Subway Sarin Gas Attack of 1995, Shoko Asahara has been imprisoned and the

religion has been reformed and the name changed to Aleph. A press release dated

Jan 18, 2001 stated:"As our present organization consists of those who were not

directly involved in the incidents, our understanding of the incidents varies

from person to person.The new organization will not have a guru, and the

position of founder Asahara will be confined to the subject of meditation.

Since he will be regarded only as a spiritual existence, he will not be in the

position to give

orders to the followers. We define Lord Shiva and Buddhas as the fundamental

subjects of our adoration. In our context, a guru means an interpreter of

scriptures. There have been a lot of gurus in the past and we do not define

guru as the unique and absolute being.Concerning the scriptures and teaching

materials of the new organization, we will make new ones based on the teachings

of Hindu Yoga, Early Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism that former representative

Shoko Asahara interpreted." http://english.aleph.to/pr/01.htmlUnder the

leadership of Fumihiro Joyu, Aum Shinrikyo is now seeking to regroup and

rebuild. In an effort to change its image, Aum, has changed its name to Aleph,

which means to start anew.It is not clear just how much distance the renewed

Aleph has placed between itself and Shoko Asahara. They have not renounced the

founding leader Asahara. In an interview with the New York Times Joyu stated

"Just like you

wouldn't stop your connection with physical fathers and mothers who commit a

crime, we will not sever our connection with our spiritual father." Still, Joyu

says that profits from their business activities will be used to compensate

victims for prior wrongdoings of the sect. Joyu also claims the reorganization

will lead to a more democratic group and that the Japanese no longer have

reason to fear the group. In the meantime, according to Sims, "Aum's every move

is being monitored by authorities under a new law passed last year that allows

the police and Justice Ministry officials to enter sect facilities at will to

conduct inspections." Aleph continues to make several hundred million yen a

year through manufacturing and selling computer components. An additional

hundred million comes from fees for private rituals amongst the Japanese

populace. Aleph's total public income is estimated to be in excess of half a

billion yen each year.

Aleph remains on the US Government's list of Intl Terror Org's.Aurobindo

AshramThere are about 1,500 members of the Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry,

mostly Europeans from all over the world. At the nearby city of Auroville are

several hundred people scattered about rather like a kibbutz. At Aurobindo

centres around the world there are thousands of other

followers.Headquarters/Main Centre Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, South India.

Main centres outside India are especially in the U.S. : The Cultural

Integration Fellowship in San Francisco started in 1951, the East-West Cultural

Centre in Los Angeles started in 1953, the California Institute of Asian Studies

and Matagiri in New York were founded in 1968, and the Atmaniketan Ashram

started in California in 1971. The New Age Association was founded in 1962 and

in 1968 Auroville was inaugurated.The "City of Human Peace," near Pondicherry

was founded with UNESCO backing. From the

1950's through the 1960's and 1970's groups and centres to promote Aurobindo's

teachings.Baba Ram DasUSA While not a leader of any particular group, his

writings and lectures are well recieved. He has a unstructured following of

millions.Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San

Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon

Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 320. "It was perhaps inevitable that

Hindu missionary activity would produce an indigenous American Hinduism.

Theosophy may have been the precursor of recent movements lead by Baba ram Das

(born as Gordon Alpert) who, along with Timothy Leary, was once a professor

psychology at Harvard... "Brahma Kumarisworld membership 400,000 - Britain:

1,200 'regular students'; Outside India: 5,715 4,000 centers. -Brahma Kumaris

Raja Yoga Centres: This movement originated in Karachi, India, in 1936. The

founder of the

Brahma Kumaris is Brahma Baba, though he is not worshipped as a guru...

Worldwide, this path has 4000 centres and approximately 400,000 members.

"Ireland, Rowan. Web site: La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia; web page:

"New Religious Associations in Australia ", written January 1998The official

literature of the Brahma Kumaris claims 250,000 regular students

worldwide.There is a preponderance of members in India and Britain.The founder

of Raj Yoga was Dada Lekhraj (1877-1969), a diamond merchant now known as

Brahma Baba, who claimed to receive visions of Shiva instructing him to found a

new world order. The movement was unusual in being run by women from the

beginning. The heads of the main centres and most of the teachers and

administrators are still women. The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University

(BKWSU) as it is now known has spread throughout the world since the 1970s, as

predicted by Brahma Baba, and is particularly

successful in Britain, supported by the indigenous Indian community. It recently

opened a retreat centre in a former stately home in Oxfordshire. In 1980 the

organization became affiliated with the United Nations as a non-governmental

organization, and has sponsored many peace initiatives, human rights and

educational projects under its auspices. Only a small percentage of the

membership work for the movement full-time, living in communal centres, but it

has a large and influential grass-roots membership who donate time, money and

other resources to it. It has many supporters among governments and the

business community. It is less controversial than many other NRMs but has been

criticized for its evangelical activity under the guise of social work, and for

the damaging effects of celibacy upon family life.Divine Light Mission/ Elan

VitalMembership is 10,000 people from the UK, 250,000 people from India, and

75,000 people

from outside India.Founder: Guru Maharaj Ji, formally known as Prem Pal Singh

Rawat.Numbers from David V. Barret's Sects, "Cults" and Alternative Religions:

A World Survey and Sourcebook state that approximately 10,000 people from the

UK, 250,000 people from India, and 75,000 people from outside India "practice

the techniques of Knowledge" 29 . The Maharaji's web page ( Maharaji.org )

reports that the average monthly attendance in the year 1998 was 472,230

people. It reports that interest in Knowledge for 1998 was found in 81

countries. It also reports that in 1998 Knowledge was disseminated to 20,387

people. Maharaji states that in the year 1998, "I accepted invitations to speak

at 123 events with a total attendance of 305,696"The Divine Light Mission was

founded in the 1920's by Indian born Shri Hans Maharaj Ji . According to

Melton, "The DLM is derived from Sant Mat (literally, the way of the saints), a

variation of the Sikh

religion which draws significant elements from Hinduism" . Shri Hans Maharaj Ji

was initiated into the Sant Mat tradition by Sarupanand Ji, and took over his

following at Sarupanand Ji's death 4 . After establishing an informal mission

in Dehli Shri Hans Maharaj Ji's following grew steadily 5 . Six years after

founding the mission Shri Hans Maharaj Ji died 6 . Before Shri Han Ji Maharaj's

death "Knowledge" was passed to all of his sons. After Shri Han Ji Maharaj's

death his youngest son, Guru Maharaj Ji, took over his father's position as

spiritual leader of the Divine Light Mission at the youthful age of eight 7 .

Guru Maharaj Ji would call himself "the perfect master" and continue the Divine

Light Mission that his father started.Divine Life SocietyThere are many

thousands of followers of Swami Shivananda all over the world, with more than

137 branches in India, over 20 in Malaysia and branches in the U.S. in Chicago,

Washington D.C., New Haven, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Daytona Beach,

San Francisco, Los Angeles, Albuquerque and other cities, in most cities of

Canada, on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, and in South America, Australia,

Europe, and South Africa.Shivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India. There are many

centres in the U.S., especially the Shivananda Yoga-Vedanta Centre in New York

City and the Shivananda Yoga-Vedanta Centre in San Francisco. In Canada the

main centre is the Shivananda Yoga-Vedanta Ashram, Val Morin, Quebec Shivananda

Ashram.Swami Shivananda through his ashram and the dynamic swamis who succeeded

him and promoted his doctrine in the West, has been one of the major channels

through which sound Eastern knowledge in the form of Yoga and Vedanta has been

spread and practised all over the world, especially in North America.Founded by

Swami Shivananda born Kuppuswamy Iyer.With five rupees given by a visitor, the

Swami

published a booklet, Brahma-Vidya, Knowledge of God, of his answers to the

questions of pilgrims. Other publications followed and his fame spread. He

travelled all over India teaching and on his return in 1932 founded the

Shivananda Ashram. At first this was an old cow shed he called Ananda Kutir,

Abode of Bliss. Disciples gathered and other cow sheds were made habitable. In

1936 the Divine Life Society was founded and two years later the journal, The

Divine Life, started. In 1943 the temple of the ashram, The Lord Sri Viswanath

Mandir, was built. Medical service continued, culminating in the Shivananda

Ayurvedic Pharmacy in 1945, which uses rare Himalayan herbs. New buildings came

with Swami Shivananda's Sixtieth Anniversary and in 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta Forest

Academy was established to train disciples and seekers. More followers came

after an All-India and Ceylon tour in 1950. The next year the Academy set up

its own Press. In

1957 the Shivananda Eye Hospital opened.After the death of Swami Shivananda in

1963, Swami Chidananda became president of the Divine Life Society and promoted

its rapid spread to the West through his world tours. He was followed by the

dynamic Swami Vishnudevananda who came to the West in 1959 and set up forty

Yoga-Vedanta centres in the U.S. and Canada and the Bahamas.Current leader is

Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj.Deepak Chopra and Mind Body MedicineSize of Group:

Client cults do not have members, per se, but Deepak Chopra's following is

quite large. He has become one of America's best known healers and alternative

medicine advocates. He is the author of 19 books, a couple of which have been

on the best-seller list simultaneously, more than 30 audio, video, and CD ROM

programs. He has been published on every continent and in a dozen languages.

Nearly 10 million copies of his books have been sold in English alone. In

conjunction

with PBS, he has produced a number of TV and video programs. Among them are

Body, Mind and Soul: The Mystery and the Magic, one of the most highly-viewed

and successful fundraisers in the history of the network. His courses always

sell out, even at a rate of $2,900 for a seven-day course!Year Founded: Chopra

established the American Association of Ayurvedic Medicine in 1991. In 1995, he

opened the Chopra Center for Well Being in La Jolla, California where he serves

as educational director. Brief History: Deepak Chopra attended the All India

Institute of Medical Sciences and embarked on a career in western medicine.

After graduating in 1968, he interned at a New Jersey hospital, trained for

several more years at the Lahey Clinic and the University of Virginia Hospital

and became board-certified in internal medicine and endocrinology. Hetaught at

Tufts and Boston University Schools of Medicine, became the chief of staff at

the

New England Memorial Hospital and established a large private practice. However,

during this time, despite his apparent success, he noticed a growing lack of

fulfillment(exacerbated by his unhealthy lifestyle which boasted smoking a pack

of cigarettes a day and heavy drinking to calm his nerves) and the nagging

question,"Am I doing all that I can for my patients?" These doubts led him to

Ayurveda, the ancient science of healing from India. Dr. Chopra immediately

realized that here was a system of health care that actually treated the whole

person; a system whose guiding principle is that the mind exerts the deepest

influence on the body.Sacred or Revered Texts: Chopra would acknowledge Hindu

texts such as the Bhagavad-Gita as sacred. To many of his enthusiasts, Chopra's

writings themselves have a sacred quality. Among his best- selling works are:

The Path to Love (1997) , Ageless Body/Timeless Mind (1993) , Journey Into

Healing

(1994) , Perfect Health Library: Perfect Digestion, Perfect Weight, Restful

Sleep (1990) , The Return of Merlin (1996) , The Way of the Wizard (1996) ,

Creating Health (1995) , Creating Affluence (1995) , The Seven Spiritual Laws

of Success (1994) , Quantum Healing(1989) , Unconditional Life

(1991)EckankarWorld Membership- - - 50,000 -531 Centers in 130 countries

"ECKENKAR... founded in 1965 by Paul TRITCHELL (1908-1971) who popularized his

ideas through his books The Tiger's Fang (1967), Eckenkar (1969)... In origin

Eckenkar is an offshoot of Kirpal Singh's RUHANI SATSANG and the SELF

REVELATION CHURCH and owes many of its ideas to the Indian SANT MAT tradition.

" The teachings of the Eckankar movement founded by Paul Twitchell are largely

those of Radha Soami. In 1950 he and his wife joined the Self-Revelation Church

of Absolute Monism in Washington, D.C. (a subgroup of the Self-Realization

Fellowship ). This group was

led by Swami Premananda also referred to as Sudar Singh in Twitchell's later

writings. Following his departure from the Self-Revelation compound in 1955,

Paul Twitchell and his wife separated. He then joined up with Kirpal Singh, the

founder of the Ruhani Satsang, a branch of the Radhasoami tradition.Current head

of Eckankar, Harold Klemp has brought many changes to Eckankar by emphasizing

Western ideology rather than the eastern Radhasoami tradition. This change has

allowed for a bridge between Eckist and American culture. He has called for

followers of Eckankar to perform community service in order to become good

co-workers with God.Falun Gong/Falun Dafa100,000,000 Falun Gong is a

traditional Chinese spiritual discipline that includes exercise and meditation.

Its principles are based on Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance. Persons who

practice regularly find it to bring them better health, reduced stress, inner

peace, and deepened

morals. The practice began in China in 1992 and quickly spread by word of mouth

throughout China and then beyond. Falun Gong is practiced by over 100 million

people in 40 countries.100 million people practiced Falun Gong in 1998, but

lost that right when Jiang banned it in 1999. Hundreds of thousands of Falun

Gong practitioners have been illegally arrested and detained.More than 500 have

been sentenced to prison terms of up to 18 years.More than 1,000 have been

forced into mental hospitals, an act condemned by World Psychiatric

Association.Over 100,000 have been illegally sent to labor camps without

trials.At least 826 deaths through police torture have been confirmed, with

government sources inside China disclosing that the actual number exceeds

1,600. Mr. Li Hongzhi is the founder and teacher of Falun Gong. He introduced

the practice to the general public in China in 1992. In keeping with Chinese

tradition, Li is often

respectfully referred to as "Master" or "Teacher," but he is not accorded

special treatment, nor does he accept money or donations from students of Falun

Gong. Li has given lectures on Falun Gong in many countries, including

Australia, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States. For his contributions to

humanity he has been given over 400 honors and awards, and is a two-time Nobel

Peace Prize nominee.Just 11 years old, Falun Dafa is one of the world's

fastest-growing spiritual movements, attracting more than 100 million

practitioners since its 1992 introduction in China by Master Li Hongzhi. The

48-year old Hongzhi insists his creation, though born of his years of studying

Buddhism, Taoism and ancient Chinese 'qigong' exercises, transcends those

religious traditions. "Godavari Mata followersUSA 160 members - - - Harper,

Marvin Henry. Gurus, Swamis, and Avatars: Spiritual Masters and their American

Disciples; Philadelphia:

Westminster Press pg. 236. "There are at least a half dozen followers of

Godavari Mata here [in the U.S.] at the present time. The disciples of Sathya

Sai Baba, though more numerous, are widely scattered. "Happy, Healthy, Holy

Organization (3HO)World Approx 10,000 members- 140 Centers-Founded by Siri

Singh Sahib Harbhajan Khalsa, more widely knows as Yogi BhajanThe Healthy,

Happy, Holy Organisation (3HO) commenced on January 5, 1969 in Los Angeles when

Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji MA PhD, 'Yogi Bhajan', started teaching in the

West. It is not primarily a religious association, its focus is on health and

personal development... Worldwide the movement has 140 centres with

approximately 1,800 core members and 6,000 peripheral members. By 1975

[bhajan] was the leader of between 10,000 and 20,000 young Americans and

Canadians who had adopted the Sikh lifestyle via the 3HO, living in more than

100 ashams and teaching centers

throughout North America. "Size of Group: There are about 250,000 Sikhs in North

America of which about 10,000 are Sikh Dharma: 3HO members. In 1995 there was a

count of 139 ashrams/or teaching centers in the United States, 11 in Canada,

and 86 additional centers in 26 other countries.I-Kuan-TaoChina - - - - 1996

Occhiogrosso, Peter. The Joy of Sects: A Spirited Guide to the World's

Religious Traditions. New York: Doubleday (1996), Chapter: Taoism; pg. 190.

"One prominent non-Taoist sect [in China today] is the I Kuan Tao (Way of

Pervading Unity). Like the Vedanta Society of Vivekananda, it embraces all

major traditions, including the Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim,

and Hindu, along with their gods and prophets. Its main deity is the Mother of

No-Birth, the creator of the world. Members abstain from meat, alcohol, and

tobacco and focus on controlling the mind by lessening desire. The Communist

government of

China has sought to suppress this and other antiauthoritarian sects, for obvious

reasons. "Integral Yoga InternationalWorld Students 1,215,000 - Integral Yoga

International (IYI) keeps no formal membership list. In 2001 they claimed

seventeen Centers in the United States, twenty-one international Centers and

seven Institutes"OTHER NAMES BY WHICH KNOWN: Satchidananda Ashram Yogaville,

Integral Yoga Institute; LEADERSHIP: Sri Swami Satchidananda, Founder/Director;

MEMBERSHIP: There is no formal membership. Staff and teachers for the centers

currently number about 250 nationwide. An estimated 1,215,000 attend programs

and remain affiliated with the IYI in some manner. "ISKCONWorld: 1,000,000

world (1998); 8,000 full time (1998) " This count may include members of other

Gaudiya Vaishnava Groups.- - - 1998 Chryssides, George. Exploring New

Religions. London, U.K.: Cassells (1999). [Original source of world figure: web

site:

Ontario Consulants for Religious Tolerance] "I have selected the best available

[statistics], providing a range where adjudication is impossible... ISKCON:...

ISKCON is widely accepted as authentically Hindu within the Western and Indian

Hindu communities, and is a member of the European Council of Hindu

organizations.KalmyksRussia 174,528 -1989 Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark

Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 4 - Europe. Cleveland, OH: Eastword

Publications Development (1998), pg. 203, 205-206. "Kalmyks: Location: Russia

(Republic of Kalmykia in the southwest); Population: 174,528 [1989]; Religion:

Tibetan sect of Mahayana Buddhism (Lamaism) "; "The Kalmyks were faithful and

fervent Buddhists, following the faith of their forebears. If Kalmykia is

classified as a part of Europe, then the Kalmyks would be considered the only

Buddhist ethnic group inhabiting Europe. They belong to the Tibetan 'Yellow

Hat' or

Gelugpa (Virtuous Way) sect of the Mahayana or Northern branch of Buddhism,

which is also commonly referred to as Lamaism. It still contains an admixture

of indigenous beliefs and shamanistic practices. The Kalmyks were converted

from their earlier shamanistic beliefs to Tibetan Buddhism shortly before they

reached the Lower Volga area in the early 17th century. "Krishnamurti

Foundation of AmericaThere is no formal membership of the Krishnamurti

foundation Tens of thousands have been students of Krishnamurti, and as one of

the best known teachers he has been an important influence on hundreds of

thousands.Krishnamurti (1895-1985) was 'discovered' as a child on an Indian

beach by the Theosophist leaders C.W. Leadbeater and Annie Besant, and brought

up by them to be the new World Teacher and leader of the Theosophy movement. In

1929 he repudiated this role and dissolved the Order of the Star that had been

built up to promote his

work. The Theosophical Society then split, half the membership following him.

>From then onwards he taught in his own right, travelling round the world

holding camps in his main study centres in Britain, Switzerland, America and

India. He had a particular interest in education, and founded 11 schools. Along

with Gurdjieff, he is considered the most influential Eastern spiritual teacher

of the twentieth century; his admirers include philosophers, writers and

scientists such as David Bohm, Iris Murdoch, Jonas Salk, Renee Weber, and

Huston Smith.Headquarters/Main centres:Krishnamurti Foundation Trust Ltd,

Brockwood Park, Bramdean, Hampshire SO24 0LQ, UK.Krishnamurti Foundation of

America, PO Box 1560, Ojai, CA 93023, USA.Maitreya FollowersThe size of the

group can not be properly defined due to the fact that it is not an organized

group. The best count that can be made regarding the spread of Maitreya's

followers is by the

distribution of the magazine published by Benjamin Creme dedicated to spreading

the news of Maitreya around the world. This magazine, SHARE International, is

distributed to approximately 70 countries around the world.Founder Benjamin

Creme states that he was first contacted by the Masters of Wisdom in 1959, when

he was told that Maitreya would return in approximately twenty years, at which

time Creme would be contacted. It was not until 1974, however, that information

on Maitreya was made public by Creme.Maris/Chi marla veraPopulation:784,884

";Location: Russia (Middle Volga River region); Mari is an autonomous republic

in the Russian Federation. It borders to the Chuvash Republic, the Republic of

Tatarstan and the Republic of Udmurtia... "Of all the peoples of the Middle

Volga region, and arguably in all of Russia, the Maris have been the most

successful at retaining their native religion while at the same time resisting

the

pressures of Islamization. Not only has the adherence to native religious

traditions deeply influenced Mari folklore and cultural life in general, but it

has also remained an important factor in Mari history, and, in the current

period, in Mari politics as well. many communities have both formally &

informally retained their native religion... termed chi marla vera (the genuine

Mari faith)... vast majority of Eastern Maris... have remained staunch

adherents... Organisations: The Mari are represented by Mari Ushem, the

National Movement, in order to seek support for the preservation and

development of its national culture and identity. In recent times, native Mari

religion has become a political force through the creation of a political

organization for the adherents of the Chi marla vera. This organization, called

Osh Mari Chi Mari, seeks to legitimize Mari native religion and, against the

protests of the Russian Orthodox

Church, revitalize it. "Meher Baba GroupsWorld Membership approx 100,000Approx

30 Centers with 19 in USA and 4 in IndiaFounder: Meher Baba aka Merwan

Shehariarji IraniSize of Group: The size of Meher Baba's following is estimated

at near one hundred thousand in India. In the U.S., the size is substantially

less and broken down by individual community centers with varying membership.

Meher Baba first established a following in 1922 in Bombay. In 1931 Baba

visited the U.S. and established a loose following there. In 1952 he accepted

the inheritance of the Sufis Reoriented in the U.S.. Meher Baba's followings

include the Sheriar Foundation, as well as numerous other Meher Baba Groups.

Some of these groups such as Meher Baba Information of Berkeley, CA, and the

Society for Avatar Meher Baba of New York City were formed after his death in

1969. There are also a number of publications such as MANifestation, Inc., GLOW

International, and a kids' magazine, Rainbow! devoted to spreading Baba's

message. Remarks: Meher Baba was influential to many cultural icons of the

1960's counterculture including many famous performance artists. Baba is

credited with converting the self-destructive lifestyle of many drug users to a

life of community service and personal meaning.Meher Baba and his followers

believe that he was the God incarnate and the Avatar of the "dark or iron" age,

also called the Kali Yuga. This age is our present time period in history, and

the last of the atavistic cycle. This cycle included the predecessors:

Zoroaster, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Christ, and Mohammed. Baba believed that the

avatar's duty is to "awaken humanity to a realization of its spiritual nature

and quicken the whole life of the spirit of his time. . ." Baba was concerned

about the materialist culture of his age and was devoted to spreading the

understanding of a cosmic

sacredness. Baba's teachings are influenced heavily by Zoroastrianism, which is

his native religion, and Sufism, as well as from Indian gurus and mystics, many

of whom agreed that Meher Baba was special. He also used the teachings of

various other religions believing that one's religious denomination did not

interfere with one's ability to attain the highest level of spirituality. He

encouraged all followers to maintain their respective religious practices

except when they conflicted with his teaching of abstaining from sex until

marriage. Meher Baba incorporated many of the Eastern religious themes into his

teachings including that the soul or consciousness was detachable from the

physical body and that one's soul never ceases to exist.Moksha FoundationWorld

- - 7 centers in 6 countries as of 1999Moksha Foundation official web site; web

page: "What is Moksha?/Moksha Foundation Moksha Foundation began in 1986 as a

small

group of individuals and has grown into an international community of students

and supporters. Recent years have seen a rapidly growing interest in the

activities of this organization and the birth of a number of centers and

communities throughout the world that are dedicated to its work. Based in

Lenox, Massachusetts, Moksha Foundation centers have also been established in

London [u.K.], Boston, Amsterdam [Netherlands], Cologne [Germany], Sydney

[Australia] and in Rishikesh, India. " [closely associated with FACE

Centers]Native American Church/Christian InfluencedWorld Membership 250,000 in

2 countries Canada and USA"Native American Church is a combination of

Indigenous traditions and Christianity. It is numerically important because it

has the largest membership of any Indian organization in the

country--approximately 250,000 members from more than 50 tribes in the U.S. and

Canada... it has avoided the specific 'Christian'

label, partly in reaction to the subordinate place so often given to Christian

Indian converts in church organization... " Utter, Jack. American Indians:

Answers to Today's Questions. Lake Ann, MI: National Woodlands Publishing Co.

(1993); pg. 90. The Native American Church claims amembership of 250,000, which

would constitute the largest of the Native America religious

organizations."Peyotism took hold among the Navajos around the 1930s... In 1955

its use was approved by the Tribal Council. About 25,000 Navajos now belong to

the Native American Church (incorporated as the peyot religion), and as many as

12,000 more probably attend services without being registered on the rolls.

"Native American Religion/TraditionalCanada 10,840 - - - USA 43,000 members

1991 Canada Census "Natives and Inuit who follow their aboriginal religions

total about 10,840 in Canada (1991 Census). " [Termed "Native American

Spirituality " in this source.]

Approx:80,000 members as of 2001NEW AGE MOVEMENTEstimated 20 million "New Agers"

by 1990In the "Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs," John Ankerberg and John Weldon

state that in many respects the philosophy of the New Age Movement parallels

that of Hinduism. In addition, there are scores of modern religious cults and

sects that have been influenced by Hinduism to varying degrees.They also point

out that ... literally millions of Americans have taken up Hindu practices,

such as yoga, meditation, developing altered states of consciousness, and

seeking Hindu "enlightenment."Naisbitt, John & Patricia Aburdene. Megatrends

2000: Ten New Directions for the 1990's. New York: William Morrow and Co.

(1990); pg. 293. "By head count, New Agers are a good, substantial lot, maybe

10 to 12 million. Say they are even 20 million. They are still completely

outnumbered by [born-again Christians]... If you are out to sell your products,

why

even bother with the New Agers? To begin with they are rich. NInety-five percent

of the readers of New Age Journal are college-educated, with average household

incomes of $47,500. New Agers represent the most affluent, well-educated,

successful segment of the baby boom. Furthermore, the influence on the culture

as a whole extends beyond their numbers. This group, says John Garrett of SRI

International's Values and Lifestyle (VALS) Program, tends 'to set the trends

in America.'New Kadampa TraditionWorld Membership approx 5,000- - 320 centers

50 in USA- as of 1999 counted listings on directory. Total for three

directories: "Europe ", "United Kingdom ", and "Asia, Australasia and America "

Kadampa Buddhism was first introduced to the West in 1977 by the renowned

Kadampa Buddhist Master, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Geshe Kelsang has also

established the International Temples Project dedicated to building a Kadampa

Buddhist

Temple in every major city of the world. Designed under the supervision of Geshe

Kelsang, these temples are adorned with contemporary works of Buddhist art

produced by his students.New Kadampa Buddhism... Since its inauguration in 1991

the NKT has grown dramatically, and there are now more than 250 Centres

throughout the world including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany,

Holland, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK & in the USA. ";

[u. of Wolverhampton religious scholar George Chryssides states "In my

conversations with NKT members they tell me that an average meditation group

would consist of about 20 people. If so, this would give them a world wide

following of around 5,000. (I don't think they are actually a membership

organization, so this figure would be for average attendees, some of whom may

only be 'passing trade'.)Om Sakathi/Adhiparasakthi MovementUSA - - 2 Centers UK

1, Zambia 2,

Australia 1, Canada 1 and Singapore 1 and Approx 15 in India.Table "Numbers of

Registered Mandrams "Each Mandram has between eight and several thousand

members. "; [also called "Adhiparasakthi Movement "] In the year 1966, during a

cyclonic storm at Melmaruvathur in India, a neem tree secreting sweet medicinal

milk was uprooted to reveal the SWAYAMBU (an oval stone-like emanation). The

power above revealed Itself in the form of the Swayambu and proclaimed that It

had transmigrated into His Holiness Bangaru Adigalar and would give Oracles

through Him to save the world.In 1971, the first Oracle was given and the Power

prophesied that, 'Its descending to earth was as a Mother and She should be

worshipped as the Goddess Adhiparasakthi and the world would go through a

spiritual revolution and a New Renaissance would emerge.'That was the beginning

.. . . . .Osho (or Rajneeshism)At its peak, 600 centers around the world housed

200,000

members. "Formerly often referred to as Rejneeshism. They operate about 20

meditation centers worldwide. At its peak, they had about 200,000 members and

600 centers around the world. "(religioustolerance.org)Numbers have fluctuated

widely, official estimates varying between 250,000 and one million during the

1970s and 1980s. It seems more likely that at its height in the late 1970s

there were around 30,000 members, over half in India, and most of the rest in

Europe and America, of whom around 10% were core members. Present numbers are

probably around 15-20,000 with a growing membership in Asia.Radhasoami

SatsangWorld Membership 2,500,000 600 Centers- - - - "RADHA SOAMI MOVEMENT: a

HINDU REFORM MOVEMENT which emerged after the death of Shiv Dayal who

incorporated SIKH BELIEFS and practices around a FORM of YOGA. The movement

differentiates itself from the Sikhs in that the GURU replaces the SCRIPTURE as

the source of religious

knowledge and by rejecting Sikh initiation. There are now seven registered

Regional Radhasoami Satsang Associations, supervising the activities of

District Satsang Associations and some 600 branch Satsangs. "Harper, Marvin

Henry. Gurus, Swamis, and Avatars: Spiritual Masters and their American

Disciples; Philadelphia: Westminster Press; pg. 105."Another Hindu movement

which early developed an international following was the Radha Soami Satsang...

the teachings of the Radha Soami line of masters, established in Agra in 1861,

were more consistent with the Yoga of the universal sound current... and the

devotion to Radha Soami masters... closely echoed medieval esoteric Hindu

teachings.The movement claims a following of over two million, including

Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis, and Sikhs. "Rahasya Sampradaya aka Tantra

SanghaMembership Approx 500 to 1,000, 25 Centers in Former USSRSwami

SadashivacharyaTantra Sangha,

P.O. Box 70, Moscow 103055, RussiaFormed in 1992, with the intent of promoting

Hindu Tantric philosophy and worship.Swami Sadasivachariya: (as of 1993)"There

are fifteen spiritual communities and satsang groups with 250 members in Moscow

and other towns, but they are not yet registered officially. Only Moscow center

has official recognition. We are followers of Hindu Tantric religion. We are

devotees of Lord Siva and Divine Mother, of Saiva and Shakta

traditions."Ramakrishna OrderWorld Membership The number of members is unknown.

"- - 125 Centers "Size of Group: There are presently thirteen Vedanta Societies

in the U.S., and 125 centers governed by the Ramakrishna Order. There are more

than 1,000 additional centers that claim the name of either Ramakrishna or

Vivekananda. US branches are run by mostly American-born monks of the

Ramakrishna Order of India. "Ramakrishna/Vivekananda centers - independentWorld

membership

Unknown - - 1,000 Centers - from "What is Vedanta " by Vedanta Society of

Southern California. "There are 13 Vedanta Societies in the United States and

125 Centers in the world managed by the Ramakrishna Order. Over 1,000 more

centers bear the names of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. "Rashtriya Swayamsevak

SanghAs of 1996 India had 22,500,000 members and 300,000 Centers- "RSS

(Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)... Each branch of the RSS ('Hindu home troops')

organization acts in the same way throughout India... In the RSS organization

the basic units are called 'shakhas' (branches). The membership of each shakha

varies between 50 and 100 male participants. Nowadays it is estimated that

there are around 300,000 shakhas all over the country. " [75 * 300,000 =

22,500,000] 1996 Tamminen, Tapio. "Hindu Revivalism and the Hindutva Movement "

in Temenos 32 (1996), 221-238.Roma/GypsiesWorld Population Approx 10,000,000 - -

-"Roma: Location:

Dispersed population in Europe; parts of Asia, North, Central and South America,

Australia, New Zealand, North & Central Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere;

Population: 6 - 10 million (estimate); Religion: An underlay of Hinduism with

an overlay of either Christianity or Islam (host country religion) "; "Roma

religious beliefs are rooted in Hinduism. Roma believe in a universal balance,

called kuntari... Despite a 1,000-year separation from India, Roma still

practice shaktism, the worship of a god through his female consort... " 1998

Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 4 -

Europe. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998); pg. 316, 318.

"An underlay of Hinduism with an overlay of either Christianity or Islam (host

country religion) "; "Roma religious beliefs are rooted in Hinduism. Roma

believe in a universal balance, called kuntari... In Canada, at Sainte Anne de

Beaupre, in Quebec, there is a shrine where Roma of the Vlach Roma group make

annual pilgrimages late in July during the Novena... The ceremonies the Roma

perform differ radically from those of non-Roma Catholics, who also attend in

large numbers. "Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture &

Daily Life: Vol. 4 - Europe. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development

(1998); pg. 316, 318.Romuva/indigenous Lithuanian ReligionWorld Membership

Approx 2500 - - - Approx 10 Centers in 2 countries Lithuania and USA "ROMUVA -

LITHUANIAN BALTIC RELIGION?1998 "; by Audrius Dundzila. "Ramuva was

reestablished in 1988... In 1991-1992, Romuva congregations were established

and incorporated in Vilnius [Lithuania], Kaunas [Lithuania] and Madison,

Wisconsin, USA. ""Everyone can make a personal or family sanctuary - or alkas

in his own home or apartment. How is this to be done? There is an abundance of

information in

historical and ethnographic sources. There is a section dedicated to such

sanctuaries in the book "Baltu tikejimas" (2000), and an English translation of

that section appeared a few years ago in the "Sacred Serpent." Let us try and

put this information to use in our modern setting."Source:

http://www.romuva.lt/index.php?kalba=englRuhani SatsangGermany 500 members

Global membership above 120,000 - - - : "Religionswissenschaftlicher Medien-

und Informationsdienst e.V. " [REMID: Religious Studies Media and Information

Service, Marburg, Germany]; web page: "Informationen und Standpunkte " (viewed

2 Aug. 1999). Table: "Religious communities in Germany: Numbers of members "

[data published July, 1999]; Listed as "Holosophische Gesellschaft (Kirpal

Ruhani Satsan) " in table. Source: REMID. "The followers of the Ruhani Satsang

movement, which was established by Kirpal Singh (b. 1894), a disciple of one of

the Radha Soami masters,

are predominantly Western and its American centers is in Frankin, New Hampshire.

"Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco:

Harper Collins Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living

Religions; pg. 319.Runvira/Indigenous Ukrainian National Faith [Rodnaia

ukrainskaia nationalnaia vera]World Membership 20,000, 4 Centers in Ukraine - -

-Founder,Lev Silenko, began to decipher Sanskrit writing and created the

doctrines of the Runvira and his own church, which purchased a large parcel of

land 130 kilometers from New York, which he called Oriiana (the ancient name of

Ukraine) and where he built a large temple.(This group is unique because thier

stated goal is to counteract the influence of Christianity in the

Ukraine.)"Ukrainian paganism grows: NEW PAGANS AGAINST THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH "

in Izvestiia (31 Oct. 1997); Russian text: "Novye iazychniki protiv

khristianisoi tserkvi " How many

Runvists there are in Ukraine, Russia, and Belorussia is not known to government

officials and the Runfathers themselves do not deal with this. They merely

observe that their flock is tens of thousands of people. "Our faith is

indigenous, but the Christian Moscow faith is an intruder," Stepan Petrovich

preaches, while at the same time waving in front of me the sacred books of

Runvists, "Faith of Magic" and the ritual guide. Pinchuk is sure that they

contain all truth of slavic life and will certainly revive the spirit of the

Ukrainian nation and expel the "Muscovites" from it. He preaches this in his

home meetings. One of the basic premises is that Christian churches must be

either closed or turned into museums, or else the icons should be removed from

them and the Runvist symbols, the sun and trident, replace them.According to

the statements of their "father" they are quite confident that they will reach

their basic goal--the

expulsion of the "invading Christian church" from the entirety of their native

territory of Kievan Rus. Under the direction of their distant American center,

they are well-off materially and they do not admit just anybody into their

circle but only people with good standing and preferably with higher education.

In their ranks are writers, artists, and the rest of the flower of the country's

intelligentsia. The main cult of this religion is belief in idol Dazhbog.The

symbol of Dazhbog's banner is the Sun with the trident in the center.The

adherents of Native Belief use holy figures of great spirits- Veles, Perun,

Swarog and prophets of the Ukraine - Lesya Ukrayinka, Vasyl Stus, Taras

Shevchenko.According to the activists-ridnoviriv the population of the

historical Podillya adopted Christianity later then the other regions of the

Ukraine. The present Vinnytsya inhabitants insist on the necessity to renew the

ancient religion of their

fathers on these very grounds.Sahaj MargDenmark 50 to 250 members- - - -

Rothstein, Mikael. "Patterns of Diffusion and Religious Globalization: An

Empirical Survey of New Religious Movements " in Temenos 32 (1996), 195-220.

(Viewed online, Temenos web site, 30 Jan. 1999) "Corresponding figures, i.e. a

dedicated membership of 50 to 250 in Denmark, are found in groups such as

Brahma Kumaris, Elan Vital, Soka Gakkai and Sahaj Marg according to their own

information. "Sahaja YogaWorld Membership Full-time Approx 20,000, 50% in

India, 100,000 Congregational Members- - - Active in 60 countries.Founder:Shri

Mataji Nirmala Devi Source: La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia; web page:

"New Religious Associations in Australia ", written January 1998. "Sahaja Yoga

is a spiritual movement 'based on individual awareness and experience rather

than institutional belief systems'. The movement was founded in Bombay, India

in 1970 by Shri

Mataji Nirmala Devi... The number of centres and members worldwide in unknown

but Sahaja Yoga is practised in over 60 countries. " Approximately 100,000

people are claimed to have developed "Spontaneous en-masse Self Realization" as

a result of Sahaja Yoga, and thus are loosely associated with the movement.Many

Americans are upset with Shri Mataji for comments like "Americans are not the

right people to dominate the world, because they are very immature and very

sex-oriented. We have to have another higher house for the U.N." This quote

appears in her book Meta Modern Era and is followed by her solution that

"people need to become mature, and this maturity will only come if they take to

Sahaja Yoga and not to some sort of evangelists or false gurus." Most Americans

disagree with her criticism of their country.Sathya Sai BabaWorld Membership

10,000,000 - -Approx 5000 Centers worldwide 1999 Chryssides, George. Exploring

New

Religions. London, U.K.: Cassells (1999). [Original source of world full-time

figure: web site: New Religious Movements (University of Virginia)] "I have

selected the best available [statistics], providing a range where adjudication

is impossible... Sai Baba: Britain: 4,000 active devotees linked to a Sai

Centre (1999); World 10,000,000Science of Identity Foundation/Jagad Guru Chris

ButlerWorld Membership Approx 6,000. Approx 30 centers. founded by Chris Butler

aka Jagad Guru.Of all Hindu-based groups, this group has had the largest impact

on US politics, esp in Hawaii. Followers are currently elected officials in

Hawaii State Government. Over the years there has been a consistent presence of

Hawaii State elected officials who are disciples of jagad Guru.Chris Butler AKA

Siddhaswaup Ananda Paramahamsa is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada who was a yoga

teacher and guru before recieving initiation.. When Krishna conscoiusness was

introduced in Hawaii in the late '60s, he was immediately attracted to it and

his teachings gradally but quickly focused more on Lord Chaitanya's teachings

than anything else. When he joined ISKCON at the end of 1970, he came with

about 100 disciples and several properties in the Hawaiian islands. He was

initiated in May 1971 and took sannyasa in May 1972. Although Srila Prabhupada

repeatedly expressed his affection for Siddhasvarupananda, and his appreciation

for his preaching, leaders in ISKCON were reluctant to accept him. Consequently,

he has been preaching outside ISKCON for a long time. The philosophy he gives is

the same as Lord Chaitanya's, but is presented without many of the apparently

Indian cultural trappings. Whether this is an asset or liability is probably a

subjective judgement. His preaching worldwide is very vigorous, and he has many

disciples around the world. Here, on the island of Hawaii, many people attend

programs held by his disciple Garuda das at his farm in Opihikao and elsewhere

on the island. One of the devotees is an official in the state governor's

administration, and several other devotees hold elected offices, from city

council to the state legislature. Jagad Guru Chris Butler has disciples all

over the world. From the Pacific Islands and mainland USA as well as Poland and

other Eastern European countries.Self-Realization FellowshipWorld Membership

Approx 200,000 - - 500 Centers - New Religious Movements (University of

Virginia) (1998) [Orig. source: Melton, J Gordon. 1996 Encyclopedia of American

Religions. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Co. Fifth Edition. (p 871)]

Yoga:Nearly 500 meditation centers worldwide. "Their traditions began in India

in 1917 as the Yogoda Satsanga Society and spread throughout that country. "

The Self-Realization Fellowship has a significant membership. As of 1992, their

headquarters were

located in California and were joined by another 6 temples and ashram centers in

the same state. One more was founded in Phoenix, Arizona, and another in Front

Royal, Virginia. An additional 151 centers were established within the United

States, along with 181 in other countries. Since that time, many more have

opened totaling nearly 500 meditation centers worldwide. (Melton 1996, 857) New

Religious Movements (University of Virginia) (1998) [Orig. source: Melton, J

Gordon. 1996 Encyclopedia of American Religions. Detroit, Michigan: Gale

Research Co. Fifth Edition. (p 871)] Yoga:Nearly 500 meditation centers

worldwide. "Their traditions began in India in 1917 as the Yogoda Satsanga

Society and spread throughout that country. " Annually, the headquarters of the

fellowship in Los Angeles holds an international convocation attracting nearly

6,000 participants from around the world. Program activities include classes,

meditations, and

presentations of Yogananda's teachings.Shambhala InternationalShambhala has

aproximately 6,000 followers worldwide according to the DC Shambhala Center.

This estimate is compiled from the member lists on the international databases

of Shambhala International and affiliated centers and is current as of 1999.

Founder: Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche founded the umbrella organization of Shambhala

International. However, the teachings are those of his father, Chogyam Trungpa

Rinpoche. Chogyam Trungpa founded many organizations such as Vajradhatu,

Shambhala Training, and Nalanda. His son Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche organized all

of these into one group, known as Shambhala International, after his father's

death, established his first North American meditation center, Karme Choling,

in Barnet, Vermont. Rinpoche's work was so influential because he made the

teachings that he brought accessible. He did this by bringing the beliefs of

the East to the

West rather than making Westerners seek out teachings of the Eastern traditions.

This, along with a receptive North American population can account for the

success of his message in the West. One of the ways in which he made his

teachings accesible was by becoming fluent in English. He was one of the first

lamas to cross this language barrier. Not only in America, but all over the

world, meditation centers were being founded under his teachings. In order to

unite the many centers, Rinpoche founded Vajradhatu as an umbrella

organization. In 1974 he also founded the Naropa Institute in Boulder,

Colorado. This was the first accredited Buddhist University in the West. The

foundation of this learning institute was also instrumental in providing

opportunities for Westerners to explore the teachings he presented.Siddha

YogaNo official figures on membership available, but probably around 10,000.The

lineage of Siddha Yoga is traced

back to Bhagawan Nityananda (d. 1961), a well known Indian saint and guru in the

early decades of the twentieth century. He appointed Swami Muktananda

(1908-1982) as his successor, known to his disciples as Baba, who gave this

path the name Siddha Yoga. In the 1970s Westerners were drawn to his ashram

near Bombay in Maharashtra, India, which has now become a shrine where his body

is buried. Disciples were attracted partly by the drama of Muktananda's

technique, which focused on the development of psychic powers, such as seeing

inner light. Upon his death he appointed a brother and sister as his

successors, leading to power struggles out of which the sister emerged

victorious while the brother is no longer officially connected with the

movement. Swami Chidvilasananda, known as Gurumayi, continues to teach within

the same tradition as Muktananda, travelling throughout the world but spending

regular periods at the American

ashram.Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math/B.S.Govinda MaharajaWorldwide Membership

Approx 5,000 to 10,000. 62 Centers, 8 in India.At the time of its humble

beginning, the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math was no more than a thatched hut on

the banks of the Ganges river, yet Srila Sridhar Maharaj composed a beautiful

verse predicting the future Glory of the Math.Since his departure from this

world in 1988, Srila Sridhar Maharaj and the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math have

been represented by Srila Sridhar Maharaj's chosen successor and dear disciple,

our President Acharya, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Sri Srila Bhakti Sundar

Govinda Maharaj. The Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is a Holy Temple of Pure

Devotion, established in 1941 in Sri Nabadwip Dham, West Bengal, India, by His

Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Sri Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj.A Math

[pronounced "maa-th"] is a place that is dedicated to the development of

spiritual values and

service to the Supreme Lord and His devotees. When choosing the name "Sri

Chaitanya Saraswat Math," Srila Sridhar Maharaj reasoned that although our line

of disciplic succession [sampradaya] is the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya,

the main identification of our Sampradaya is with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and

the name of Srila Sridhar Maharaj's Spiritual Master who revitalized and firmly

established our Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya is Srila Bhakti Siddhanta

Saraswati Prabhupad; so to cover from beginning to end the identification of

the whole Sampradaya, Srila Sridhar Maharaj chose the name Sri Chaitanya

Saraswat Math as the name of his Temple and Mission.Source:

http://www.scsmath.com/home.htmlSri Chinmoy5,000 followers worldwide, 1,500 in

the United States, and 1,000 in Canada. 200 Centers Worldwide."There are

approximately 200 Sri Chinmoy Centres throughout the world with more than 5000

members. " (Melton, 1996, p.876).Sri

Chinmoy was orphaned at the age of 12. At that time he entered Aurobindo Ashram,

a spiritual community in South India. As a child Chinmoy had profound mystical

experiences (Melton, 1991, p.96). He resided at the ashram for 20 years

practicing meditation and spiritual discipline. There he attained the level of

Nirvikalpa Samadhi which is "the highest mystical state compatible with

functioning in the physical world" (Jackson, p.3). In 1964 he received a call

from God that took him to New York. Three years after his arrival he founded

the first Sri Chinmoy Centre. Today there are Sri Chinmoy Centres in 50

different countries the purpose of which are to provide a place to hold

meditation classes and athletic events. ("Sri Chinmoy, the Composer") For the

past 30 years Sri Chinmoy has resided in Jamaica, New York promoting world

peace and helping people search for inner truth.Sri Gaudiya Vedanta

Samiti/B.V.Narayana MaharajaWorldwide

Membership Approx 5,000 to 10,000, 61 centers 28 in India."This society was

named 'Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti' in order that to preach pure bhakti

everywhere in the world, for the welfare of all mankind.Srila Bhakti Prajnana

Kesava Maharaja (formerly Sri Vinodabihari Brahmacari) left this world in 1968,

after imparting his teachings and blessings unto countless fortunate souls. His

mission is continued today by the members of the Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti in

India, and in centres around the world under the auspices of his foremost

disciples Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami maharaja and Srila Bhaktivedanta

Narayana Gosvami maharaja.Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami maharaja, is the

foremost spiritual leader of the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his

associates in the world today. He has circled the globe on two annual

around-the-world tours each year since 1996. His hundreds of lectures,

translations of important books

of the previous acaryas, and commentaries on the topics of pure bhakti are the

foundation of this web site."Source

http://www.purebhakti.com/org/aboutus.shtmlSuma Ching Hai International

AssociationWorldwide Membership 2,000,000.In Taiwan, she reportedly has 300,000

followers. Approx 6,000 attendees in Taiwan on the annual Ching Hai Day in

October.She has approximately 2,000 members in California .Suma Ching Hai has

100,000 followers in the United States and millions more worldwide.Sacred or

Revered Texts: Bhagavad Gita, Surangama Sutra, The Bible.Founder: Master Suma

Ching Hai (Her real name is Hue Dang Trinh.)When Suma Ching Hai tried to buy a

copy of the Hindu sacred text the Bhagavad-Gita in a shop along the Ganges

River, the shopkeepers said there were none in stock. She insisted that she had

"seen" one. Then the shopkeepers discovered a copy in a sealed box. She fled

sudden acclaim, but finally assumed the role of The

Master. (According to Howard Chua-Eoan's article entitled "The Buddhist Martha"

in Time, Jan 20,1997, p.47) While in Taiwan, Suma Ching Hai was meditating in a

room behind a small temple during a typhoon rain storm and a group of people

knocked at her door. When she asked them why they came, they responded, "Quan

Yin Bodhisattva (The Goddess of Mercy) replied to our prayers and told us about

you, saying that you are the great Master and we should pray to you for the

method to reach liberation." The Master initiated them after several months of

purification and their agreement to adhere to a vegetarian diet. Suma Ching Hai

International Association has recently received much publicity because of the

group's donations to Bill Clinton's legal-defense fund. The group donated

$600,000 to the fund last year, but the money was returned due to increasing

negative publicity the President was receiving. Suma Ching Hai said she felt

"sorry

for Clinton's troubles... and wanted to help him" (Washington Post, 27 Jan.

1997). The Five Precepts, The Master teaches are:Refrain from taking the life

of sentient beings.Refrain from speaking what is not true.Refrain from taking

what is not offered.Refrain from sexual misconduct.Refrain from the use of

intoxicants.Synchronicity Contemporary MeditationSize of group:Because the

clientele is dispersed, exact figures are difficult to obtain. Members of the

Recognitions Program, currently estimated at two thousand (according to sources

at the Synchronicity Foundation), live all over the world, and members of the

Synchronicity Community live in residence at the Synchronicity Sanctuary (note

that the members of the Synchronicity Community participate in a seperate

meditation program than the Recognitions Program). Founder:Master Charles,

After twelve years of study in India under the meditation master Paramahansa

Muktananda, Master Charles returned to the United States to fulfill his master's

request- to spread traditional Eastern teachings to the West (Charles 239). Upon

return, he "Westernized" his name to Brother Charles (Charles was his given

name, and Brother because he viewed himself as a monk and an equal to all

others). Slow and steady in forming, the group began with only a few people,

and grew to a now community that stands close to the original dwelling. Renamed

Master Charles, his small group of followers found the title more appropriate,

since they viewed him as a teacher and master of meditation, rather than a

fellow student.Master Charles also offers to the general public his

autobiography, which traces his steps to and through his study with Muktananda

in India, and well as his reasons for returning to the United States and

starting the Synchronicity Foundation.Finally, for those who wish to experience

Master Charles in

person, he offers retreats at the Virginia headquarters, and Synchronicity

Centers in New Zealand, Germany, and Australia.TaaraEstonia - - - - 1100 C.E.

Geography Department (Mary M. Rodgers, series editor). Estonia (series: Then

and Now). Minneapolis, Minn.: Lerner Publications Co. (1992); pg. 25. "The

earliest Estonians practiced a religion that honored the god Taara. The

influence of Taara is still evident in a festival held every June 24 to

celebrate the longest day of the year. Although Christian traditions changed

the holiday's name to St. John's Day, Estonians observe the occasion the way

their pre-Christian Taara ancestors did. Dancing, bonfires, and flowers are

features of this mid-summer celebration.TaejonggyoKorea, South - - - - "A

Window on Korea "; web page: "Taejonggyo: The Oldest Religion in Korea "

(viewed 23 Jan. 1999) "Korea's oldest religion, other than nature worship, is

Taejonggyo. Called Koshindo

until the early 20th century, it embodies a myth of national foundation

comparable to other nations. There are few adherents of this belief today, but

it has obviously influenced later religious developments... By the 15th

century, this cult had practically disappeared. However, the resurgence of

Korean nationalism and a spirit of independence in the late 19th and early 20th

centuries led to the appearance of several sects claiming to represent a revival

of this ancient cult. "TheosophyThe Theosophical Society is Theosophy's most

prominent group. Its size, as of 1995, was 30,000 members worldwide. The number

of American members was 4,300, divided between 140 centers (or lodges).Founder:

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. Theosophy is the study of the teachings of the

Masters or Mahatmas. It is a method of studying the Ancient Wisdom, a way of

pursuing the ultimate truth. The Mahatmas are members of a superhuman group,

"The Great

White Brotherhood."(White refers to (White refers to purity, not race)

(Campbell,1980:54purity, not race) (Campbell,1980:54) These adepts (Mahatmas)

have obtained perfection, and committed their lives to showing us the way to

perfection. Theosophy, as a subject of study, became an organized group in the

late 19th century when the Theosophical Society was founded by Henry Olcott and

H.P. Blavatsky. The Theosophical Society became a popular and powerful group

throughout the world, especially in America and India. Most of the society's

practices and beliefs were determined by Blavatsky and her

writings.Theosophical FellowshipWorld membership Unkown- - - In 1982 Ananda

Tara Shan came to Melbourne, Australia to begin her work for Lord Maitreya. The

Theosophical Fellowship was founded in 1994 in Daylesford Victoria. The movement

considers itself to be a religious organisation. ""Members of the Theosophical

off-shoot the Theosophical

Fellowship (formerly known as Shan the Rising Light), which originated in

Denmark, receive faxes and live pictures by computer from Australia, where

their female leader Ananda Tara Shan lives.Theosophical SocietyWorld Membership

20,000 in 60 Countries as of 1998 5,000 US members.New Religious Movements

(University of Virginia) (1998) "The Theosophical Society of America reported

5,200 members in the U.S., 34,000 members worldwide. " 130 locations in the

United States.The Theosophical Society was formed in New York, Nov. 17, 1875,

and incorporated at Madras, India, April 3, 1905.THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY: founded

in New York City in 1875 by a Russian SPIRITUALIST, Helena Petrovna BLAVATSKY

and Henry Olcott (1832-1907)... In 1878 the founders moved to India where they

established the international headquarters of the movement... KRISHNAMURTI...

When he rejected this role and repudiated THEOSOPHY the movement suffered a

blow from which

it has scarcely recovered. Nevertheless it remains important today because of

its influence on the growth of Indian NATIONALISM, individuals like GANDHI, the

COUNTER CULTURE of the 1960s and the NEW AGE MOVEMENT. "Theosophical Society

(Hartley)5 centers - 1991 Melton, J. Gordon, Jerome Clark & Aidan A. Kelly. New

Age Almanac; New York: Visible Ink Press (1991); pg. 34. "Headquarters of the

Theosophical Society (Hartley) are located in Gravenhage, the Netherlands, at

the Blavatskyhuis; it has five lodges. "Theosophical Society InternationalWorld

membership 1,500 - -75 Centers. Sellon, Emily B. & Renee Weber. "Theosophy and

the Theosophical Society " in Modern Esoteric Spirituality (vol. 21 of "World

Spirituality: An Encyclopedic History of the Religious Quest "), edited by

Antoine Faivre and Jacob Needleman. New York, NY: Crossroad pg. 318. "The

second largest group is the Theosophical Society International (now in

Pasadena--formerly in Point Loma), which has a worldwide membership of about

fifteen hundred with headquarters in Altadena, California. Upon Blavatsky's

death... a schism within the society in 1894. Seventy-five of the American

branches seceded from the parent society and formed a new organization under

the leadership of Judge. " [Judge died within a year and was replaced by

Katherine Tingley; the org. was eventually headquartered at Point Loma,

California.]ToradjasIndonesia - - - - Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial

Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint;

originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions; pg. 710. "The

cosmology of the Toradjas of Sulawesi in Indonesia has been elaborated on a

basic dualistic structure: the world of men is contrasted with both an upper

world and a lower world and with an abode in the southwest where the

forefathers live and an abode in the

northeast where the deified ancestors (known by the Sanskrit-derived word deata)

live. "Transcendental Meditation/Maharishi Mahesh YogiWorld Membership 4,000,000

- - - as of 1996 Chryssides, George. Exploring New Religions. London, U.K.:

Cassells (1999). "I have selected the best available [statistics], providing a

range where adjudication is impossible... Transcendental Meditation: Britain:

150,000 (1999); World: estimates vary from 50,000 (1993) to 3,000,000 (1996) "

"TM claims 3 million members worldwide, with close to a million in the U.S.

"Occhiogrosso, Peter. The Joy of Sects: A Spirited Guide to the World's

Religious Traditions. New York: Doubleday (1996); pg. 66."Transcendental

Meditation . An international Hindu movement found primarily in North

America. There are approx 10,000 TM teachers worldwide.There is now a worldwide

TM chain of centres and universities with 300 in the U.S. and 60 in the U.K. The

U.K. has

100,000 meditators and 100 full-time teachers. The worldwide estimate of

practising meditators is four million (Puttick in Longman 1994,

248-9).VajradhatuWorld membership 5,500 - - -*Religious Requirements &

Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains (1993) - (online

ed. - 1998); contract #: MDA903-90-C-0062 w/ Dept. of Defense; J. Gordon Melton,

Project Director & James Lewis. Nat'l Headquarters: Boulder, CO... International

HQ: Halifax, N.S... "MEMBERSHIP: Approx. 5,500 worldwide. HISTORICAL ORIGIN:

Vajradhatu, the largest of the several Tibetan Buddhist groups in the U.S., is

a representative of the Kagyupa sect founded by Lama Mar pa of Lhagyupa in the

eleventh century... Vajradhatu was created as an umbrella organization in 1973.

"Vedanta Society, Ramakrishna Order of theSize of Group: There are presently

thirteen Vedanta Societies in the United States, and 125 centers governed by

the

Ramakrishna Order. There are more than 1,000 additional centers that claim the

name of either Ramakrishna or Vivekananda.Vedanta Societies world - except

India - - 20 Centers -Fischer-Schreiber, Ingrid, et al. The Encyclopedia of

Eastern Philosophy & Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala:

Boston (English: pub. 1994; orig. German: 1986); pg. 286. "The monks of the

Ramakrishna order visit other countries... Usually Vedanta centers or societies

spring up around these monks; at present there are aproximately twenty such

organizations outside India. "Veerashaiva Samaja of North AmericaNorth America

2,600 Members as of 1999 "Veerashaiva Samaja of North America website info"VSNA

Philosophy & FAQs" At present, nearly 1000 Lingayata families live in north

America, of them nearly 100 families live in Canada. In the USA they are

concentrated in California, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Virginia, Ohio, and

Pennsylvania. There are more than 20 million Lingayatas constituting about 20%

of the population of Karnataka. They are concentrated in Bijapur, Dharwar,

Belgaum, Chitradurga, Shimoga, and Gulburga districts. How many members are in

the VSNA? Nearly 790 families are listed in the VSNA directory. Of them 135

were life members and 190 were regular (annual) members in 2001.Vipassana

Meditation Centersworld - - 66 Centers - "Vipassana Meditation " home page

"There are numerous Centers in India and Southern Asia]; 5 Centers in North

America; 4 Centers in Europe; 5 Centers in Australia/New Zealand; and 1 Center

each in Japan,Cambodia,Indonesia.3 centers in Burma Each Center maintains its

own schedule of regular ten day Vipassana courses. In addition, ten day courses

are frequently held at other locations outside of Centers as they are arranged

by local students of Vipassana in those areas. "

http://www.dhamma.org/alphalist.htm has a

list of Vipassana centers http://www.dhamma.org/asia.htm list South Asian

Centers.WiccaWorld Practitioners 800,000 as of 1996. Wicca, Wicce, the Craft or

Neo-Paganism; Wicca means "to bend or alter" from the Old English (Matthews,

339).Size of Group: Because of its lack of hierarchical structure and methods

for initiating members, the actual number of practicing members of the many

Wiccan traditions has been difficult to ascertain. Also several of its

constituents have been hesitant to reveal their religious affiliation due to a

fear of public persecution and prejudice. A recent estimate is that there exist

somewhere between 300-30,000 covens in the United States today (Lewis, 302).

This tremendous range in estimated size effectively says that no one

knows.world 800,000 - - - 1996 paper written by Walter Luke. "...Wiccans... the

religion claims from 50,000 to 800,000 members (Manfred 1996:85), more than

Quakers...]World Red

Swastika Society/WRSSA new religion called Dao Yuan came into being in the

spring of 1921. They built a Mother Temple in Jinan, and their world

headquarters in Peking. It also had an organization, to deal with worldly

activities, called The Red Swastika Society. This society has its origins in

the Shandong province in China, founded in 1916 and quickly spread across

china, a little later through the whole of Asia. Starting in 1949 China's

communistic Regime suppressed and forbid the movement. After that settlements

were founded in Asia, Canada and America.The World Red Swastika Society was

founded in 1920 and on the various principles and teachings it upholds and

believes. "Taoism, along with Buddhism, has undergone attempts at revival and

reform in the twentieth century. Amongst such organisations founded for this

purpose is the World Red Swastika Society which has a number of branches in

Malaysia. " Centre's Philosophy and

Objectives.The Red Swastika Charity Foundation serves to undertake, organise and

perform charitable and welfare services by the provision of free medical

services to the public and monetary aid to the poor and aged. It also organises

courses, conferences, seminars, discussions and study tours on charity,

education and welfare.It serves to also promote, encourage and foster interest

in charitable, educational and welfare services in the community.new religion

called Dao Yuan came into being in the spring of 1921. They built a Mother

Temple in Jinan, and their world headquarters in Peking. It also had an

organization, to deal with worldly activities, called The Red Swastika

Society.World Vaishnava Association/Visva-Vaisnav Raj -Sabha/WVA/VVRSWorldwide

Membership Approx 6,000 to 10,000 with over 50 Temples listed as WVA

affiliates(excluding followers of Jagad Guru Chris Butler, a founding member of

WVA.) WVA or V.V.R.S.is a united

group of independent Gaudiya Vaishnava Maths and organizations. Its members

makeup the Global Gaudiya Vaishnavas that are not followers of

Iskcon(exc.Iskcon Sweden and Iskcon Topanga,CA,both WVA members),Govinda

Maharaja and Narayana Maharaja. Founded by 33 Sannyasis and members of 19

Vaisnava missions in Vrindavan on 18 November, 1994 with the first President

Param Pujyapad Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaj, the World Vaisnava

Association creates a common ground for all Vaisnava Missions to share their

services.Membership is open to those who follow the Gaudiya Vaisnava Siddhanta

and appreciate a joint forum to increase Lord Chaitanya's blessings for the

world by sharing their Sanga and preaching accomplishments with other

members.The VVRS-WVA has organized a permanent Vaisnava Mela on the INTERNET to

inform all members and the world about different Vaisnavas and their

services.Unlike Iskcon, The WVA publicly identifies itself as

Hindu. It has been very active in defending Hinduism. Its has generated much

media publicity through its many successful and controversial protest

campaigns.Source:http://www.wva-vvrs.org/members/members.htmZen BuddhismNo

approximation is given because many Schools of Zen Buddhism exist.Zen Buddhism;

the mystical school of Buddhism.(Zen in Chinese= ch'an-na, which transliterates

the sanskrit term dhyana, which means "meditation") Around 475 AD, Bodhidharma

traveled from India to China and introduced teachings there. (This is why some

references cite Bodhidharma as the founding father of Zen Buddhism.) Founded in

Southern India.SOURCES:The largest, most comprehensive surveys on religious

identification were done in sociologists Barry A. Kosmin, Seymour P. Lachman

and associates at the Graduate School of the City University of New York. Their

first major study was done in 1990: the National Survey of Religious

Identification (NSRI). This scientific nationwide survey of 113,000 Americans

asked about religious preference, along with other questions. They followed

this up, with even more sophisticated methodology and more questions, with the

American Religious Identity Survey (ARIS) conducted in 2001, with a sample size

of 50,000 Americans. The ARIS data is published online at:

http://www.gc.cuny.edu/studies/aris_index.htmThe tables comes from the NSRI and

ARIS dataSt Martin's College UKELMAR (Electronic Media and Religions) initiative

of the Division of Religion and Philosophy at St Martin's College.

http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/devot/index.htmlThe Religious

Movements Homepage Project@The University of

Virginiahttp://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/profiles/profiles.htmOther

Sources include the websites and literature of the various groups in the

report. Also various International media sources and several other

studies from various academic institutions from Germany, Australia and Ireland.

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