Torkom Saraydarian(1917-1997)

Torkom(Haroutiun) Saraydarian (1917-1997) was born in Asia Minor. Since childhood he was trained in the Teachings of the Ageless Wisdom under the guidance of his loving father.

As he grew up, he visited monasteries, ancient temples, and mystery schools in order to find the answers to his questions about the mystery of man and the Universe. He was musically trained and was able to play the violin, piano, oud, cello, and guitar. He composed hundreds of musical pieces that embody his training in the the Ageless Wisdom.

His works represent a synthesis of the best and most beautiful in the sacred culture of the world by creating a truly universal approach to spirituality. These works enrich the foundational thinking on which we can construct our future of true global living.

The legacy he left us is an amazing 170 books, half of which have been published, as well as hundreds of musical pieces, lectures on video and audio tape and meditation courses.

The remarkable achievement in his writings was to synthesize and make comprehensible the huge body of knowledge known as the Ageless Wisdom. TSG is planning to archive all of Torkom’s creative works. Check the Archiving Fund for more information and how you can help preserve the huge body of audio, video, and music tapes

HISTORY

At the age of nine, Torkom began to receive education in the Ageless Wisdom under the guidance of his father. At that time, people did not discuss these things in the open, but would disappear to attend meetings – in caves, under the stars – where they would hold ceremonies and dramatizations to reveal the mysteries of the subtle worlds.A student interrupted him and asked why all knowledge was related.  “‘Because,’ said the Teacher with a smile, ‘there is only one Knower. The parts of a machine can be a thousand, but in the mind of the Knower, there is only one synthesis, one machine.’ Pausing for a while he said in a whisper, ‘All things that exist are parts of one idea in the mind of the Knower.’  “A few days later when I saw the Teacher in the garden, I asked him, ‘Why did you whisper your thought in the class when answering our friend?’  “He looked at me and said, ‘In the presence of sacred ideas I feel extremely humble.’”

In 1959, he came to the U.S.A. with his family. It was a different world from the one he left in Jordan – changing rapidly and in very demonstrative ways. He saw people in danger of losing themselves; in need of direction, of guidance. In response to this need, he began inviting them into his home in Van Nuys , California to study and to learn how to lead themselves into more productive, healthy, right living via the principles of the Ageless Wisdom. This was the inception of The Aquarian Educational Group. The following excerpts were told by Torkom at the 35th anniversary celebration of the Aquarian Educational Group in Agoura , California :

“Now, how we started this group. This group was started in 1961 – unofficially. One day I was coming home from the church. I saw 15 boys sitting and doping themselves. All my neighbors – very beautiful boys and girls. When I saw them doping and smoking, my heart broke. I said, ‘Don’t they have fathers, don’t they have mothers?’ Because I was from the old country and could not understand America . (That was not America , but I say ‘ America .’) I couldn’t understand how people could drug themselves and dope themselves. So I went home, I meditated, I thought. I said, ‘We must form a group to bring all these children in and slowly educate them.’…”

To this vision of helping and educating others, he dedicated himself and labored tirelessly. For the first ten years, he taught classes and lectured in a one-room garage – to “hippies,” doctors, lawyers, philosophers – without a salary except for the small donations left by students. He took in strangers who came to him in crises and helped them to gain real independence. He asked for nothing in return.

Despite his total dedication, compassion, and sacrificial nature, he was not “soft” with people. His “straight words” and honesty, grounded in clear observation, were given freely as well.

TEACHING’S

If you have read any of Torkom Saraydarian’s books or have heard any of his lectures, you are familiar with the seven principles of right living: Beauty, Goodness, Righteousness, Joy, Freedom, Striving, and Sacrificial Service.

These seven principles are richly colored threads woven throughout all of his works, and they are the vehicle through which one’s inner divinity can bloom.

“For years, all my books, all my lectures, turned on the axis of these seven principles.…”

“We are an international group in which everyone can take part because it is the principles that give life – not religions.”

“We didn’t build a religion. We didn’t build hatred between people. We emphasized great principles and these great principles worked.”  (From The AEG 35th Anniversary lecture, 7/21/96)

Through the practice of these principles and others, Torkom taught people how to be successful, to have a good self-image, to have healthy, happy relationships; how to be cooperative, to have a life’s purpose, to be more creative; how to be healthy, joyful, responsible, and loving:  “‘Love each other’ is nothing. ‘Love each other’ is now obsolete. ‘Love others more than yourself’ is the new commandment!”
(From Healing Through Love, lecture by Torkom, 1/13/93)

 

MY DREAM

“We need a great university. It was my dream. For thirty years I have been talking about it. It did not actualize. In that university I want seven sections: politics, education, communication, philosophy, science, religion, art, and finance. All sections of the Seven Rays will come together to see what is the right way to go, the right way to do, the right way to think, and what is best for humanity to improve the world situation? The curriculum for seven years is ready. In seven years a person will graduate. A person will enter the university and start with meditation and discipline. He will practice until he reaches contemplation. Higher classes will be taught on how to communicate with Teachers and with the Higher Centers of Light so that everyone who graduates in the seventh level will be in contact with the Higher Center of Light to take right direction. The university did not actualize. Maybe the world is not ready. Maybe it will come in one hundred years, even fifty years if we persist. Never dream small. Always dream big. If you cannot be now, in the future you will be. The Tibetan Master in Discipleship in the New Age said to his disciples, “My brothers, let your horizon be wide and your humility great,” because He knows as you grow and expand you build ego and vanity, but if you expand and grow and are really humble, you are of real value in the Universe. You can use all your abilities and powers for others if you do not have ego and vanity. If there is ego and vanity, you use that power, money, and influence for destructive ends.

The Great Sage always says that His disciples work and live and think for the future. This is a little example of how you can think about the future. In the future what do you want to be, what do you want to do if you have these abilities? These abilities are not far away from you. Gradually in two, three incarnations you will see that you will be an able man.

Ninety percent of the world is doping, drinking, abusing. They are after wrong values, and they are destroying their potential. Who is going to win in the future? The winners will be those people who now are doing meditation and discipline. These people will incarnate in high positions, with high abilities and powers, and they will take the leadership of the world in their hands. If you sustain one or two incarnations in discipleship, meditation and discipline, you will be future leaders. We are not looking for tomorrow, one or two lives later. It does not matter, but you are coming as leaders. Why? It is because you are keeping your body pure, your emotions as pure as possible, your mental equipment pure, your spiritual equipment aspiring, so you are doing the best possible to have a future life that is an example for others. The future is yours. Only think about the future and prepare for the unlimited future. Let your horizon be wide, your horizon unlimited. You can be anything, anywhere, anytime, but you must sustain that concentration that you can be anything, anywhere, anytime. That is your objective, and to attain it is to start to live accordingly. The new world is not the world of muscles, of machines. In ten, fifteen years the power of machines and ammunition is going to be zero. The power is in your mind, in your aspiration, in your striving.”- τσrкσм sαrαy∂αriαท

ŞØỮŘĆ€: How To Find Your Level of Meditation, Chpt 5: Meditation with Questions and Answers, Pg: 63-64

CARRYING THE TORCH

Torkom Saraydarian left us a legacy of wisdom and guidance – but this does not release us to play and waste time. He also left us his dreams, which calls us to action. His visions and accomplishments were great, and yet he challenged others to surpass him.  “I had so many dreams, great dreams and part of it I was able to accomplish. I was dreaming of a big university in which the future teachers and leaders will be prepared. I approached millionaires – begged, cried. They did not answer.

“But I have great faith in the meantime, that you will do it. A university which will teach the seven fields of human life.…

“If you look to the future, one day, you are going to jump from one galaxy to another; and this is not a dream. As we went to the moon it was not a dream, we’ll do this dream also. Really. Striving – try to perfect yourself, try to shape yourself – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually – so that you judge yourself. Nobody is your judge.…You are going to put yourself in line with Divine intent. Divinity rules.”

“Whatever you learned by Beauty, Goodness, Righteousness, by Joy, by Truth, by Freedom, by Striving, put them on the altar of human service. Let’s serve each other. Let all nations serve each other. Let’s make this planet a planet of joy, of freedom, so that everybody is free.…”

“In eighteen million years we didn’t change; we must change it, and it is given in your hand to take the flag. I will continue running and running and running until my last breath. But later, you are going to take the flag and say, ‘Torkom did it, but we are going to do 100% more!’ And I will be with you.”

(From The Creative Fire by Torkom Saraydarian, pp. 563-564)

ŞØỮŘĆ€: http://www.tsgfoundation.org/about-tsg/24-biographies/43-biography-of-torkom-saraydarian.html