You are here > About MasterPath
About MasterPath
Sri Gary was born in 1948 in Minnesota, USA, was raised in a Christian environment, and studied many paths and teachings in His youth. He was first exposed to the Light and Sound Teachings when He encountered Charan Singh Ji, Master of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas in India, during Charan’s 1964 world-wide tour. Sri Gary was drafted into the US Army in 1970, served in Vietnam, married in 1985, and helped raise three stepchildren. He worked for twenty years as a contractor as He continued His in-depth study of the Teachings of Light and Sound as expounded by the many Masters throughout history. In searching for a Western expression of these Teachings, He joined Eckankar and studied with Sri Darwin Gross for twelve years, exemplifying the principle of perfect discipleship.
Sri Gary’s refamiliarization with the Light and Sound Teachings and His inherent experience of the Divine led Him to reclaim His own God Realization in 1985; He entered this life as a Swateh Saint, a self-luminous soul whose mission is to represent the Sound in a new era, culture, and geographical location. Spiritual seekers began requesting His tutelage, as many sincere souls did not resonate with the Eastern traditions of the Light and Sound Teachings, such as the vows and austerities required, and were searching for a pure Western delivery of these august principles. In His desire to serve the true Spiritual Current and the loving souls who came to His door, He was divinely guided and eventually driven to accept His first student in 1987, which marked the inception of the MasterPath. Sri Gary financially supported the MasterPath for its first five years, and in 1992 He was able to retire as a contractor and devote His full attention to the Path and His growing number of students.
As of 2011, Sri Gary Olsen has initiated several thousand students. He has written eleven books and an extensive series of monthly study materials, as well as delivering over three hundred seventy five lectures, which are available to His students in audio and video formats. He conducts seminars three times a year for His students and interested seekers.
Overview
The MasterPath is an exact science of spirituality that has as its objective the attainments of Self and God Realization while living within this physical body. It is the Teaching of pure spirituality by which all past Masters and contemporary Saints have imparted the eternal verities of the Divine Deity. MasterPath is the spiritual process of merging back into the Creator, just as the drop merges back into the ocean, for its objective is to re-establish the internal connection between the individual soul and the indwelling Sound Current. MasterPath is a natural science and is complete in every human being regardless of race, gender, or spiritual preferences.
The MasterPath considers itself an “organizationless organization” with the majority of spiritual instruction transpiring on the inner planes. The only vow asked of initiates is moderation in all things, along with the recommendation of a daily spiritual exercise of fifteen – twenty minutes. Attendance at MasterPath functions is not mandatory.
In 1992 MasterPath was incorporated as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. MasterPath’s office is in Temecula, CA, and handles the distribution of the MasterPath materials, such as books, recordings, and the monthly study materials sent to all students.
MasterPath maintains the highest level of integrity and compliance with all laws and regulations governing its finances. To achieve this, the steps taken include:
- An independent committee (with no financial ties to MasterPath) annually reviews the compensation of all corporate officers, based on comparative current salary information of similarly sized non-profit organizations.
- A Conflict of Interest Policy is maintained.
- Corporate officers and members of the Board of Directors have no familial connections.
- Consultations are conducted on a regular basis with legal and accounting professionals who specialize in the laws and accounting practices governing non-profit organizations.
Beginning in 1993, MasterPath was able to provide a salary for Sri Gary Olsen. As finances permitted, over the next three years seven students who served as volunteers were hired, and six of the seven original employees are still serving on the MasterPath staff. There are currently twelve full-time employees.
Sri Gary’s 2010 salary was $77,996 and all other full-time employees are also paid amounts comparable to the pay scale of California public school teachers. In 1997 MasterPath purchased a 1,668 square foot two-bedroom home built in 1969 and an adjacent small guest cottage. MasterPath provides these as a parsonage to Sri Gary and His wife for $1,450 a month. This is based on the fair market rental value as determined biennially by a local independent property management company. MasterPath provides Sri Gary a 1998 Buick Le Sabre, and personal use of the vehicle is recorded as taxable compensation.
Students pay monthly dues of $30, though Sri Gary will grant a financial arrangement if the lack of funds would prevent a sincere seeker from becoming a student. Seminar fees are $120 for the weekend, and there is no charge for initiations.