| About Torkom Saraydarian |
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Brief Background Information - Return to top - Torkom 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. He continued his search and training and found how the Ancient Wisdom Teachings shed light on the man's quest to understand life. He dedicated his entire life to search for the Light of Wisdom and expressed his findings and understanding in speech, writing, music, and leadership. His legacy is the expression of his inner growth. The Ageless Wisdom Teachings, also known as the Ancient Wisdom Teachings, or the Teaching, is comprised of all the spiritual, religious, and philosophical teachings of leading men and women in all cultures and nations throughout time. The Teaching lays the foundation for living a life of integrity and purpose. The Teaching’s principles are guides for humanity and form the basis of all religious and philosophical thought. Torkom always pursued the quest to understand the deeper meaning of life. 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 received instruction and training in religion and philosophy and the mystery Teachings. He was also musically trained and was able to play the violin, piano, oud, cello, and guitar. Torkom was born in Sivas, Turkey. When he was 8 years old, his family moved to Istanbul. Then at 18, he traveled to Jerusalem to study in the Armenian Monastery for priesthood. It was there that he found the Teachings of H. P. Blavatsky, Alice A. Bailey, and Agni Yoga and became a student of the Arcane School. He became a teacher in an Armenian school, then a Meteorologist for the British Royal Air force and later immigrated to the United States in 1959. Torkom began writing and teaching about the Ancient Teachings while in Amman, Jordan. He formed a group in Amman, wrote and translated books, and gave classes and lectures on the Teaching. In the United States, he formed the Aquarian Educational Group and continued to write, compose and record music, and teach in the US and in many parts of the world. He passed away on January 5, 1997.
Torkom’s Legacy: What he did - Return to top - He left a legacy of sacrificial service and a passionate love to understand and serve the Teaching, including:
The one, overriding and remarkable achievement in his life was the ability to synthesize and make understandable the huge body of the Wisdom Teachings and to move the entire body to a new level of expression.
In His Own Words: How I Write - Return to top - Many people ask me how I am receiving my books or lectures, and they further inquire if I am a channel, medium, or a prophet. To be very serious, I am not a channel, medium, or prophet. “Then,” they say, “how do you write all these books?” I want to explain the way I write these books…. Before I write I feel an electrical field around my head and spine. This is not a mechanical process, but by my own will I create such a field around me. I uplift my consciousness and I keep silence for a few seconds. Then I feel beams of light going out of my head. Then I feel new rays from the space penetrating into my mental body. The beams of light going out of my brain are radar rays which detect ideas, visions, formulated or unformulated knowledge, and reflect them back on the mirror of my mental body. Sometimes such precipitations are so fast and abundant that I try not to lose them by just putting down key words, so as to trace the precipitations later, and continue with the theme of my writing. The rays that hit my mental body come from a source that is above me, maybe twenty-one feet. It is a bright nucleus of light. These rays hit various parts and centers in my mental body and activate them in a synchronous way. This is the moment that I like the most — when I feel like one integrated whole. Through such an activation or stimulation, memories reveal themselves very clearly. Stories, events, images, names, come to the surface and enrich my writings. Sometimes the condition of my brain and mind is fantastic, sometimes sloppy. When it is sloppy, I like to sleep or play music until the condition is improved. I feel that I am not in contact with a particular mastermind. Actually, I have deep reverence for Masters and Angels and do not want to waste Their time in my efforts of writing. Of course I cannot reject Their help, if They think I can handle it right. But so far I have no direct message or instructions from Them in my writings. But, curiously enough, I have contact with electromagnetic clouds of thoughts, emanated from the minds of certain Masters. Sometimes these “clouds” are so gorgeous and so profound that I feel I need another five thousand years to approach and use them. Sometimes one small drop of such “clouds” becomes the foundation of a book or a poem. The electrical field around my head is always there, sometimes agitated, sometimes serene. Without that field all my creativity becomes average. Of course, before I write I ask the blessings of the Christ and of my Teacher, and feel Their blessings as I write or speak. Often I contact the Treasury of my Chalice in which I find very valuable jewels of wisdom, stories, and past experiences. Once I contact this Treasury, I write continuously as if a current of energy is keeping the wheels turning. Sometimes I feel that someone is overshadowing me. This happens especially when I speak to large audiences. Other times I feel I am geared into the mind that wants to help me. No one dictates to me, but in such cases I see seeds, ideas, thrown into my mind on which I meditate and write chapters in my book or compose music or give a lecture. I spend only half an hour or at the most one hour to prepare my lectures or seminars. Five minutes of silence opens the doors and windows of the topic upon which I have decided to talk. I never used narcotics, tobacco, or marijuana. I never searched for any stimulant, though rhythmic music helps me to focus and raise my consciousness. I noticed also that paintings of great artists, such as Nicholas Roerich, expand the electromagnetic field around my head. When this electromagnetic field becomes unbearable, I usually rush to the piano and play my own music. Thus I release the tension. I can release the tension through writing, also, but the process of delivery in writing takes longer. I noticed also that for a month I will write small papers on various subjects, but at the end, to my amazement, I see that they were parts of one whole book. Sometimes a topic comes into my mind, for example, about solemnity. I put it down, and later I find that it fits exactly in an unpublished chapter waiting for publication. Thus my mental computer knows what I need to write to make things more complete. When a book is ready I hold the manuscript in my hands and feel if it is completed or not. When I feel that it is not completed I start reading it. Sometimes I find “gaps,” confused explanations, typing mistakes, even lost paragraphs. I do my best, and then measure it again in my hand. When I feel it is complete, I let it go to meet its destination. People sometimes wonder why I like to read books that are totally against my beliefs or teachings. The reason is that I use them as dogs to call out the sleeping inspirations from the rooms of my mind. Some of my writing is done to try to answer idiots. My greatest joy is reading the Agni Yoga books. Sometimes when I start to read one of the Agni Yoga books, friends ask me, “You are again reading that book? How many times have you read it in this six months?” They are surprised at my answer when I tell them that in six months I am still on the fifth page! They wonder why. The reason is that every sentence in Agni Yoga is a path to Infinity, and I often lose myself on those paths. I had very narrow days, but I had always a place to sleep, food to eat, clothes to wear, and had my house or my car. I hope that in the future many instructions will be compiled from my books and presented to universities, which very soon will open their gates to my Teaching. My whole dream is to provide those ideas that will help people to build a happy life in their home, nation, and in the world. * * * * * The Tibetan Master said once that even if everybody leaves you, you are going to do it by yourself. It is the time now to think great — to have faith that if I do so much — you can do as a group one hundred times more if you have that dedication. All the Teaching that is given to you is as a loan. You are going to use it, multiply it, and have a great harvest. The world is changing. People are disillusioned by false teachings. Very soon people will demand those who can teach and be examples of big thinking. People who have vision and can see beyond their sex, stomach, ego, vanity, and hurt feelings will work for that vision as best they can. Think great. Know that everything great is possible for you. Hold fast to your vision. Have faith in invisible forces. Know that the greater you think, the closer you are to God…. (From the unpublished autobiography by Torkom Saraydarian)
Torkom’s Music - Return to top - Torkom composed and recorded hundreds of musical pieces for violin, piano, oud, cello, and guitar. He also wrote deeply moving sacred songs. Each musical piece is an exquisite creation that takes the listener to a higher level of integration. His music challenges the listener to think creatively with the help of its intricate melodies and rhythms that sharpen the mental senses. The following are excerpts taken from ‘The Creative Sound’ by Torkom Saraydarian: Question: How would you explain the effect of music upon others? Answer: If the music is of a high quality, it affects people as a fragrance does. It also purifies the space and established harmony. It may also heal on all levels. I remember the words my Father once said to a group of musicians, "Good music heals all your ills and makes you able to discover treasures within yourself. Question: About the music you have composed, how should we utilize it? Answer: Without attachment I recommend that you listen to my music. It is the only sounds purposefully created to destroy your crystallizations. If you have any crystallization physically, emotionally, and mentally, listen to this music one-hour daily, and one week later you will not have those crystallizations. This music might initially 'bug' you. Many people do not like it because their crystallizations fight against it. But give it one week and see what is happening to your consciousness. Sit quietly and listen to it. This way it penetrates into your aura, into your etheric, astral, and mental bodies. Do not listen to it while going to sleep. This would be hypnotic. Just read the commentaries on the songs. Then listen to the music. If you are sincerely listening, one week later you will want to listen to it more. This music will purify your whole system if you do hard labor to change yourself in the meantime. A university professor once wrote, 'I heard your obnoxious music and put it away. But later when I was divorcing my wife, I was looking for some music and your tape popped out. I listened to it into the early morning hours, crying as I listened. When I was finished, my consciousness was very expanded and beautiful. I went directly to my wife and asked her to listen to this music with me. We are now back together.' This music creates transformation. (pp. 13-14. The Creative Sound)
List of Books by Torkom - Return to top -
Torkom’s Legacy Fund: Keeping His Legacy Alive - Return to top - Dear Friends: Help us keep Torkom's Legacy alive! Only through your donations are we able to continue our work. We have many programs in place that help us focus on our purpose. Below is a summary of what we are doing. If you wish to donate to a specific program, please note your preference when you make your contribution. Contact us if you wish to know more about any of our programs. Two special bank accounts exist to support Torkom’s work. One account is used to pay for all the current production work associated with the publishing of Torkom’s books. To date (in 2007) we have 48 more books that have yet to be published and released. Some of the titles are single volume and some are multiple volumes. Our goal is to publish all the remaining books as soon as possible. We are able to work on manuscripts as we receive donations to support the work. Publishing involves the entire pre-press work of digitizing the hard copy of the written documents, checking with the original writings, and often involves transcribing lectures that pertain to that particular topic. It also involves the cover design, editing, typesetting, proofing, indexing, and printing and delivery of completed books — the complete process of releasing a book in printed or digital format. The Torkom Legacy Fund is used for all these stages of pre production, production, as well as printing. This entire process is extremely time consuming and financially demanding. Our future goal is also to prepare each completed book in a format that can withstand the changing of software, as well as store the digital format in a medium for long-term safekeeping and archiving. The Torkom Legacy Fund also includes a second account that was established in 1997 that is the Torkom Book Endowment Fund. This was first established with a $10,000 donation and is kept expressly for the future and long-term publishing needs of Torkom’s works. The principal is never used but grows over time to provide earned income for the publishing needs. It is important for us to take steps now to provide for the future safety and continuity of Torkom’s works. For long-term contributions to this fund, please contact us and consider including us in your estate planning. You can send a cash donation or make a gift of long-term, appreciated stocks or mutual funds and save on your taxes this year! You can also include TSG Foundation in your will or estate planning. Your contributions will enable us to continue to serve into the distant future. TSG Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt education and religious 501 c-3 organization. LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE Here is one way to ensure that TSG is able to receive your financial support. A friend of TSG writes to us the following to share with our supporters: "The Teaching is very precious. It is the source of great inspiration and meaning in life. There is a simple way to help insure that the work of the TSG Foundation continues without the expense of making or changing a will. That is to contact your bank and complete a simple form that designates those who will receive the money in your checking and savings accounts after your death. This is also true for financial institutions servicing your IRA account (Individual Retirement Accounts). This form is a Pay On Death (POD) form. American banks usually limit the POD to four names and do not provide for different percentages for distribution. IRAs have provision for more beneficiaries and allow for different percentages for distribution. TSG offers donors many options as to how they may wish to allocate their funds to the various aspects of the work. If you are interested in making an after death donation, please contact us for the TSG tax identification number. Banks also want to have the TSG address and telephone number. We can provide any information that you wish. Please also consider including the work of TSG in your wills. Your contributions will add your life energy to the expansion of the Teaching."
RC
How Torkom's Works relate to Other Teachings - Return to top - Torkom writes the following about his works and how they relate to the works of his predecessors: “I am very well familiar with the Ageless Wisdom — the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita, the Puranas, the writings of Helena Blavatsky, Helena Roerich, Alice Bailey, and Gudjieff. But I am not limited or drowned in them. I am myself. “At first glance it appears that I am trying to interpret these Teachings, but when you go deeper you see that I am pursuing new paths, new formulas, new sources of inspiration, and often I am filling in the gaps or explaining the hints from these literatures, revealing the blind spots, and bringing out some expressions which by themselves stand as abstractions. “My literature is not separative. It is all-inclusive. Whoever reads my books feels an urge and inspiration to read Alice Bailey, Helena Blavatsky, Agni Yoga, and Gurdjieff with more understanding and clarity. “I assume that there is only one Teaching, and this concept is explained in The Psyche and Psychism in such a beautiful and inspiring way, and also in my book The Ageless Wisdom. “I have received thousands of letters telling me how grateful people are for my words as they make the whole Teaching clear and simple. “Another excellent characteristic of my literature is that I have systematized the Teaching and have given specialized Teachings about….” (read the full excerpt in the November/December 2002 issue of Outreach. Originally taken from the unpublished autobiography.)
Torkom’s Birthday Celebration - Return to top - According to surviving family members, Torkom was born in November 1915 or 1917. His exact birth date was not recorded, or if it was, it has not been found. He was born at the most difficult time in Armenian history. His parents were survivors of the Armenian Genocide and he was born during their time as refugees living in tents. The family settled on November 1st, 1917 as the birth date. Accordingly, we celebrate his birthday on November 1st of every year. Why do we celebrate Torkom’s birthday? We celebrate to keep Torkom’s Flame alive in the hearts of all who loved him and to familiarize others about the beautiful spiritual guidance that he gave to humanity. We feel that the soul who incarnated as Torkom represented a treasury of wisdom and service and sacrifice that needs to be celebrated. It is the essence of this personality, the depth and gifts, the beauty of human achievement that are celebrated. Every year on or around November 1st, at all TSG groups and affiliates, people gather together and create a special evening of readings, ceremonies, and ways to remember Torkom. Some groups read The Legend of Shamballa; others have candlelight services where meditations, readings from his writings, poetry readings, and celebratory comments are made by attendees. These celebrations unite all of us together. They keep Torkom’s Legacy alive. They encourage us and circulate the energy of appreciation and gratitude in all of us, individually and in groups. And, we have an evening of brotherhood and community with like minded and like hearted members. If you would like to join any of the celebrations, contact TSG. Or, create a celebration in your home or group and invite people to attend. Share your plans with us.
About Torkom by Others - Return to top - Throughout the years, Torkom helped thousands of people overcome problems in their lives. People write to us from time to time and we are happy to share these letters with you when given permission to publish them. Following are some thoughts about what others think about Torkom and his writings and music:
Torkom's Poetry - Return to top - When Torkom was asked why he wrote poetry and why he loved to read poetry, he answered by writing an introduction to the first volume of his four-volumes of poetry. Why I write Poetry by Torkom. Read a sample of his poetry “Your Presence.” To read more details about the first released book of poetry, see From My Heart, Volume One. See also the following books written in the form of poetry or in the form of legends:
Free Sample Chapters and Reprints - Return to top - We have placed many materials for your reading enjoyment, free of charge. For a complete listing, please check our TSG Free Reprints Online Materials section. You will find booklets available free online or you can order them printed from TSG. Also available are free books and other specials that we offer from time to time. A list of free chapters from books are also available. Check these out and you will have a very good introductory packet of materials to see what Torkom and his work and our work is all about.
Thank you for visiting our site. Call TSG or Write TSG for any questions or comments. If you like what you saw, and wish to support our work,  We appreciate your support.
Would you like to share a comment about Torkom’s books, music, or poetry, or a book review? Please write to TSG about your opinions and comments. We would love to hear from you and read whatever you wish to say about our products, services, and writings. All comments given in a loving and constructive purpose are gratefully accepted and considered.
All writings about Torkom and excerpts are copyrighted in The Creative Trust. All Rights Reserved. July 2007 |
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