Watkins’ Spiritual 100 List for 2014

27 Responses

1. 

   Mei Mei February 20, 2014 at 9:51 pm

   Purely in terms of influence, David Icke should be on this list. I personally think he’s a brazen scammer and quite probably a nutcase, yet he commands a large following, with sizable book sales and packed lecture halls around the world. Like, Coelho is just a bad writer peddling his slim volumes on superficial, “inspirational” themes, but Icke aspires to revelatory status and is stepping up his game year after year. If Watkins won’t recognise him it must be because his message is not conciliatory, yet it falls within the “spiritual” sphere.
   • 

     Ron Newman June 15, 2014 at 8:20 pm

     when the pie was opened the birds began to sing… it doesn’t say they all sang the same or the same song:)
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     Jules Alexander February 10, 2015 at 11:30 am

     Perhaps we would be better served by listing the top 100 definitions of “spirituality”.
2. 

   Barb February 24, 2014 at 11:58 pm

   When Russell Brand is on the list you know humanity is in trouble..
3. 

   ray February 26, 2014 at 9:29 pm

   Bandler 74th and Oprah in the top ten? Are you joking? A man who has discovered a method of self improvement and understanding that had transformed thousands of lives, perhaps millions, and a TV host who is as politically partisan as they come? Your credibility has just evaporated.
   • 

     Watkins June 20, 2014 at 5:13 pm

     While both have made a significant impact, Bandler does have some controversy attached to him regarding a murder case and cocaine usage. In terms of the amount of Google searches, Oprah exceeds Bandler.
4. 

   m venkat sudhakar March 2, 2014 at 11:21 am

   Sir,
   The list is incomplete without the name of spiritual Guru Sri Parthasaradhi Of Sri
   Ramachandra Mission, with its world head quarters at Chennai. Pl see the web site www.srcm.org
   thanks
   sudhakar
5. 

   Brent Meeker March 24, 2014 at 2:58 am

   Apparently encouraging people to think for themselves, to be rational, to test ideas empirically, to look to yourself and your friends for purpose and meaning disqualifies one as a “spiritual leader”. Spiritual leader seems to mean one who spreads superstitious clap trap that flatters people that the universe cares about them.
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     Ron Newman June 15, 2014 at 8:40 pm

     I appreciate your comment though perhaps not so much its hint of arrogance. There are those who say intelligence has many frequencies. In the spirit of music I would suggest 7 basic “notes” to any particular octave. If this is so then the human system might be aspected into religion (the ON switch), economics (the sharing), philosophy (probabilities), science (principles), law (formulation), art (demonstration), and HIstory (recording). It certainly (IMHO) is worth considering that we learn to identify and value persons who are our best models of each of these aspects of human life. I have played for many years with substituting different words for each of these aspects, but the principles remain the same (according to my humble science) and offer a more inclusive way of organizing our (views of) reality. Who knows, one day we all may be able to see reality with a big R…. instead of the rrrrrrr of growling about this and that:) Thanks again for your comment! Have you read Drunvalo’s 2 volumes “The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life” ? When that material is fully digested there’ll be a revolution in science that will amaze us all. But (again IMHO) in the end aren’t we all talking about the same thing? Just different symbolic systems. I’d be very interested in your suggestions in the Science area. Who for instance is the master geneticist?
6. 

   David Bartley March 24, 2014 at 9:43 pm

   These “leaders” have just one thing in common: A call to abandon evidence-based understanding of the real world for subservience to an authoritarian and self-serving exhortation. A true spiritual leader would encourage people to search for truth and reject self-serving authority. May I suggest any scientist would be more worthy than anyone on your list of dignitaries?
7. 

   Jen Baxter May 27, 2014 at 9:04 pm

   I would say this list is also incomplete without Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev of the Isha Foundation in Coimbature, India and Isha Institute for Inner Sciences in McMinnville, Tenessee.
   http://www.ishafoundation.org/
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     Varun September 27, 2014 at 7:01 am

     Without Jaggi Vasudev?
8. 

   Sur May 28, 2014 at 2:36 pm

   100, as you may call it, mostly including very famous. Yet this list misses the very silent yet renowned Guru “Shri P. Rajagopalachari” his previous Guru’s “Shri Ram Chandra Ji” who is affectionately called as “Babuji”

   Someone should go thru the site “www.sahajmarg.org” & “www.srcm.org”
9. 

   Ron Newman June 15, 2014 at 7:58 pm

   In the days of Jesus, one devoted follower was trying to convince a fellow pharisee of the status of the Christ… and the other countered with the question: What good comes of Nazareth? In today’s language we might say “He’s not even on Facebook!” Unless it is part of the divine plan of the individual being considered, he or she will not became famous in the world’s eyes… yet it only took a single small stone to fell the Goliath of a former time… and without that fall there might have been no more Israel and hence no Christ. So what is fame? And what is influence?

   I could make recommendations based on experiences I have had and some of them are already on the list, though perhaps not as high as those with better PR skills. And anyway, perhaps your guess is as good as mine:)

   But I will say this. If there is a second coming (and I personally believe that a physical person comes) it will ALWAYS be as it has ALWAYS been. Only a few will know and believe. And although the regenerator’s following may grow, it is almost a requirement that this person and that process of renewal take us by surprise.

   So I believe I will hold back at the present time and not tell you what I believe to be so. Because what is is what will be, always and forever. Thank you for your list. It is useful to know who people are running after and to guess why:)
10. 

    Mennah July 9, 2014 at 8:18 pm

    How can you leave out Dr David Hawkins? He should be in the top 3 at least tut tut….
11. 

    pasang July 25, 2014 at 3:03 pm

    Thanks for the great work. Its really inspiring to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama on top list and also many influential people in the list.
12. 

    Phil September 8, 2014 at 1:07 pm

    I think Mahendra Trivedi is also an influencing spiritual personality in the world. How many of you agree with me?
13. 

    Fiona September 8, 2014 at 8:39 pm

    Am surprised that Ajahn Brahm isn’t on the list.
14. 

    vjzimmerman September 28, 2014 at 12:42 am

    CANNOT BELIEVE YOU DID NOT PUT DOWN BILLY GRAHAM, ONE OF THE AND PROBABLY THE MOST SPIRITUAL SINCE FOREVER… A TRUE PROPHET FROM GOD.
15. 

    Phyllis Morrow November 8, 2014 at 8:45 pm

    All the Buddhist leaders on this list and their derivatives ALL without exception, practice lower forms of Buddhist thought, in many cases, a mishmash or watered down versions. A true scholar of Buddhism knows that the first great historically recorded Buddha, Shakyamuni (he had ten honoric titles–you may be more familiar with Siddartha, Gautama, Tathagata, Boddhisattva Fukyo to name a few) who taught in 5 stages over 50 years, the last taught was the Lotus Sutra — his highest teaching. Great prophets don’t go backwards and regress at the end of their journey.Simply put, the evolution of the practice of the Lotus Sutra in the latter day, is Nichiren’s (13th century Japan, Buddha) teaching of Myoho Renge Kyo. The only movement born, spread, and practiced by ordinary people without intercedents of priests as Buddhism was intended, is the Soka Gakkai, thru the amazing vision, determination and wisdom of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda and today with Daisaku Ikeda. It is the true practice of the Lotus Sutra as intended by Shakyamuni Buddha. It’s out there. Read it, it’s not secret it is not ‘mystical’. And, no one has done more to spread this teaching correctly to 192 countries and territories than Daisaku Ikeda. He’s head and shoulders about all of those you cite combined. Sometimes the sun is so bright you can’t look at it, but it does exist.
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      Tibet January 9, 2015 at 3:15 am

      The Buddha taught many ways to teach to address the various mental aptitude of the sentient beings . To consider one form of buddhism more pure than that is simply an act of the ego. It’s spiritual materialism as coined by the great buddhist master Chogyam Trungpa

      ” spiritual materialism describe mistakes spiritual seekers commit which turn the pursuit of spirituality into an ego building and confusion creating endeavor, based on the idea that ego development is counter to spiritual progress”
16. 

    Kalsang tsering November 18, 2014 at 12:17 pm

    Congratulation to the Dalai Lama as the top most favorable list. Indeed the he is the best guy very honest man on this planet. I wish that all leaders must learn from this simple monk and he has the real wisdom how live all being happily. I love his attitude 100%. Long live you the Dalai Lama.
17. 

    chitra November 19, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    in 2011 SRI BHAGAVAN’s name was in the list. after that not there.
    SRI BHAGAVAN has made a unique and spiritual contribution on a global scale (ONENESS)
18. 

    Ego November 27, 2014 at 7:13 am

    I would say this list is also incomplete without Gangaji
    https://gangaji.org/
19. 

    Edward December 15, 2014 at 12:54 am

    Remember, your list will not be credible without Billy Graham.
20. 

    Lee R. Blum January 9, 2015 at 2:59 am

    I sincerely hope you will inform your readers that the Dalai Lama has been “bought and paid for,” for the last 20+ years by zionist factions that have totally supported him, build temples for him, (even one in Tibet, which when burned-down, they rebuilt again, at no cost to His Holiness, TWICE)… Don’t get me wrong, I too love this wonderful Spiritual Man, but, whether age, or poor discretion, he has been a “bought & paid for, (hopefully unknowingly), but none the less “owned by some very powerful dual citizen, USA & “isn’treal” power players in US high of office… and also why he is recently bad mouthing Russia’s Putin, to please the zio power plays in the “isn’treal” scams..
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