Trading Places

After I had been around the Spiritual Rights Foundation for a while, I started wondering, as most have, what the hell I was doing there. That's not in the sense of looking at the nearest exit and planning the quickest path to freedom. It was more like: what is my purpose here?

The founder and pastor of the Spiritual Rights Foundation, Bill Duby, said several times that I did indeed have a purpose to him personally. Bill related his experience during his education and training at the Berkeley Psychic Institute (BPI). Bill claimed that during his tenure at BPI, many of the directors and teachers there were less than friendly to him. He claimed that his first appearance at BPI resulted in him be rejected immediately. Then he claimed that on more than one occasion, he was expelled from the BPI Clairvoyant Training Program by a teacher or director then reinstated by the founder of BPI, Lewis Bostwick.

He went on to say that one person in particular, Michael Tamura (a long time and respected director of the Berkeley Psychic Institute) was particularly harsh with him. Bill related that Michael would smirk whenever he was in the room, would say various insulting statements to Bill and was apparently instrumental in Bill's expulsions. Bill would say that Michael would always say things behind his back and that he was a mean and vicious guy. Bill was not really a fan of Michael Tamura, obviously, and admitted that the thought of Michael was personally disturbing to him.

So, what was my personal purpose to Bill? Bill would say to me that I physically resembled Michael Tamura. As I recall, Bill said I even spoke like Michael Tamura, and did the same things, had the same kind of qualities . Bill hated Michael Tamura and that my presence at SRF was to confront Bill with his "pictures" regarding him.

Fucking great.

I was given the impossible task of changing another person's attitude towards a person, I did not know, never met, knew nothing about and my likely never encounter. Further, I would have to atone for that person's sins against Bill and anyone or anything else Bill could think of. I couldn't even imagine what I could do that would not offend Bill in some manner. So, I figured I would just try to lay low and just go along with the program.  

I saw Bill when he was displeased and unhappy or upset. The average two year old was easier to deal with than Bill on one of his tirades. There was no way I was looking for Bill's wrath.

Fortunately for me, at least, shortly after those revelations were disclosed to me, SRF began a rancorous involvement divorce cases, child custody disputes (one of which is apparently still ongoing), truancy charges and other legal issues. That kept Bill's attention on settling the messes he made over the years than scrutinizing my behavior for signs of the spirit of Michael Tamura.

Now, years later, I decided I'd better start looking into this guy Michael Tamura and figure out why I had the honor of representing a guy who my teacher hated.

Michael has a web site. His picture is on it. I don't look a thing like Michael Tamura. But I guess since all those goddamn slant-eyed gooks look alike, then yeah, that guy must be a spitting image of me. Michael Tamura actually looks more like a friend of mine than he ever looked like me. Oh, I forgot. All those sonofabitch yellow devils look alike. Never mind.

I don't exactly speak like Michael Tamura, either. One co-worker said to me: "is it even possible for you to utter a sentence without the word 'fuck'?" I gave him the finger.

Michael Tamura does have a reputation, based on my research. But not the kind that Bill portrayed.

There are many people on the web who sing Michael's praises. Not a single negative comment regarding this fellow can be found. At least, not by me. And I have been looking for quite some time now.

Those who know Michael extolled his generosity, kindness and broad knowledge of spirituality and the nature of psychic techniques and phenomena. He is said to be quicker to drop a twenty on a homeless person than he is to lose his temper.

In contrast, there has been much written about Bill Duby by his former students - Bill is certainly not the kind of guy who would give a homeless man a buck and his tirades were legendary for their length and overwhelming force. I'm still waiting for someone to speak about Bill as Michael's students speak about him. I may be waiting for a while.

Now what is up with this? I come to a spiritual home for wayward souls (as Bill would often call SRF) to represent someone who is reprehensible to him? And I am now responsible to help a guy I barely knew get over his anger towards another guy I never met? WTF?

That's the insanity that is part of SRF. Once you hook up with them, you are who you aren't and you have to overcome all the sins the person you resemble may have committed to various persons. Any if you represent someone the founder hates, you could be set up for something you never expected.

Now, I'd like to know what, if anything, set Bill off in regards to Michael Tamura. Bill is one of those thin-skinned Irish with a temper to match. Did he do something at BPI that required the intervention of the founder, Lewis Bostwick? It might be interesting to find out.

Stay tuned...