Cult

A cult compromises people withdrawn from the orthodox mass of religious beliefs because of the mediocrity of its spiritual teachers.  They attach themselves to a ‘Cult Figure’ who has charisma but usually little spiritual enlightenment; who, nevertheless, believes himself to have been divinely favored with some form of revelation.  Within such groups traditional truths become distorted because the group exists only to pander to the ideas of some deluded person who has made no real effort to a ascertain the nature of the Path.  Cults are distinguished by the fact that they revolve around one personality and often they are moneymaking devices contributed to by the gullible.  Wherever stress is laid upon a personality, a Teacher, it must be emphasized that it is the teachings that matter, not the Teacher, and these teachings must stand or fall by themselves.