My Experience with Ron Spencer (aka "Buddha Maitreya")

January 2002
By an old friend of Ronald Lloyd Spencer

My experience with Ron was actually quite a while ago, in Honolulu, Hawaii about 1983 to 1984. I lost all contact with him after that time period. I am writing this now because I just happened to run across one of his centers in Mt. Shasta, California, the "Archangel Michael Soul Therapy Center". I met this very nice girl running the center who was totally ignorant of Ron's past history.

In those days in Hawaii, he had not yet developed his Buddhism angle, although the roots of that were evident. He was then totally into exploiting the "New Age" trends of the time. Crystals and pyramids were all the rage, and Ron knew how to play with them. In my first introduction to the small group that had formed around him, a good friend encouraged me to meet and then continue with Ron.

After my first meeting I was told that if I was to be in with the group I should buy a cheap shiny pyramid necklace pendant for $150.00. This demonstrated to me right away what Ron was and still is mainly interested in, money. I was a student at that time and did not have that kind of money to spare. Ron found out I had credit card though and it turned out he had to have a $1,000.00 stereo system for his magic. He assured me that if I purchased the stereo for him he would pay me back shortly. Ron also required precious stones for his ceremonies. He saw my mother's diamond engagement ring that I wore, and said he wanted to borrow it just for a certain ceremony and would give it right back. Weeks went by and I frequently asked him for the credit card payment and my mother's ring back, but there was always some excuse or another, but a "not to worry," I would get them back soon.

Meanwhile, Tai Situ Rinpoche, a truly distinguished Tibetan Buddhist teacher, was visiting Hawaii and gave several lectures at the University of Hawaii, which I was attending. Tai Situ Rinpoche made quite an impact in Hawaii at that time. Ron claimed that he was a very close friend of Tai Situ Rinpoche and announced this widely to promote himself. At that point I was beginning to suspect Ron's behavior and motives, and was strongly suspicious of this claim. I made a private appointment with Tai Situ Rinpoche the next day. I asked him if he knew Ron Spencer. He did not recognize the name, but when I described what Ron looked like (i.e., tall, heavy with a limp), he knew who I was referring to. He responded that he had indeed met this person the day before at his teaching, but that was all. He had absolutely no relationship or any other contact with Ron of any kind, other than that.

I was losing hope of ever getting my ring or money back. Meanwhile, bad things were happening to the sister of my friend who first introduced me to Ron. My friend (a girl), her sister, Ron, and Ron's wife and child were all sharing a house that my friend was paying for. My friend told me that her sister was having an emotional crisis. She did not know what was going on, but we found out later after Ron skipped town, that Ron was sneaking into her room after his wife went to bed and was having sex with her. He claimed that this was for her spiritual benefit and used crystals and other magic objects inserted into her body.

One of the people in the small hardcore group that followed Ron around was an ex-prostitute. Although she had ended that life and moved on, Ron convinced her that her "bad karma" could only be healed if she gave him all her salary. This, the poor lady did with joy, informing us that only now were her sins being forgiven, by Ron. Others of this group also were supporting Ron financially. Perhaps he needed all he could get, because of the huge intake of drugs he seemed to require, mainly marijuana and LSD. I wonder if he still uses drugs to the extent he once did.

I was emboldened by my interview with Tai Situ Rinpoche. I started to tell my friend of Ron's lies and theft. From me and from observing her sister's problems, my friend also became suspicious, even though she had been Ron's main financial benefactor. Shortly thereafter Ron left Hawaii very suddenly, with, of course, my ring and the unpaid bill. That was the last I heard of this con man until my Mt. Shasta visit.

It was interesting going through Ron's Mt. Shasta center and looking at his website. I can readily identify the source and see the flow of all the nonsense he inflicts upon his poor victims. I personally love and learn from Buddhism and am especially outraged that Ron appears to be exploiting this profound wisdom now as his latest con. Even though his writings on the website are barely literate, there is some skill to all of his lies and distortions. It looks like he even has finally made it to the East to take photos with legitimate Tibetan Buddhists. I pity the poor monasteries that cannot possibly have the slightest hint about how he is using them and who he really is. Now he is supposedly the "Buddha Maitreya" AND "Jesus." Go Ron!