Secrecy

Have you noticed that most spiritual practices of self attainment, have a level of secrecy?

Virtually all the Western Mystery Schools have this.  For example, when I was a member of The Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn, each level was secret.  From Neophyte, up through the Inner Order.

The original Golden Dawn (from the 1800's) had the same secrecy, but the student Aleister Crowley published the material he was privy to.  He then founded his own organization, and yet created a new layer of secrecy!

In Buddhism, I found that most of the teachings were open - but there is a layer of secrecy as well... surrounding the Tantric teachings.  Despite popular culture painting Tantra to be sexual, my Buddhist lama's who taught tantra, told me it was not in any way shape or form sexual.  At least the Mahayana Buddhist version was not.  They taught me one Tantric principal... which was the negation of a negative trait via another negative trait (i.e. overcoming hatred with anger... and the both canceling each other out) via a meditation practice they translated as "Exchanging Self with Others."  However, the core Tantric practices were taught to those who gave years to the study of Buddhism.

In Rosicrucianism, you have layers of Secrecy as well....

Scientology also has it's secrets.  When I was a member of Scientology, in terms of it's structure (it's levels), I found it was very similar to Western Mystery Schools.  The upper levels (OT) were given "secret knowledge."

Then we have Kriya yoga, which is also kept a secret by most people who initiate into it.  In most cases it takes a year to 3 years in a Kriya path to get initiated into it.  In that time, you are expected to have some specific meditation practices down (such as meditating an hour + a day, doing various energy exercises, using specific techniques and so forth.)

In most of my past spiritual paths, I lasted about a year.  So I never reached the "secret" teachings.  My path of Yogananda's work with Kriya, is the longest I've stayed in a path (about 2 - 3 years.)  I haven't been devoted enough to my meditation practice to meet the requirements of Kriya initiation though.

So why the secrecy?

Some might say "It's about money..." in the case of Scientology, I would agree.  But in the case of these other spiritual paths, I am certain that they made no money off their membership... For example, the Mahayana Buddhist group I followed never charged for anything.  The Golden Dawn and other Mystery Schools charged small fees that covered printed materials.  Ananda isn't charging much either.  Very economical prices for the training.  So outside of Scientology, I don't think any of these groups are using secrecy to make money.

So then what's the reason?

I've asked various groups and I usually get the answer from the constituency that it's due to:
 - keeping something sacred
 - not throwing pearls before swine
 - the practice that is secret is so powerful, if misused it might damage a person's soul/mind

But I'm not sure if that's the real reason. That's the official reason.  But in Buddhism for example, the membership kept all their training sacred -  yet all that practice was Open.  The power aspect I'm skeptical of. Whenever someone says "This is very powerful...and you must pass through X levels to be told how to use it..." I find that very suspect.

I've wondered something else... Could this secrecy be a way of keeping people going along the path... For example, "do this work, so you can attain this great thing."  Then when you attain the great thing, there's more secrets... like the Carrot Before the Cart.

In Western schools, secrecy turns people into ego maniacs ... lording some secret knowledge over those of lower levels.  However in the Eastern schools, I never see that.  So again... why the secrecy?

Specific to Kriya yoga, there are requirements of attainment... like meditating for 1+ hour a day.  Perhaps they keep Kriya secret, so you meet this guideline and therefore will have more gain with Kriya.  But I'm not sure.

I'm not sure I know a answer that really makes sense to me.  At least not yet.