About the TAT Foundation

A non-profit organization founded by Richard Rose to
provide a forum for friendship and the philosophical-spiritual search.

 

The TAT Foundation came about as a result of the life of Richard Rose. It was his dream to form an organization grounded in what he found so little of in his years of searching: sincerity and true perspective. TAT—Truth and Transmission—was founded on the conviction that our investigation of life's mysteries is expedited by working with others who are exploring, perhaps down a different road, so that we may share our discoveries, exchange ideas, and "compare notes" in order to come to a better understanding of our self and others (see Ladder Work below). View a listing of local meetings sponsored by individual members in various locations.

While TAT has no dogma or creed, it does have a core viewpoint. These core values were eloquently described by one of the founding and still-active members as follows:

  The search for Truth and Self-definition through philosophical self-inquiry and...

  Honest and open discussion of the ways and means for accomplishing this among friends and fellow seekers.

Richard Rose described his vision for TAT in soaring language in The Grand Work of the TAT Society. See the October 2001 and November 2001 TAT Forums.

TAT's Mission

The TAT Foundation was created as a focal point for a circle of friends who could each give and receive help in the philosophical-spiritual quest. Our interest in improving TAT as an organization is to provide these services and assistance:

  Provide a matrix for TAT members and seekers to gather, whereby their committed efforts and desire for Truth leads to the emergence of teachers with the capacity for transmission.

  Sponsor four public events a year to provide sincere seekers with a hospitable environment for discussing philosophical ideas and sparking thought-provoking insights and personal realizations.

  Provide a venue for teachers who were successfully propelled to self-realization through Richard Rose's work and who continue to uphold TAT's principles of honest and open discussion, friendship, and commitment to seekers of Truth. TAT also provides a venue for guest speakers whose own philosophical-spiritual efforts have led to self-realization.

  Offer book titles and recordings through the TAT Press, promote the books and recordings of Richard Rose, and support related websites so that hard-to-find information is easily available to the public.

  Maintain the TAT website, which houses valuable information for philosophical-spiritual seekers and a collection of fresh essays, poetry, opinions, and insights in the monthly Forum.

  Assist in finding hermitages, cabins, and other conference and retreat facilities for philosophical-spiritual reflection in isolation ranging in length from long weekends to multi-week stretches.

  Offer workshops and retreats where members work more intensely on self-observation so they gain additional insights into their selves.

  Support independent member-established groups in various locations to provide a non-dogmatic environment where people can work together to discover a true understanding of their selves.

TAT Membership

TAT is a non-profit, tax-exempt, 100%-volunteer organization established in 1973 to provide a forum for philosophical and spiritual inquiry. A board of elected Trustees provides guidance on day-to-day operations, as well as a group of officers, all of which are volunteer positions. We are committed to keeping the teaching of Richard Rose alive and available, as well as the exploration of other philosophical-spiritual teachings. Richard Rose's unique, common-sense approach to the philosophical-spiritual search is of value to all. We gather for TAT events four times each year, and there are study groups in various cities where the philosophic, the spiritual, and the scientific can meet on equal ground. TAT members also meet informally during occasional retreats throughout the year.

TAT membership provides an opportunity for finding and sharing the inspiration to continue our searches through discussion of our successes and setbacks with fellow-seekers. Members receive discounted registration to events and access to the members-only section of the website with recordings of past meetings and other materials of interest.

  A Regular Membership of $40 per person per calendar year. Memberships purchased from January - the November TAT meeting cover the current calendar year, while memberships purchased after the November TAT meeting cover the following calendar year.

  New! A Sustaining Membership is $10 per month and includes discounted registration for TAT events. Sustaining Members play a vital role in ensuring TAT has a steady source of funding.

  A Lifetime Membership is available for a one-time payment of $500.

  One membership covers husband and wife.

us if you have questions about membership fees.

Who Are The Members?

TAT is non-sectarian and non-denominational, and there are no secret oaths, dogmas, or rituals. Its membership, open to all of serious intent, from all walks of life, is united in the friendship of dialogue and fellowship of the human spirit. Members, who are both newcomers and "long timers," represent all adult age groups and a fairly ubiquitous slice of society—scientists, teachers, students, business owners, householders, men and women in various trades, and many more. While members are located in several areas of the world, most live in the eastern United States. Many members are former students of Richard Rose.

TAT welcomes all inquirers, adventurers of the mind, and seekers of truth, knowledge, the self, and the unknown to meet others of like interest. All are on equal ground at TAT.

Ladder Work

Richard Rose believed that progress in the spiritual search was linked to one's efforts at helping others. His vision for TAT was a circle of friends with no head who would give and receive help in the philosophical-spiritual quest. He coined the term Law of the Ladder to describe the levels he observed among those seeking ultimate answers to questions about the source of life and what lies beyond death. That law comprises the view that we can only effectively help, or be helped by, others who are on the same or adjacent rungs of the ladder.

While he disliked organizational structures, he also recognized the potential value that such a structure had as a vehicle for magnifying the matrix of the ladder. He coined the term Contractor's Law to describe the "extra-proportional returns" realized when a group of people combine efforts in a common cause.

On these twin ideas, the TAT Foundation was created in 1973 to serve as a vehicle for ladder work that would survive any one person or group of students. Richard Rose believed strongly in "giving back" and "passing it on," and the existence today of the TAT Foundation is a living testimony to the vector he established, to the collective vector of his students, past and current, and to the power of the ladder itself.

TAT welcomes your questions! us to learn more about the TAT Foundation or Richard Rose and his teachings. We'll also let you know if there are any TAT members in your area in case you'd like to contact them.