In the October 2001 issue of Share International magazine, a full-page photograph of the hand of Maitreya was published.

Benjamin Creme explains the phenomenon:
This is the hand of Maitreya, portrayed on a mirror in a bathroom in Barcelona. The lady-owner went into the guest bathroom and saw a handprint on the mirror and cleaned it off. She thought no more about it. A few days later when she went into her own bathroom she saw the same handprint on the mirror. Luckily, instead of wiping it off, she got in touch with her son, a co-worker in the Share International group in Barcelona. He took a picture of it and sent it to me, and my Master confirmed it as the hand of Maitreya.

Like the Turin Shroud
It is a fantastic hand. It is ‘real’, three-dimensional in appearance, similar to the print on the Turin Shroud of the body of Jesus after the Crucifixion. The image also has extraordinary healing properties, but not in the way you might think. In the case of the healing waters Maitreya has magnetized all over the world, the water itself is imbued with energy from the constellation Aquarius. However, in the case of the image of Maitreya’s hand, the energy does not reside in the photo, but is invoked from Maitreya when you place your hand over the image or simply look at it. You are, in effect, calling forth his healing or blessing or help – whatever is possible within the karmic law. The same effect can be produced even with a photocopy of the image.

This is extraordinary. It makes Maitreya’s energy, his help, in one way or another, available to whoever asks. If what you are asking is: “Dear Maitreya, would you please suddenly appear before me,” I don’t think that that is going to be answered. Every time he appears it takes energy. He has much to do, he has a world to save, and he won’t want to waste that energy. I say this seriously, because I know people who give out the story that if you want Maitreya to do something you just have to ask and he does it. It is not true. Maitreya appears to thousands of people all over the world, but he does it in his own timing, and for his own reasons ― for reasons of helping people.

Until we see his face
The appearance of the hand at this time has great significance. It means Maitreya is very near to coming out. Until we see his face it is the closest he can come to us.