why i left eckankar

Eckankar took off like wildfire, growing from three students to thousands in less than three years. Well, the upshot of it is, we were friendly for five years, and then in 1983 four of his closest disciples defected. I'd heard rumors about why he left but I wanted to see for myself. Recent local Eckankar meeting. At one Eckankar seminar in Florida, a panhandler happened to station himself outside the hotel where the seminar was held. Just when I thought the story was over, a new development pops up, like the arm jutting from the grave at the end of Carrie. There was a lot going on. She speaks so softly, I move the microphone closer. I used to be in Eckankar, I tell him. Im also aware that in at least two previous lifetimes I was killed because of my beliefs, specifically in reference to Eckankar, and so I think some of that karma was still sitting heavily on my chest, so to speak., Im impressed with Yelmans absolute assurance. On tape Twitchell is asked about Rebazar Tarzs. Twitchell claimed that Eckankar was based on his own bilocation experiences and those of previous saints in various religions. So you get this juxtaposition, Lane really going off on John-Roger and McWilliams trying to protect J.R.s reputation. *, After such an exhausting chronicle, I feebly inquire, Are you still doing research on John-Roger?. Lane attributes the initial success of Eckankar to Gails organizational abilities. I still have those notes. Browsing in a bookstore one day, Lane stumbled upon one of John-Rogers books and noticed it was very similar to Eckankar. He came up with the name Sudar Singh from the name Sudarshan Singh he just cut off the shan part of it and put Sudar. Usually he mixes Indian names with Chinese names [from] popular Tibetan or Taoist books, and hell conflate the two. Eckankar, the Ancient Science of Soul Travel, was officially founded. Dont you feel like the Great White Hunter attacking the endangered rhinoceros? Lane responds with animation. The loss of my old loves and Grosss loss of status become merged in an ineffable sadness. In my copy of The Making of a Spiritual Movement, he signs himself the Kal force, Dave. The Kal force, remember, is the power of negativity. Eckankar teaches that it is possible to experience the Light and Sound through the proper use of spiritual exercises. Then he took the Ho, and he put the two words together. The disciples felt used and manipulated for spiritual reasons., After the secret meeting. A lot of people have. His voice changed, Well, we cant reveal that information. Was he in San Diego? No reply. In the course of his research, Lane discovered information that led him to believe that Twitchell copied whole chapters from Radhasoami texts, lied about biographical details, and misled people concerning the origin of Eckankars doctrines. Eckankar believes that God exists in two parts, the Light and Sound, known as ECK. He read thousands and thousands of books, and he was a spiritually hungry man. Lane, like his counterpart Houdini, seems shackled. Why do you make a point of fingering Eckankar?, I do think Christianity has fucked up more people in its history than Eckankar ever has. When I ask him what Eckankars position is on Lanes research, Richards, whos been in Eckankar for 20 years, says he doesnt know. Theyre very much like physical exercises, but theyre for Soul, to strengthen Souls connection with spirit. An Eckankar representative, claiming to be a member of the Berkeley-based anti-cult group Spiritual Counterfeits Project, asked Gruss for a copy of Peebless report. He also does private executive coaching. In fact, we find more in common with people of other religious or spiritual beliefs than we have with people who dont have any religious or spiritual beliefs, simply because they have a commitment to spirit on some level., Im curious about how Eckankar has changed since I left it in the early 80s., Well, Richards says slowly and thoughtfully in a charming Southern accent, I think the present Living Eck Master has not changed the essence of the teachings, which is basically about self-realization and god-realization in the most direct way the individual can achieve that. Im just saying that if he had a personal problem with some Eckists, this is not an indictment against Eckankar, this is an indictment against the individuals hes had contact with. Since its early days Eckankar has always really been a religion. May 1, 2023 6:30 AM. When I sit down on the cream-colored day bed, he suggests I might be more comfortable in the armchair facing him. Hes told me he surfs, and in his knee-length khaki shorts, plum-colored T-shirt, and sandals, he looks like a surfer. This was 79, 15 years ago. An example: I claim the reason I missed our appointment last night was because Elvis was on Venus and sucked me up into a space capsule. I could almost picture the legendary Rod of Power in Darwins hand. As I walked through the hotel lobby, I couldnt see to the other side of the room there was so much smoke, and Im very sensitive to smoke yet I felt totally spiritualized. Though wary of groups, Yelman decided to give Eckankar a try. When Yelman was six, her family moved to Texas. I dont want to tweak his day. But if I belonged to an organization that did. Gross enters and takes his position behind the gold-toned vibes. She agrees to provide us with an official photograph of Gross at the vibes, and I leave to find Lane. Plagiarism charges fall on deaf ears with Eckists because weve had experiences outside of book learning. Are your tax dollars being spent by this group? So they interviewed me, and I had this rainbow tie on, and Geraldo and I were going at each other. I was on the Holy Grail of research.". Members are deluded into believing they make spiritual progress, while they are merely psychologically entrapped. Hes a friendly guy with lots of dreams of his own, but I just want to stare at the streams of headlights along the highway. When he finishes the song, he takes off his shoes to be closer to the keys. The atmosphere in the room is homey and protective. I met David Lane in San Diego. JN Sykes was a member of the Eckankar cult ('the cult') from February 1980 to June 1993. In another lifetime I may have had a connection with Rebazar Tarzs, and so that would be a good way of linking me back in. Everybody Ive ever talked to who knows Gail says shes a very sharp person. I said, 'Where was John-Roger yesterday? The guy turned totally paranoid. Hired at the height of the Covid pandemic, Parkway softball coach Eva Burley has left her position to return to Texas to care for her father, who has been diagnosed with ALS. Not the truth itself. Understandably, he changed the names of his sources, because he didnt want people to know about his past. I am afraid my beliefs will cause conflict within the Eckankar community and it may be best that I leave Eckankar. When the Vietnamese fellow was in San Diego, he saw a poster for an Eckankar event that had a picture of Rebazar Tarzs on it, and he recognized him. The problem is that nobody uses Occams Razor when it comes to spirituality. Harold Klemp. Grosss uplifting music is claimed to have miraculous healing powers. Im not interested in all this other dialogue that David Lane is so focused on. Its had to be recognized as such in this country to operate as a nonprofit organization. Yelman flickers in her pink-and-cream chair like a pale flame. A few months later Gross and Twitchells widow married, sending more ripples of confusion throughout the fold. Whenever I saw Gross and Atkinson, I would be seated in an auditorium, surrounded by thousands of avid followers, each hoping at some point to receive the darshan, the Masters gaze. The human soul is eternal and is on a spiritual journey of reincarnation to discover and improve the true self thereby realizing his own true inner divinity. Hes big, coughing, not in the best of health, and he doesnt have any money. So I asked, 'Who is this enlightened being? It was Jerry Mulvin! Sitting at a table outside Monsoon at Village Hillcrest, surrounded by potted plants and curving walls of mango orange, gold, deep purple, and rusty red, Lane sips a Coke and tells me the history of his involvement with alternative religious movements. His critique was instrumental in my dropping out of Eckankar in the early 80s. He never had much money. Im an extremely intuitive person, she says, so I feel things long before I understand them in my head. I talked to Twitchells first wife. I was very naive. Sizing up his clean, homogenized attractiveness, I think, Tuck in his shirt and he could be on one of those infomercials, beside a pool selling motivational tapes how to lose weight, gain friends, make it rich in real estate with no money down. We spend roughly nine hours together, spread over two days. I mean, I couldnt get in the door, so I had to climb through the bedroom window. Thered be nothing to believe. I lean and whisper to him, You are so opaque. I am surprised by my cruelty. The inner form of the Living Eck Master, known as the Mahanta, works with students in the dreamstate and during their spiritual exercises. It affects those who have an unrealistic goal in ECK; those who want to Soul Travel or reach Self-and God-realization with practically no effort. In order to burn off all their karma in this lifetime and to be released from the cycle of death and reincarnation, Eckists practice detachment from the vagaries of life. Off my granddaughter sprints down the driveway, giving herself a head start, the front gate our finish line. I dont remember that second story. The phone wire had been disconnected. He was advertising in Fate magazine, Orion magazine, Cosmic Star." I looked like a little kid. Lane then quotes these same passages as they were later reproduced, usually word for word, in Eckankar books, with the names changed to the o Eck Masters Sudar Singh, Fubbi Quantz, Rebazar Tarzs, Lai Tsi, j and Gopal Das. The two students shared notes. Thats one explanation. Anyway, there was an intensification of that, and I knew undoubtedly something was going on. Eckankar teaches that the soul is eternal, it exists because God loves it, and it is journeying to self-realization and God realization. Same with Shamus-i-Tabriz. Two figures emerge from the stilted style: the protean Paul Twitchell and his young, vivacious wife Gail, who, after Twitchells death, married his successor, Darwin Gross, in a Dynasty-like power play that troubled and thrilled the faithful. box with John-Rogers own name signed to it., Four or five months later, on October 5, 1984, Lanes apartment in Del Mar was burglarized. In October 1981, Eckists were again floored when Gross announced his resignation as the Living Eck Master, but not without first signing a contract that gave him a salary of $65,000 for life, full medical and dental coverage, use of a company car, and entertainment expenses. Theres so much shit. The Far Country, Lane claims to have found more than 400 plagiarized paragraphs. Understand, hes got names coming out of the woodwork., So who do you think Rebazar Tarzs really is?. As I stroll toward the ocean, through a lush, affluent neighborhood, disappointment creeps over me like the tide. In Texas, she says, a disembodied being began visiting her. Saturday afternoon, when we arrive at the hotel, Lane keeps disappearing into the bathroom. Everybody has a right to pursue whatever interest they have. A line will leap out and inspire you. In the past, we thought that this was our little private esoteric religion. He does that all the time. Garland decided to withdraw it. His quest for knowledge and experience of God is without question. He probably thought my recipe file was written in code and had secret information, or something like that. In January, it rains for 26 days. Lane pauses and thinks for a bit. Before founding Eckankar, Twitchell was involved in yoga, self-realization groups, and Scientology. Eckankar is not for everybody. He was obsessed. I think of Rumi, the great Persian poet, who said, with all these false coins abounding, theres got to be something genuine in the midst of it.. So who was this mysterious Paul Twitchell? We see that all the time.. That i owed it to myself to know for sure that what i. Gross actually received the mantle on the inner planes when he was handed, not a flower, but the Rod of Power. The think any actual activ long time member of Eckankar is very happy with Eckankar. The spiritual home is the Temple of ECK in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Theyve made an open-eyed decision. Theres contradictions and scandals in every religion, Christianity included. To come up with original material takes time, and time is money. Eckankar's stance on sexual relations, although overtly heteronormative, speaks to the religion's appreciation of the sex act as an important and meaningful experience in human life. The term God no longer had use for me. On October 22, 1965, Twitchell claimed to have received the Rod of Power from Rebazar Tarzs, becoming the 971st Living Eck Master. Its even available for community events. Finally, in 1992, Garland, a publisher of hardback reference books, accepted Lanes manuscript for its library series. Then, Lane says excitedly, John-Roger committed the biggest mistake. Im greeted by a tall, handsome black man with a mustache and short-cropped hair graying slightly at the temples. We were suddenly in a marketplace with lots of bright burgundy-colored carpets. Today it is perhaps the most successful religious movement to come out of the 60s, claiming a worldwide membership in the tens of thousands. Eckankar first caught my attention by how matter-of-fact and logical it was. The idea that people are leaving Eckankar based on what they read in a single book is IMO an advertizing tactic to sell more copies. The only. Clearly he is more comfortable with the fluid topography of waves, of meditation, of philosophical inquiry. Not long afterward I joined Eckankar, unaware of the dissension. Thats really what it is for me. Then his whole manner changed he leaned forward in his chair, his voice emphatically rose and fell. Source: mallsofamerica.blogspot.com. This most incredible feeling came over me, literally like light inside of me. His books were suppressed, and he was forbidden to associate himself with Eckankar or Eckankar teaching in any way, including the use of trademark terms such as Eck, EK, Living Eck Master, and Eckankar. When Gross protested, he was slapped with a lawsuit for business impropriety and copyright infringement. Here it is. I told him I didnt plan to write about him, but letters [started going] around the country saying that I was a gay FBI agent in San Diego, that I had researchers working for me that I wasnt paying. And so I had handwriting analysis done on the writing on the diaries and on that NO MORE sign. I had heard about this ability to get out of the body, where one can have an internal spiritual experience. Answer. 40 people in a hotel named Hanalei in San Diego for a man who used to draw thousands. Lane has countered with a point-by-point rebuttal, When God Responds: Sri Darwin Gross versus David Lane, which hes including in his new book, Gakko Came from Venus. So I do. Around his neck hangs a similar pendant. In her Golden-Tongued Wisdom, Rosanne continues to sing, A cold hard rain comes pouring down. Soul, being a spark of God, is on a journey to find its way home to God, or the Sugmad. When Fox settled the defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million, the conventional wisdom was that it would alter little about . It never existed. I really enjoyed the music, but it was kind of sad. Two different analysts verified they were all written by John-Roger Hinkins. He and Gross have been sparring since 1977. People were wearing rich, colorful clothing. His clothes seem to be tossed onto his rather stocky body. Each year Eckankar holds three of these U.S. seminars, which can draw 6000-plus people. I remember he took my hand and I could feel it, a concrete thing. He resigned in June 1993 following a direct threat to kill from another member, Ebenezer Egunjobi, and a series of violent and disorientating mind control attacks emanating from the leader, Harold Klemp. Basically, I feel that David Lane is making a name for himself by being an antagonist to Eckankar. Aside from the fact that Eckankar has techniques and tools that are incredible and not really matched by other groups, I think the freedom that is allowed to the members is a wonderful thing.". Once when I was driving down to Baja on one of my frequent surf trips, he continues, I noticed to my amazement a highway sign that said Rebasar. I dont know exactly what it means No Passing, or something like that. And curtain after curtain of gauze was quietly removed, and I saw stars behind stars behind stars, as in the magical Odeons of my youth. There was music and noise and clamor, and I turned to look at my friend. Lane and Walsh had put a circle with a slash through it over Eckankars logo, which is EK formed into a circle. The waiter arrives with our check, and Lane and I bicker over whos going to pay for it. . They knew what I had done with Eckankar, and they thought, Well, he can do this with J.R. So there was a secret meeting in a Santa Monica condominium with these defectors. My research has helped because its made me more discriminating, more critical-minded. Grosss rise to power was steeped in controversy from the beginning. It controls their minds using sophisticated thought control systems, and demand absolute obedience to Klemp and to the cult. You got it. In The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini, Ruth Brandon writes, He terribly wanted to be convinced. To top it off, their white helmets bore an insignia that was remarkably similar to Eckankars circular EK logo. The following article hopes to help you make more suitable choices and get more useful information Twitchell was living in Point Loma in 1965 when he started teaching workshops and selling booklets on how to leave your body. Hinkins also wrote to Charan Singh asking him to use his influence to get lane to stop doing research on him. Charan Singh forwarded it to Lane. Those answers were so far-reaching in their depth and breadth, they still help me today, nine years later. For free downloadable books, check out our Web site at www.Eckankar.org. by. When Paul Twitchell suddenly died in September 1971, he left no word as to who his successor should be. Through daily spiritual exercises, one can shift ones awareness from the physical world and soul travel to these higher planes. Lane shakes his head. I dont think so. . We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Its going to be interesting to see how this information gets back to me. I turn on the stereo and stare out the window. Grosss movements are frail and slow as he removes his dark-blue jacket to reveal a short-sleeved white shirt and tan pants held up with wide red suspenders. I gave up drugs, and my grades went down. I wrote to Jerry, way to go, Jerry! Eckists have said that detractors (critics of Eckankar) are people who quit Eckankar because it didn't work for them, or because they failed at the path, and thus can't be taken seriously. On the Marie Vega [TV] show in Los Angeles, I said, John-Roger Hinkins robbed my house. He threatened to sue the TV station for a million dollars if they ever ran the program again. Rather, hes tried to make the teachings more accessible to the average person whos interested in religion or spirituality but may not be familiar with a lot of the terms that weve used in the past., What alternative terms have been developed?, Instead of talking about contemplations or the nurat or the surat technique for the light and sound, we just say we do spiritual exercises. Eckankar is cult just like Scientology. This must not be true. Lane also appeared on Geraldo Riveras Now It Can Be Told. You can explain it in a lot of different ways. He extends his hand and smiles broadly. Within two years Klemp fired Gross, accusing him of negativity, spiritual decay, and embezzlement. I am skeptical of paranormal claims, because I believe we need to shave more with Occams Razor. Occams Razor?, The principle of competing theories, developed in the 14th Century by a guy named William of Occam, who said that if you have competing theories, go for the simplest theory first if it explains the issue fully. Theres no calm center to this storm. And it continues to rain. Eckankar is a new religious movement founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. It [had been mailed originally] from a P.O. Those who become disheartened quit ECK for other paths that seem to require less drive and responsibility of them. Cautiously I bring up David Lane. For a hundred bucks per year he gives you the divine connection. Among those two explanations, Occams Razor points to the simpler one, I overslept. Grosss fastidious avoidance of the copyrighted term Eckankar is noticeably awkward and circuitous. We talk about the Hu as a prayer song or a love song to God, instead of saying its a chant or mantra. I found all this fun, interesting stuff. We close our eyes and chant Hu together for several minutes. If you were going to visit a new city, wouldnt you want a guide, wouldnt you want to stay away from the places where the prostitutes are, from the dark streets and the hoodlums? In 68 he was a convener, which means he held Eck satsangs [classes) in his home in Rosemead, California. After a year or so, he branched off and started his own group, MSIA, claiming that in 1963 he had a kidney stone operation and that after nine days of being in a coma he had been commissioned to be the Mystical Traveler Consciousness. At first Hinkins thought it was the legendary Rebazar Tarzs who came to him on the inner planes and passed on the keys to the Kingdom, but later, after seeing a photo of Radhasoami guru Sawan Singh, Hinkins decided that it was really Sawan Singh who had given him the mantle. 1:08. All rights reserved. He took to unmasking frauds, but always with the hopes of finding a true medium. Nine years later she read Paul Twitchells Eckankar: Key to Secret Worlds. People sit on park benches, push baby carriages along paths, jog beside the water. So I sent my term paper to Eckankar, and then they turned around two months later and said they were going to sue me if I published it. Why is one faith trying to knock somebody traveling the same path to God? He was kind of dark complexioned. This is God's love and intelligence, and it is EVERYWHERE." Blame Eddy for May Gray and June Gloom, Chamise and Buckwheat are blooming, All the Dylan Mulvaney San Diego connections. Remember, when Twitchell founded Eckankar in 1965, he was living in San Diego, at Point Loma. All, I have been an official member of Eckankar for 10 years. David Lane has his own personal agenda. I get the sense his gentleness does not comes naturally, that it has been worked at, with great success. But Eckankars attorneys mailed the package back to me. People typically define cults, first of all, as based around worshiping a personality. And there was a big note on a box that said, NO MORE. No jewelry was gone only research stuff, including materials for my doctoral dissertation., He took my wifes personal diaries, a camera which he must have thought had film in it, videotapes, an address book, and my recipe file containing my favorite recipe for Del Mar lentil loaf. This is not the type of individual who was looking for riches he didnt dress well, he didnt have a lot of possessions or anything. I left eckankar because it simply didn't work for me and I didn't realize that for a very long time. Darwin Gross. in his book, and on every single page I just had to make my own notes. As Yelman laughs, her stiff, angular body quivers with excitement. It gets tiresome., For ten years I was a member of Eckankar,one of the groups Lane has written about most extensively. He went nuts. Lets try to make it easy for them to at least understand what were doing, what were about, and what the potential of the teaching is. A lot of people would see Eckankar as a cult. In Understanding Cults, Lane published The Criminal Activities of John-Roger Hinkins, a laborious account of Hinkinss alleged break-in and smear campaign. Last year, former cult member Peter McWilliams published a scathing tell-all, Life 102: What to Do When Your Guru Sues You; Novembers Vanity Fair linked Arianna Huffingtons allegiance to MSIA to her husbands unsuccessful senate campaign; and the March issue of Playboy ran a detailed expose. Sitting in this pathetic room with its riotously floral turquoise-and-purple carpet, it feels as if nobodys dreams will ever come true. He basically took Eckankars money, while saying it was really for Eckankar purposes. Excommunicated from Eckankar, his lifetime agreement terminated, Gross was suddenly penniless. During their first six months of membership, new Eckists usually receive what is known as their first initiation in the dreamstate. Yelman tells me she was born in Germany. I dont remember it looking this way, he says pensively. You only here it from those shills promoting the book or on Ford's sites. The Temple of Eck in Chanhassen [Minnesota] is open to people of all faiths to come, to attend the worship services, maybe just to enhance their own beliefs. And in my unknowingness, I like to explore how much more I dont know., Talking to these Eckists, the conscious, rational, jaded Dodie faded out, and this other little Dodie inside me was starting to feel an incredible seduction. Now I "work" on the internet trying to help others to get out, or not join to begin with. He said, 'Some of us live the spiritual life, others intellectualize it. Any of these 900-plus masters may appear to spiritual seekers on the inner planes or in the physical world, often in disguise. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. I came from a religion that was full of dogma and rituals, and it really was a breath of fresh air to have all my questions answered in a way that made sense to me.But above all, I think I most appreciate how I am able to incorporate the teachings of ECK into my everyday life, instead of feeling like my physical and .

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