I met a guy from Vietnam whose whole family traveled here to San Diego by boat, guided by Rebazar Tarzs, whos one of the Eck Masters thats written about in the books. Im worried about getting lost, he says, exasperated. They would say that in any college or institution. Quora - A place to share knowledge and better understand the world Im surprised to meet a casually dressed middle-aged man with graying hair, who seemed much younger on the phone. David Lane has his own personal agenda. 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. Same with Shamus-i-Tabriz. Grosss young, perky assistant, Dawn, explains, Frankly, there have been lawsuits." We actually challenge our inner experiences in the name of God, to make sure that theyre not phony, not of the negative world of Kal. I looked like a little kid. ECKANKAR. I was very naive. He was giving a talk at UCSD, trying to sell his book, preaching against Eckankar and a whole bunch of other religions. 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. I gave up drugs, and my grades went down. One exclaims, Arent you afraid of those Eckankarists, arent you afraid what theyre going to do?, I take a guilty sip of my drink. You need a guide who knows the city. Dr. Bluth, Twitchells personal doctor and vice president of Eckankar at the time, has confirmed that he gave Twitchell books from the Radhasoami library. The vivid orange-pink horizon stretches on endlessly beneath a nearly full moon. I dont believe anything until its proven to me. , Im sure they said that about Jim Jones; Im sure they said that in David Koreshs group. On an Internet alternative religion bulletin board, a former Eckist writes that after reading Lanes book, I felt as if someone had just torn out my insides and served them to me over rice. Losing ones cult is like losing the love of ones life. Lanes research into Eckankar is meticulously documented. 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. In Youth Ask A Modern Prophet, Harold Klemp writes, "The deep relationship between man and woman is a sacred token of human love. 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. Im not interested in all this other dialogue that David Lane is so focused on. When you look at what we do relative to other religions, it basically is no different, we just have a different doctrine and somewhat different beliefs. Richards flashes me his dimples. Experts say there are two main reasons many members of Gen X, roughly defined as people born roughly between 1965 and 1980, aren't ready to leave the workforce. Houdini longed to communicate with her beyond the grave. In one article Lane shows me, Twitchell is reported to have piercing blue eyes, to sleep only four hours a night, to read 5000 words a minute, to eat little, and to have the ability to be in all places at the same time.. Accompanied by keyboardist and devotee Ron Kurz, Gross begins with Blues in E Flat. The music is great, lethargic and soothing, the kind of music one should listen to in a cocktail lounge with an umbrellaed drink. As we shake hands I notice hes wearing a gold ring with an embossed EK logo. Why is Eckankar not uplifting? - YouTube I found all this fun, interesting stuff. What do Eckists believe? What is Eckankar? - CompellingTruth.org I imagine them as the tormented souls of all the cultists who have lost their faith because of Lane. Within two years Klemp fired Gross, accusing him of negativity, spiritual decay, and embezzlement. This must not be true. No. But the stuff that Lane goes after has nothing to do, for me, with the validity of the teachings., When I was in Eckankar, one of the things that I really liked about it was its respect for other faiths and that there was no pressure to get anybody to join., Richards responds, Sri Harold Klemp has taken a special effort to make it clear that we accept the value and the need for all different paths and religions, because people operate at different states of consciousness. I dont go into Eck centers and walk around and say, Here, read my book. All Im saying is that Twitchell was lying to his constituency. ECKANKAR was founded by Paul Twitchell (1909 - 1971) in California in the mid-1960s. The former members of Eckankar make a mistake in here thinking procedure. I kind of [thought he was a fraud, but at the time he was being nice to me so I wasnt in the mood to expose him. Secondly, we dont have any kind of communal living. 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. 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. The loss of my old loves and Grosss loss of status become merged in an ineffable sadness. Recent local Eckankar meeting. 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. Love and Sex Eckankar Religions in Minnesota - Carleton College Yelmans studies at UCSD brought her to San Diego in 1974. (Such a quake did occur in 1812.) Why Harlan Crow Purchased Clarence Thomas's Mother's Home Im talking about the very form of that truth being copied. It [had been mailed originally] from a P.O. Gross and Gail Twitchell divorced in 1978. The Making of a Spiritual Movement, which is not advertised or available in bookstores, has sold more than 10,000 copies. Tucker Carlson's Great Replacement. Whereas Sudar Singh [another memorable character in Twitchells cosmology] isKirpal Singh. In The Making of a Spiritual Movement, Lane quotes many passages from Twitchells magazine articles written in the 60s in which Twitchell cites Swami Premananda, Kirpal Singh, Meher Baba, Guru Nanak, Kabir, and even Jesus. The program Lane and I attend at the Best Western Hanalei is called The Universal Basics of Life Through Music. It costs $35 at the door. They sent letters about me claiming I was the negative force, that I was predicted from the beginning of mankind., In just one of Paul Twitchells books. Eckankar is a new religious movement founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. That same week, Hinkins wrote to Lane assuring him that he wanted to be friends again and that he had nothing to do with the robbery. Eckankar | Encyclopedia.com He basically took Eckankars money, while saying it was really for Eckankar purposes. Excommunicated from Eckankar, his lifetime agreement terminated, Gross was suddenly penniless. why i left eckankar - Kennedy Krieger Institute Hes told me he surfs, and in his knee-length khaki shorts, plum-colored T-shirt, and sandals, he looks like a surfer. Be very careful with Eckankar. This is not seen as coldness or indifference but as a precursor to unconditional love. What is Eckankar? | GotQuestions.org When I called to sign up, they told me that I never had to go to a class if I didnt want to. He is Shamus-i-Tabriz (a living Eck Master of 400 years ago who now teaches on the Causal Plane at the Sakapori Temple of Golden Wisdom in the city of Honu). Eckankar is a classic case in point. Shortly afterward, Twitchell claimed, a 500-year-old Tibetan monk, Rebazar Tarzs, appeared to him and instructed him to move to San Diego. I said, 'Where was John-Roger yesterday? The guy turned totally paranoid. Where do you think Twitchell got these names?. With all this information you have, you could start your own thing. I go, Jerry, I cant do that third-eye patch, turban, the flowing robe I cant do it.. The beggar you meet on the street may really be an Eck Master. His quest for knowledge and experience of God is without question. Some people who have ringing in their ears say that its horrible. I cant understand why he would be doing this, because the Eckists have never gone out of their way to hurt him; but he claims that they did, I think, in one regard. But if I belonged to an organization that did. Freeways knocked out Sorrento Rd., getting from the 5 to the 805, fitness fanatics head for Corner House, get those Mira Mesa signs out. Actually, Eckankar is the one who has kept me going because they keep [after] me every time I try to come out with something. Dont you feel like the Great White Hunter attacking the endangered rhinoceros? Lane responds with animation. It is the force that sustains and supports all life throughout the worlds or SUGMAD [God]. The skies themselves seem to be weeping with loss. Again, I am reminded of Houdini, whose interest in spiritualism was awakened with his dearly loved mothers death. Here it is. Clearly Lane is not a blind follower. Life after ECKANKAR for former ECKists - Google Groups Moreover, a free left arm could be used to deflect spear strikes in combat. Gross smiles to himself as he hits the vibes. Everything is mauve and cream: the water cooler, the paper cups, the walls, carpet, chairs, and even the stereo. Yelman flickers in her pink-and-cream chair like a pale flame. I found it increasingly difficult to live a life that was a lie. Eckankar teaches that the soul is eternal, it exists because God loves it, and it is journeying to self-realization and God realization. When I leave Richardss office its dusk. All, I have been an official member of Eckankar for 10 years. 195 views 10 months ago Talk probes a statement made by many in the Eckankar organisation, that their group is 'uplifting'. The suggested annual membership donation for individuals is $120, a bargain in the miracles-and-freedom market. Another man named Sri Michael Turner, in Tucson, claims to be the 974th Living Master of the Midnight Sun. Eckankar -- Pre Philosophy, Planetary Philosophy So he puts up a thousand bucks and out comes this funky. After she finishes, Gross says, She can belt one out, cant she? My group is for dumbshits. Read full review of Eckankar Helpful? It was a P.O. I'm a former member of this cult, in America. Do you know what I mean?. Yelman received hers while at an Eck seminar in Hawaii. Do people get mad at Ralph Nader for saying that a Pinto blows up? And they said, He taught you everything he could teach you, and you agreed that it was complete. It was so satisfying, it was so true, really true, true to the core of my being., So was your childhood teacher an Eck Master?. But some wont let you let em go. Its raining. I said, Yeah, Geraldo, this guy robbed my house, he did this he did this he did that all on national TV. 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. He offshooted from Eckankar and founded this religion called the Divine Science of Light and Sound. We dont rely on the written word. Although no meetings are required, the local Eckankar newsletter lists a variety of classes, book discussions, Hu chants, and lectures. The way to get more income is to have new material, speculates Lane. Lane discovered information that led him to believe that Twitchell copied whole chapters from Radhasoami texts, lied about biographical details.. Theres so much shit. I got one of his disciples. Hes having a good time. So I walk over to Gross myself and shake his hand. Late one afternoon, I visit transpersonal psychologist Charles Richards at his office in Del Mar. They say you can never damage the Eck spirit, because its life. Understand, hes got names coming out of the woodwork., So who do you think Rebazar Tarzs really is?. Lane asks me if I want to see Twitchells Del Mar home. On October 22, 1965, Twitchell claimed to have received the Rod of Power from Rebazar Tarzs, becoming the 971st Living Eck Master. 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. Nobody knew hed been married before. Everybodys sexuality is different than everybody elses. 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. Signed, The Master. Another former Eckist named Gary Olsen started the MasterPath. How-to video gives tips on how to survive after leaving the Eckankar cult. Nowhere in any of the Eckankar press materials is Gross mentioned. McMahon looks as Irish as his name, with a large, soft face and a sad mouth that bends pleasantly when he smiles. He went nuts. Saturday afternoon, when we arrive at the hotel, Lane keeps disappearing into the bathroom. I also have the evidence that David Christopher Lane is an informant for the F.B.l. The only. Besides working as a therapist, Richards has taught at the University of Humanistic Studies and is an adjunct staff member of the Center for Creative Leadership in La lolla, an organization that specializes in executive management training. The Genealogical Connection: Kirpal Singh, Paul Twitchell, and Eckankar Today it is perhaps the most successful religious movement to come out of the 60s, claiming a worldwide membership in the tens of thousands. If I were any of you. 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. I dont remember it looking this way, he says pensively. But, while his friend Arthur Conan Doyle and other enthusiasts were impressed with the supernatural sideshows of mediums, Houdini, with his vast knowledge of magic techniques, could duplicate the effects. My personality is I want to do, ( not sit ) in a Satsang and discuss. Anyway, there was an intensification of that, and I knew undoubtedly something was going on. McMahon generously drives me to my interview with holistic health practitioner Bettina Yelman, whose Del Mar office is just down the hall from Richardss. We have a tendency to want to inflate our lives with spiritual meaning, and skepticism is not much fun. In the meantime, Lane graduated from Northridge, visited India, and enrolled at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, where in 1979 he met Brian Walsh. answer the question why i left eckankar, which will help you get the most accurate answer. We take our seats among the 50 or so other seekers, many of whom have flown in for the event. Two different analysts verified they were all written by John-Roger Hinkins. A job as a correspondent for Our Navy took him to Washington, D.C. in 1945. But this is not oppressive at all. It wasnt like this last time around. Eckankar is a religion first founded in 1965 by Paul Twitchell, who served as the first Mahanta, or living ECK Master, who acts as a teacher for ECKists. Lane shakes his head. I would ask a question and get an answer, and I would jot it down. Harold Klemp. See! she exclaims. When Yelman was six, her family moved to Texas. 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. Actually in the moment it was okay, I hardly noticed it. Twitchell coined the word Eckankar (a Punjabi word meaning "One God" or "Supreme Reality") from Guru Nanak's Japji, as found in the Sikh's holy scriptures, Guru Granth Sahib. Im under your spell, but how can I help it. There is a double edge to this torch song; from the way she keeps glancing affectionately over at Gross, it is the Masters spell that Driggs cant be blamed for falling under. Besides my straight As, I had nothing to give me a sense of self-worth. But Im amazed that after all the dirt hes dug up on religions, he could be seriously involved in any spiritual path. Combine these two forces, the creativity of Paul Twitchell with the organizational skills of Gail Lane opens his hands in a gesture indicating anything could happen. I would just close my eyes and he would be there, and I would be there with him too. I just left Eckankar Now what do I do Final - YouTube They say, the message works for me, the contemplation works for me. Instead, Twitchell wrote about Kirpal Singh and Swami Premananda. As members are leaving in droves, the speaker looks into why. But Eckists are such sweet people, I insist. How wonderful after Eckankar, when I was able to experience the exquisiteness of other musicians and various teachers and realize fully: "This is it. In the past, we thought that this was our little private esoteric religion. The treatment of critics, the phony official organizations that are merely cult front groups, and the lies are all the same. The term Eckankar is also a word used to refer to the name of God in Sikhism. Incredibly, I was awake, but still in my inner world at the same time. Im sure of it. He taps his finger on the table. So I may Ik damaging the organization, but the real essence of Eckankar is not the organization, its the Eck, that inner spirit., They read my book. I urge, Come on, Dave, its starting. I practically have to pull him into the concert. Eckankar lost. With the popularity of the Ghostbusters logo. I turn on the stereo and stare out the window. There was a lot going on. She speaks so softly, I move the microphone closer. Lane leans down to better peer through his window. But, Dave, I ask in exasperation, after all this time, why are you persisting?, Rarely in life do you ever get to play detective, he says. . In the late 50s, Twitchell also became a staff member of L. Ron Hubbards Church of Scientology, another association that would later be denied. I keep discovering more and more offshoots, in India as well as here its like a virus, it keeps reproducing itself., You know the ins and outs of how religions are organized, and you're a charismatic person. Peoples experiences dont matter to David Lane. He wanted to make my research more available. Some left the movement. Lane looks like hes swallowed a mouse, grinning and biting his finger. It is a nonprofit religious organization and church, legally recognized in the United States and over 40 other countries. Video explores the spiritual problems that may come, and explains how to deal wit. Now, Jagat is actually the first name of a Radhasoami guru named Jagat Singh. Although the Hindi/Punjabi term Ek Onkar (literally "One God/Power") was most likely derived from Guru N nak's Japj (the first set of hymns in the Sikh holy book, Gur Granth S hib), Twitchell altered its original phonetic spelling and definition, claiming that "Eckankar" was a Tibetan . 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. I know that here in San Diego, when we had our Eck center, elderly members of Eckankar who were sitting at the center got threatening telephone calls from Christian organizations., No, it had nothing to do with him. I was teaching at UC-San Diego at the time. Hi, Im Dave." At the time I didnt know who he was. They were gods to me, and one doesnt question the mating patterns of gods. Rosanne Cash sings, Some dreams die with dignity. Off my granddaughter sprints down the driveway, giving herself a head start, the front gate our finish line. After giving lectures and teaching Eckankar classes for ten years, I already knew them well. Here's why Eva Burley has left the Parkway softball program I became a teenager and all this other stuff was grabbing my attention., I keep looking around at Yelmans office. Wouldnt you want to know everything you possibly could about the history of this group and then make your choice? 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. On Saturday, I lunch with Lane at a restaurant in Del Mar. To me, if people want to get into those kinds of discussions, fine, and Ill kick it around with them for a while, too, if they want to talk on that level. I wrote to him, and he wrote a real nice letter back, saying that we should get together and talk. Jerry Mulvins suggestion that you start your own cult must have been intriguing on some level. They fade out clean and quietly. and is being financed by them to do his dirty research. According to one brochure, which invites me to experience the miracle of spiritual growth and to climb the stairway to spiritual freedom, Eckankar membership is said to be renewable on a yearly basis. He had on a white turban with a gemstone right here in the middle. Yelman points to her bangs. The Courier-Journal magazine, to which he was a regular contributor, reported that he sold 1800 stories and articles in three years. In Eckankar there is a technique called the Golden-Tongued Wisdom, in which you find spiritual guidance through an overheard conversation, a voice on the radio, or the lyrics of a popular song. Should I send this to the IRS? 'Should I send this to Eckankar? Little notes he was making to himself. Lane leans across the cafe table, excitedly tapping his straw. 0:53. 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. I have nice feelings toward Eckankar. Gross and Kurz are joined by vocalist Kim Driggs, an attractive woman with dark shaggy hair. His disciples told me he would pick a guy every night out of the staff and claim that they needed to have sex with him in order to increase their aura or they needed, pardon my language, a rectal innerphase in order to burn off karma., He has thus thing called aura innerphasing, where you do aura balancing, soul balancing, etheric balancing. I hope you all had your seatbelts fastened. Even more moving is Driggss rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Gross sits this one out on a rattan stool, his arms folded over his huge stomach, lost in thought. For tax purposes Twitchell moved Eckankar to Las Vegas, but he maintained residence in San Diego for the rest of his life. Sipping his virgin strawberry margarita, Lane says, I got a sense of authenticity when he played his vibes, like thats who he really was, a musician, instead of trying to be a master. Pine Avenue, right next to where I was living when I was doing my books in the 80s. At one Eckankar seminar in Florida, a panhandler happened to station himself outside the hotel where the seminar was held. But he refuses to reveal details for publication and will only repeat the facts as listed on the death certificate.