And he didnt know anything about Eckankar., The guide was a bearded man in this maroon robe. So you were awake when you had this experience? I ask, intrigued. He took to unmasking frauds, but always with the hopes of finding a true medium. I only accept that thing which I can verify or that thing which I consider to be somewhat genuine. 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. 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. 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. But the woman I remember was mousy, with a broad smile; no Bond girl was she. Eckankar: Reviews, Complaints, Customer Claims | ComplaintsBoard 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. Thats really what it is for me. Video explores the spiritual problems that may come, and explains how to deal wit. Why I Left Eckankar Writing this summary of beliefs, I consulted Eckankar materials, but I didnt need to. At 17, Lane, who was raised Catholic in the San Fernando Valley, became interested in Radhasoami, a branch of surat shabd yoga founded in India in the 19th Century. He tells me hes currently working on a second book about Eckankar, entitled Gakko Came from Venus: Exploring the Hidden World of Eckankar, an Unauthorized Expedition. 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. For the past 20 years, Lanes books and articles accusing several new religious movements of plagiarisms, lies, inconsistencies, and scandals have raised a fury among true believers. The Genealogical Connection: Kirpal Singh, Paul Twitchell, and Eckankar Its a bitchin house.. Lane pays for my coffee and his Coke, and we sit down at a small, dark table. The former members of Eckankar make a mistake in here thinking procedure. Im not interested in all this other dialogue that David Lane is so focused on. Many events are open to the public, including the Sunday worship services, which tackle spiritual topics of broad interest. Naturally the threat made me want to do more research. His critique was instrumental in my dropping out of Eckankar in the early 80s. or call 1-888-L0VE-GOD (recorded message) 952-380-2200 (Eckankar Spiritual Center) You may write us at: ECKANKAR PO Box . 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. He was obsessed. His clothes seem to be tossed onto his rather stocky body. Around the same time, the Spiritual Counterfeits Project published its own journal, Eckankar, a Hard Look at a New Religion, based largely on lines manuscript, which they distributed to nearly every Eck center i in the world. Founded in 1965 by Paul Twitchell, one-time disciple of Swami Premananda, Kirpal Singh, and L. Ron Hubbard, Eckankar owes much of its theology to Radhasoami. Not long afterward I joined Eckankar, unaware of the dissension. Eckankar has members in over 120 countries around the world, and its teachings have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. Finally, he agrees to come to the house, but Im doubtful that he will really appear. 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? Its membership today is primarily in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The next day Channel 8 news came out and did as their lead story Cult Researcher Robbed. They took a copy of my article The J.R. Controversy. But they didnt name John-Roger.. The courtship was over. With only a post office box and an answering service to connect me to him, Lane seems as slippery as Houdini. I hook my mike over the breadbasket and turn on the tape recorder. Peebles, says Lane, got so disgruntled when he realized there was some kind of fraud being perpetuated that he wrote Eckankar himself about these findings. Peebles returned to his Baptist roots and sent his paper to Professor Ed Gruss of the Los Angeles Baptist College. 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 idea that people are leaving Eckankar based on what they read in a single book is IMO an advertizing tactic to sell more copies. I was on the Holy Grail of research.". Though Eckankar does not try to coerce disillusioned members to remain on the path, Eckists are warned that when they drop out, their spiritual growth stops, and they are at the mercy of the Kal, the negative force of the universe. So Harold said, Hey, why should we make this difficult for people? Gross continues to work as a spiritual master, with a small group of devoted followers, many of them former Eckists. Classic. Eckankar, the Ancient Science of Soul Travel, was officially founded. 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. I became a teenager and all this other stuff was grabbing my attention., I keep looking around at Yelmans office. I said to myself, I bet this is where Twitchell got the name Rebazar Tarzs! 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. In 68 he was a convener, which means he held Eck satsangs [classes) in his home in Rosemead, California. The walls are covered with Andrea Zuills dramatically lit oil paintings of monstrous chalky-fleshed zombies. 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. It was like an outpost of spirituality. Through a process that Lane himself does not completely understand, someone photocopied this manuscript and circulated it around the country. When youre traveling, you want to have fun; you want to see pretty things. McMahon generously drives me to my interview with holistic health practitioner Bettina Yelman, whose Del Mar office is just down the hall from Richardss. But he refuses to reveal details for publication and will only repeat the facts as listed on the death certificate. Remembering him in his better days, thin and attractive, I am shocked by the corpulent, aging man standing before me, coughing. 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. Understand, hes got names coming out of the woodwork., So who do you think Rebazar Tarzs really is?. Blame Eddy for May Gray and June Gloom, Chamise and Buckwheat are blooming, All the Dylan Mulvaney San Diego connections. There he and his first wife, Camille, joined the Self-Revelation Church of Absolute Monism, a system of yoga founded by Swami Premananda. Gross and Kurz are joined by vocalist Kim Driggs, an attractive woman with dark shaggy hair. He does that all the time. 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. All rights reserved. It may be a game for Lane, but believers are playing for high emotional and intellectual stakes. Leaving Eckankar? : r/Eckankar - Reddit He read thousands and thousands of books, and he was a spiritually hungry man. You can imagine how I felt, exclaims Lane. Then his whole manner changed he leaned forward in his chair, his voice emphatically rose and fell. When I woke up in the morning, I had an opportunity to ask questions. Lane can be such a card. I dont remember it looking this way, he says pensively. That i owed it to myself to know for sure that what i. Nowhere in any of the Eckankar press materials is Gross mentioned. 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. Eckankar took off like wildfire, growing from three students to thousands in less than three years. WHY I LEFT THE MASTER. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. Members are deluded into believing they make spiritual progress, while they are merely psychologically entrapped. To top it off, their white helmets bore an insignia that was remarkably similar to Eckankars circular EK logo. The report made claims of tax irregularities and personal misconduct by an Eckankar leader. Theres certain things I left out of the book, and one of them is the night Twitchell died. On October 22, 1965, Twitchell claimed to have received the Rod of Power from Rebazar Tarzs, becoming the 971st Living Eck Master. Harold Klemp. Due to eckankar's policy that one not ever request initiations, many suffer in silence, sensing justifiably that something isn't quite right, yet fear to even ask about the possibility of an error. Here it is. Last April the current Living Eck Master, Harold Klemp, spoke at a three-day major seminar at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina. He publishes books through an organization called Be Good to Your Self, located in Las Vegas. One interesting guy I met was Jerry Mulvin. The phone wire had been disconnected. 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. He had to make it seem like its his own creation, because if he linked the two hed lose his potential clientele., It was to hide these past connections. Within two years Klemp fired Gross, accusing him of negativity, spiritual decay, and embezzlement. When it came out, I got a 25-page letter from a group called the Coalition for Civil and Spiritual Freedom. Gail Atkinson, who has long since broken with Eckankar, is said to live in wealthy seclusion in Palm Springs. Eckankar is against psychic . The Kal is similar to Satan, representing everything that is materialistic and evil, a being of vileness, wrath, and vengeance. 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. In The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini, Ruth Brandon writes, He terribly wanted to be convinced. ECKANKAR - YouTube Freeways knocked out Sorrento Rd., getting from the 5 to the 805, fitness fanatics head for Corner House, get those Mira Mesa signs out. I am afraid my beliefs will cause conflict within the Eckankar community and it may be best that I leave Eckankar. During the 30s and 40s, Twitchell was a prolific writer. Imagine it youve got a lot of new clientele out there ready to buy your stuff. Eckankar is a new religious movement founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. Lane places his hand to his face like a phone receiver, Hi, Fubbi, this is Gakko. I choke down the last gulp of my Green Garden vegetable cocktail and ask,. Finally, in 1992, Garland, a publisher of hardback reference books, accepted Lanes manuscript for its library series. 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. Im a surfer, so I had this surfer hair and a turtleneck. He invited me to his house in Mandeville Canyon, a beautiful house, a mansion. He is a reserved man whose dimpled smile betrays a sense of humor. When I ask him what Eckankars position is on Lanes research, Richards, whos been in Eckankar for 20 years, says he doesnt know. I left Eckankar because I was able to prove the concepts of Soul Travel to myself. Lane discovered information that led him to believe that Twitchell copied whole chapters from Radhasoami texts, lied about biographical details.. Signed, The Master. Another former Eckist named Gary Olsen started the MasterPath. Lane tells me that former Living Eck Master Darwin Gross is appearing February 11 at the Best Western Hanalei Hotel. . On tape Twitchell is asked about Rebazar Tarzs. Sex. Valentines Day, my birthday, is only three days away. I imagine we have a wide spectrum. For one, they're saddled with . Remember, when Twitchell founded Eckankar in 1965, he was living in San Diego, at Point Loma. Recent local Eckankar meeting. I was a member for almost 15 years, but thanks to the internet, I found out the truth about it and got out. When a group of Eckists and I went to see the Bloomington, Indiana, premiere of Star Wars, we were thrilled by the light sabers of the Jedi knights. . why i left eckankar - Kennedy Krieger Institute A representative at the Eckankar international office assured me that no one is turned away for lack of funds. 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. It is the force that sustains and supports all life throughout the worlds or SUGMAD [God]. The Making of a Spiritual Movement is, in fact, so well documented that at times it reads like a 200-page footnote. Hes got his music. He had on a white turban with a gemstone right here in the middle. Yelman points to her bangs. Its basically, check your brains at the door when you join a religion.". Eckankar first caught my attention by how matter-of-fact and logical it was. 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. Dont miss out. The following article hopes to help you make more suitable choices and get more useful information The treatment of critics, the phony official organizations that are merely cult front groups, and the lies are all the same. Answer. 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. To come up with original material takes time, and time is money. He didnt bring up David Lane, but he requested that I not dwell on Darwin Gross. In 1950 the Twitchells moved to the church compounds, but five years later Twitchell was asked to leave the church for personal misconduct. That same year he and his wife separated. Understand that if you read the sacred works of all the religions, such as the Bhagavad-Gita, the Bible, or the Koran, youre going to see references almost exactly alike. He tells me a phenomenal story about an American writer and a European writer who, unbeknownst to one another, wrote identical books and sent them to the same publisher. Instead of asking people to be really skeptical of things, its asking them to believe almost anything. But, Dave, I counter, when you talk to Eckists they always tell you, Im a totally skeptical person. His new title was President of Eckankar. The maker of Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch, said on Tuesday that two of its executives were taking a leave of absence after the beer was featured in a social media . I'd heard rumors about why he left but I wanted to see for myself. 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. Anyway, there was an intensification of that, and I knew undoubtedly something was going on. A job as a correspondent for Our Navy took him to Washington, D.C. in 1945. For a year and a half or two years, says Lane, it was a shoestring operation. 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. He has no phone. Lifes kind of sad. Tucker Carlson's Great Replacement. One time he said, I want to take you someplace. I said okay! For tax purposes Twitchell moved Eckankar to Las Vegas, but he maintained residence in San Diego for the rest of his life. No, I was excited that somebody would pay attention to my research, Lane exclaims. Members receive a monthly discourse, which they have the option of studying alone or in classes. He offshooted from Eckankar and founded this religion called the Divine Science of Light and Sound. If I were any of you. It seems to me Im doing a huge favor to the Eckists, because now they can know what theyre joining, and if theyve read my book, theyve done all the research, and if they still think this is for me, then fine. The Mahanta is respected but not worshiped . 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. The reason I turned my back on Eckankar for good was discovering the plagiarism in their bible, which other Eckists told me was divinely inspired. I anticipate our talk with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. There was music and noise and clamor, and I turned to look at my friend. Any of these 900-plus masters may appear to spiritual seekers on the inner planes or in the physical world, often in disguise. answer the question why i left eckankar, which will help you get the most accurate answer. As the great Houdini wrote, The yellow thread of exposure seems to be inextricably woven into all fabrics whose strength is secrecy. Houdini, like Lane, was a man whose obsessions drove him to expose religious frauds. Indeed, as Lane, Melton, and others have pointed out, most of Paul Twitchell's writings are derived from two Radhasoami publications, With a Great . I said, Yeah, Geraldo, this guy robbed my house, he did this he did this he did that all on national TV. I taped them for five hours. The accusations leveled against Hinkins included embezzling money, plagiarizing from the teachings of Paul Twitchell and others, skirting zoning laws, illegally obtaining airfare discounts, setting up tape recorders throughout his house to obtain information that he would later use to appear psychic, and sexual misconduct. What is Eckankar? Religious History & Beliefs - Study.com He also gave full accounts to the San Diego Sheriff s Department and to numerous news agencies. This was in 76 or 77, and I was 20 years old, so its like All the President's Men. 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. I always have been. This is God's love and intelligence, and it is EVERYWHERE." 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. I stood up and said, You know, Im a member of the community, Im a coach in the Little League, Im involved with the schools. I gave a list of my involvements with the community, and then I said, Im an Eckist and I believe in God. Twitchell was living in Point Loma in 1965 when he started teaching workshops and selling booklets on how to leave your body. I would raise my head to the stage in rapt silence, devouring every word the Grosses spoke. Its going to be interesting to see how this information gets back to me. The Eckankar Cult In Nigeria (Africa) - Religion - Nigeria - Nairaland On Saturday, I lunch with Lane at a restaurant in Del Mar. Theres no calm center to this storm. And it continues to rain. Id really start believing Id had a spiritual experience, Id wake up feeling like, Wow! Eckankar works because it doesnt make you have experiences that are impossible to have., What about soul travel, visiting higher planes of existence? Lane swallows his pizza. Should I send this to the IRS? 'Should I send this to Eckankar? Little notes he was making to himself. The think any actual activ long time member of Eckankar is very happy with Eckankar. . Its hard to leave the magical vistas of Del Mar. A volunteer raises one arm straight out to the side, and Dawn easily pushes it down. Sure! But when we go to the Hillcrest Village parking garage to retrieve Lanes car he cant find it. She agrees to provide us with an official photograph of Gross at the vibes, and I leave to find Lane. The mastership of Darwin Gross is a black cloud in Eckankar history, a history that Eckankar wants to erase. And I dont mean fun in a mean way, I mean, I find Paul to be incredibly imaginative and very interesting to investigate.. Darwin Gross. When he died in 1971, he was living in Del Mar. 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. Im an extremely intuitive person, she says, so I feel things long before I understand them in my head. Question - alt.religion.eckankar.narkive.com Curated stories, fun places to hang out and top events. My group is for dumbshits. People were wearing rich, colorful clothing. The Living Eck Master gives support and guidance for the things that we choose to do. Yelman pauses for emphasis. 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. This guys pretty smart, because he knows that if he pays attention to me, thats a good way of buying me off, so he can spin-doctor my research. No, I sigh, Im not afraid of those people.. It was a P.O. And who knows? But her email was the exact reason why i left. Peter Skelskey You can explain it in a lot of different ways. May the Force be with you.). I would ask a question and get an answer, and I would jot it down. But its just a few blocks off University.. I ask him how his research into cults has affected his own beliefs. Eckankar - Hinduism - Oxford Bibliographies - obo The Living Eck Master helps the souls that are embodied here on Earth to gain the spiritual insights that they need to grow and evolve spiritually., Yelman hugs me goodbye, and I take an endless rush-hour cab ride to Hillcrest, during which the driver asks me endless questions about Eckankar. Gross was in the habit of wearing light-blue leisure suits, and men throughout the audience mimicked his attire. Eckankar took off like wildfire, growing from three students to thousands in less than three years. Cult Survivors: Victims of the Eckankar cult (The Library of Truth): Sykes, Joe: 9781659942743: Amazon.com: Books Books Religion & Spirituality Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts Try Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery Buy new: $6.99 Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns Nobody wins, so we just let it sit there. Why you can trust Sky News Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness is to step down after 15 years. He used to send me Christmas cards, he gave me his personal phone number, and he offered me $5000 to help with my research on Eckankar.. That night in the dreamstate I had a meeting with a master. The Cadillac of Cults. His voice changed, Well, we cant reveal that information. Was he in San Diego? No reply. He went nuts. Eckankar and I finally reached a point where decades of lies, of half truths, of disappointments, finally came to a head. Lane and I drive to La Jolla for leaden upscale Mexican food. My family is full of attorneys. Theres so much shit. Operating, as I do now, in a professional arts world in which people want a rsum before deciding whether to talk to you, I miss the support of the Eckankar community. The minute he saw me he canceled all of his appointments and spent six hours with me., Lane leans across the table toward me and grins. 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. You got it. So I do. His earlier writings didnt really talk about Rebazar Tarzs. (The 500-year-old bearded Tibetan monk Rebazar Tarzs wears a maroon robe, carries in his powerful right hand a huge walking staff, and speaks with a musical voice. Recently I have had a spiritual crisis where I stopped believing in the concept of the Abrahamic God. I have been an official member of Eckankar for 10 years. Nine years later she read Paul Twitchells Eckankar: Key to Secret Worlds. I was very naive. Dont you feel like the Great White Hunter attacking the endangered rhinoceros? Lane responds with animation. A few months later Gross and Twitchells widow married, sending more ripples of confusion throughout the fold. Im a fool to want you, quivers Billie Holiday through my stereo speakers. James Peebles, an Eckist and fellow classmate of Lanes, also wrote a paper on Eckankar. After leaving the Self-Revelation Church, Twitchell dove into the Radhasoami movement. Eight years later he broke with Kirpal Singh and thereafter denied any involvement with him. Peoples experiences dont matter to David Lane. Every thriller these days has a false ending and then a real ending, to the point that when I watch a pre-Carrie film, I am disappointed at how easily chaos is defeated. This was 79, 15 years ago. TOP 9 why i left eckankar BEST and NEWEST After reading Eckankar books for a year and a half, Yelman went to a seminar in Las Vegas. There are ECK Temples, ECK Centers, and reading rooms in cities and towns across the . Very top secret, for they were really scared of upsetting John-Roger. Here's something you might be interested in. 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. In what century was he born? This time the arm doesnt budge no matter how hard she pushes down on it. I called him my friend, she continues. When I get home, my hosts greet me with a Manhattan. T he attacks on Justice Thomas never stop. 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. Lane leans down to better peer through his window. Yelman received hers while at an Eck seminar in Hawaii. I had my two sisters to take care of while my parents were being mixed up. I dont give them any value. The inner form of the Living Eck Master, known as the Mahanta, works with students in the dreamstate and during their spiritual exercises. He was kind of dark complexioned. Lane looks like hes swallowed a mouse, grinning and biting his finger.
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