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Eckankar has been labelled by critics as a ]. Eckankar has been labelled by critics as a ].


On the introductory level - that is, to new members - Eckankar states that spiritual truth is not the possession of a single person or group, and that the many paths all lead to the same goal. This is contrary to most other religions that claim to be the ONLY true path to heaven or any sort of positive/divine afterlife. It is clear, however, that the teaching does regard itself as having benefits over other paths, and it states that it (Eckankar) is the MOST DIRECT path to Self and God realization. On the introductory level - that is, to new members - Eckankar states that spiritual truth is not the possession of a single person or group, and that the many paths all lead to the same goal. This is contrary to many religions that claim to be the only true path to heaven or any sort of positive/divine afterlife. It is clear, however, that the teaching does regard itself as having benefits over other paths, and it states that it (Eckankar) is the most direct path to Self and God realization.


==See also== ==See also==

Revision as of 01:34, 18 June 2006

Eckankar, Religion of the Light and Sound of God emphasizes the value of personal experiences as the most natural way back to God. The current spiritual leader of Eckankar (since October 1981) is Sri Harold Klemp. Eckankar is generally regarded as a new religious movement begun in 1965; however, the principles are said to be of ancient origin. The teaching states that Eckists (students of Eckankar; also called chelas) must prove the veracity of the path for themselves, and gives specific Spiritual Exercises that teach individuals to leave their body, and journey into what is known as the "higher planes." The spiritual goal of all Eckists is to become co-workers with God Itself.

Teachings

Beliefs

Eckankar teaches that spiritual experience and spiritual liberation in this lifetime are available to all by actively exploring the spiritual worlds through Soul Travel , dreams , and other spiritual techniques. Eckankar's belief is that Soul is eternal and is the individual's true identity, not the body or the mind. You are Soul; you exist because God loves you. You are on a journey of Self-Realization and God-Realization. ECKists believe that giving love and service to their family and community is one way to increase their contact with God’s love.

The term ECK (as in ECK-ankar) means "One". Eckankar uses the term ECK for what Christians commonly call the Holy Spirit. The teaching states that this "spirit" can be experienced as spiritual Light and Sound These twin aspects of God we can experience personally. Known in Eckankar as the ECK , this audible stream of life has been described in all religious texts. In the beginning there was the "word", for example. In the Vedic Scripts, it is called Shada or the Bani, and all religions refer to these aspects of Spirit, the Light and Sound.

Eckankar teaches how to recognize the Light and Sound of God through the use of spiritual exercises. It also teaches ways to experience the Light and Sound of God. Karma and reincarnation are primary beliefs in Eckankar. The ECK (Holy Spirit) helps purify oneself of karma, making it possible to accept the full love of God in this lifetime, gaining wisdom, charity, and freedom.

Spiritual unfoldment can be accelerated through conscious contact with the ECK, Divine Spirit. This contact can be made via the Spiritual Exercises of ECK and the guidance of the Living ECK Master. A friend and guide, the Living ECK Master's spiritual purpose is to link Soul to the Light and Sound of God; Eckankar always has a Living ECK Master.

The Light and Sound are the cornerstones of the teaching. These twin aspects are something any individual can experience personally. It is claimed that an individual can also learn to consciously lift themselves out of their body by tuning into these aspects of Spirit.

One important spiritual exercise of Eckankar is the singing or chanting of HU. The HU has been used in the Sufi traditions and other paths, and is seen to be a "love song to God". See —pronounced "hue," and sung gently over and over for about 20 minutes. Eckists sing it alone or in groups during worship services, seminars, and Satsang (classes) (hear an example) for spiritual upliftment. Another aspect of Eckankar is the teaching of spiritual exercises to learn Soul Travel. This purportedly allows the Chela to step back from the overwhelming input of the physical senses and emotions and regain the Soul's spiritual viewpoint.

Unlike many other teachings, the Master in Eckankar is not someone to be worshipped or idolized, but used as a role model or stepping stone to acheving the enlightened state within oneself. A principle of the teaching is to teach each individual to lift themselves in consciousness until they are a Master unto themselves.

A goal of Eckists is to work off karma and achieve Self-Realization and God-realization in this lifetime. The stated goal on the back of every membership card reads: "The aim and purpose of Eckankar has always been to take Soul by Its own path back to its divine source." –The Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, Book Two.

Dreams are regarded as an important teaching tool. Members are urged to keep a dream journal to facilitate study. It is said that a person can become capable of exploring other planes of existence, through Dreams or Soul Travel.

Origins

Eckankar began as a formal religion circa 1965. Their headquarters, main Temple and spiritual campus are in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

The origin of Eckankar, according to its followers, is timeless. Curiously, images relating to the "EK" symbol used by present day Eckankar have been found in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. A 1930's book set in the pre-dynastic period of Egypt "The Winged Pharoah" by Joan Grant does mention a teaching similar to present day Eckankar

"Out Of Body" or Soul Travel experience is not new to the world's religions. In Christianity, for example, the Apostle Paul claims "I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know." (2 Cor. 12:2) Biblical scholars write the "person in Christ" is most likely Paul himself. The language suggests an ecstatic experience, in which he was taken out of the body. The books of Eckankar contain a good deal of information about historical spirituality, and current practice, in addition to its teachings on dreams and soul travel. The present leader, Sri Harold Klemp, has written extensively about Eckankar and recommends books by Paul Twitchell, the late founder (books like Stranger by the River, The Flute of God, and ECKANKAR - The Key to Secret Worlds). Mr. Klemp also refers students to many "outside" sources, including alternative health practices and education. Many of Eckankar's Chelas have also written commentaries and books on the faith.

According to various biographies, Eckankar founder Paul Twitchell studied many of the world's religions, from Surat Shabda Yoga under Kirpal Singh, to Scientology. Paul Twitchell reportedly read over 30,000 books on spiritual and other topics, and was a prolific writer. In Eckankar, he brought together many teachings that he felt were most the important for the development of Soul. After Twitchell, Darwin Gross was the leader for 10 years until he appointed Harold Klemp in October 1981. After a significant and public conflict, Darwin Gross set up his own spiritual teaching. His teachings are very similar to Eckankar's but called the Ancient Teachings of Masters, or ATOM for short. Gross has also written several books and discourses. This change in Eckankar leadership has been hotly debated, but the great majority of Eckists have remained loyal to Sri Harold Klemp.

Current status

Eckankar has an active membership base in over one hundred countries throughout the world, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Africa .

Seminars are held worldwide throughout the year, with attendance ranging up to 10,000 participants. 36,694 U.S. Eckankar members were estimated for 2004 , with worldwide estimates varying from 50,000 - 500,000 and up . (Eckankar does not publish their own membership figures.)

Eckankar's 50,000 square foot main "Temple of ECK" was dedicated in Chanhassen, Minnesota on October 22, 1990. As of late 2005, the largest capacity Eckankar Temple was in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, Africa, with a capacity of over 10,000.

Eckankar offers several dozen books, videos, CDs, and tapes on a variety of spiritual topics. Membership in Eckankar is based on a suggested donation: members receive discourses they are invited to study at home or in the company of other members in Eckankar Satsang classes. Eckankar does not attempt to convert individuals to their religion. They do, however, advertise their presence and distribute literature to interested persons.

ECK masters

ECKists believe contact with Divine Spirit, which they call the ECK , can be made via the Spiritual Exercises of ECK and the guidance of the Living ECK Master. Eckists believe the greatest spiritual advancement is gained through SERVICE. Those most spiritually advanced, the ECK masters, are here to serve all life irrespective of religious belief or bodily form. However, ECK masters will not interfere in the sacred state of consciousness of another being without their permission .

Critics contend that by valuing direct personal spiritual experience over thought and analysis, Eckankar may be—in cult-like fashion—discouraging independent thinking. Eckists are encouraged to doubt the teaching, and test it for themselves prior to joining. There is a 2 year qualification period to this end, after which an individual may apply for what is called the "Second Initiation".

It might be said most ECKists believe that by valuing personal experience and observing one's inner process one gains a deeper insight than mere rational thought or logical argument can afford. A basic Eck principle is for each Eckist to be self-supporting and self-reliant, yet at the same time the teaching disavows individuals separating from society or becoming hermits. The number of those leaving Eckankar or having a perception that Eckankar has cult-like features is not known.

Hotels that house Eckankar functions generally speak well of the attendees. There is no practice of a uniform dress code, but Eckists strive neither to smoke nor drink, and these teachings appear to have attracted individuals from all levels of society.

Recently, there has been an explosion of membership in Africa, and a large temple houses some 10,000 members at their yearly gathering. Eckankar centres are in almost every capital city in the world, and are staffed by volunteer workers.

It was once said of Eckankar that it is the world's least known international religion. There is no public record of any major religious figures in the world taking note of the teaching; however, it is reported that one of the early adherents, Ms Anya Foos, had a long-lasting religious correspondance with the late Pope John Paul II.

Splinter groups

As mentioned with ATOM, there are several splinter groups that have separated from the main body of the Eckankar Teaching. Most significant and successful is John Roger and his MSIA group. They became well known and popular in the 1970's by distributing free stickers and cards with happy messages to people on the street. John Roger's teaching is very similar, and he acknowledges he was a student of Paul Twitchell, but denies any further connection.

Some Eckists have started their own groups after believing they received inner guidance to change Eckankar and finding Eckankar did not agree. For example, in an open letter, former Eckist Ford Johnson confesses surprise that Eckankar did not agree with his interpretation of an inner experience , and so he created and now promotes his own spiritual organization.

Perhaps the largest group with ties to Eckankar is the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, MSIA, begun by its founder John-Roger. While JR, as he is known, claims he was at one time a member of Eckankar, he disavows any theological connection with the group. In recent years MSIA has made an effort to distance itself from new age thought and has entered the realm of more liberal christianity or new thought.

Other splinter groups do not have webpages, but are active in webforums. There are some valid viewpoints expressed to the contrary of what Eckankar teaches.

The current leader of Eckankar has stated that members should feel free to leave Eckankar unbounded by guilt or fear. But critics contend that while Eckankar promotes itself as a path to ending karma and reincarnation, Eckankar writings also speak harshly of karma and reincarnation to members who leave Eckankar.

Accusations of Plagiarism in Eckankar

After Twitchell's death in 1971, David C. Lane, then a member of the Sant Mat derivative RadhaSoami Satsang Beas, charged that Eckankar was a derivative of Sant Mat, citing Twitchell's plagiarization of several authors. The religious scholar J. Gordon Melton followed Lane in this.

Passages from a number of Eckankar books such as The Tiger's Fang, The Far Country, The Eck Vidya, Letters to Gail, The Flute of God, and The Shariyat ki Sugmad are significantly similar to RadhaSoami texts to have the charge of plagiarism fairly levelled against the founder, Paul Twitchell. These passages number in the hundreds in The Far Country alone. "The Far Country" appears to be a re-write of the Julian Johnson book "Path of the Masters" and the "I AM" philosophy of Neville Goddard, and perhaps other authors. Paul Twitchell wrote "The Far Country" when he was in between active membership in the RadhaSoami teaching and creating his own religion. Though Paul Twitchell stated that he had put Eckankar together from the scattered bits and pieces of other teachings, neither he nor any of his successors have ever publicly admitted that he plagiarized the works of other authors.

For some this precipitated a Conflict of Faith. It would appear that in all discussions pro and against the Eckankar teaching the notion of a God Realized man needing to plagiarize has been a galvanizing force for opposition. There has been an excellent response (Dialogue in the Age of Criticism) written on this subject by a long standing member, Doug Marman. This book can be seen at his webpages www.littleknownpubs.com.

Is Eckankar a Cult?

Eckankar has been labelled by critics as a cult.

On the introductory level - that is, to new members - Eckankar states that spiritual truth is not the possession of a single person or group, and that the many paths all lead to the same goal. This is contrary to many religions that claim to be the only true path to heaven or any sort of positive/divine afterlife. It is clear, however, that the teaching does regard itself as having benefits over other paths, and it states that it (Eckankar) is the most direct path to Self and God realization.

See also

References

  1. Melton, J. Gordon Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America (New York/London: Garland, 1986, ISBN 0824090365
    Chapter E. The Newer Cults, Eckankar
    "Though often missing from the surveys of world religion, the Sant Mat tradition of India has has an important role both in broadening the religious options on the Indian susubcontinent and increasing the religious groups in the United States. Several of the popular new religions of the 1970s sprang directly from the Sant Mat groups of India, while others like the Divine Light Mission were less evidently attached. A few, such as ECKANKAR and M.S.I.A., while relying almost totally on Sant Mat teachings, have attempted to deny their debt to Sant Mat teachers."

Literature

Doug Marman "Dialogue in the Age of Criticism" A dialogue evolved from Plagiarism claims and discussions on alt.religion.eckankar newsgroup.

  • David C. Lane: The Making of a Spiritual Movement: The Untold Story of Paul Twitchell and Eckankar, del Mar Press 1993, ISBN 0961112468

External links

Official

General reference

Ex-members and alternate views

Plagiarism discussion

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