You know, just a natural progression. Walking Away: A Former 6th Initiate's Story 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. Its basically, check your brains at the door when you join a religion.". You can imagine how I felt, exclaims Lane. Apparently Lane has equally conflicted feelings about me. Im a fool to want you, quivers Billie Holiday through my stereo speakers. I used to be in Eckankar, I tell him. It was hard to leave Eckankar too. We take our seats among the 50 or so other seekers, many of whom have flown in for the event. Soul, being a spark of God, is on a journey to find its way home to God, or the Sugmad. I said to myself, I bet this is where Twitchell got the name Rebazar Tarzs! The think any actual activ long time member of Eckankar is very happy with Eckankar. He may like the trappings, but not the actual duty of it. After she finishes, Gross says, She can belt one out, cant she? I really enjoyed the music, but it was kind of sad. The Far Country, Lane claims to have found more than 400 plagiarized paragraphs. What is Eckankar? | Eckankar is Love, Wisdom & Spiritual Freedom He had on a white turban with a gemstone right here in the middle. Yelman points to her bangs. Its the reason, I believe, that he plagiarized so blatantly.. The story he tells me off-the-record, however, is filled with enough ardor and drama to qualify as an alternate ending to Citizen Kane. Eckankar ( or ECK) is a religious movement started in 1965 by Paul Twichell, a student of sound current yoga who modified the beliefs of the latter into his own spiritual movement, i.e., ECK . While Lane is in the bathroom, I try, to no avail, to get permission to photograph the event. Why Ex-Eckists Left Eckankar - Angelfire 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. Previously, my understanding of reality was contoured along the lines of the cultural landscape I was born into. Was I a fool to want 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 . 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. Lane drives me back to Hillcrest. Imagine it youve got a lot of new clientele out there ready to buy your stuff. I turn on the stereo and stare out the window. He reminds me of the bloated, near-death Elvis, only fatter and older. I wonder how long it takes new Eckists to even learn of his existence. Probably a composite cover name for three people: Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, which was started 500 years ago; Sawan Singh, who was Kirpal Singhs guru; and Swami Premananda. 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. Off my granddaughter sprints down the driveway, giving herself a head start, the front gate our finish line. Not long afterward I joined Eckankar, unaware of the dissension. One time he said, I want to take you someplace. I said okay! Eckankar | Ex Scientologist Message Board Redux Last April the current Living Eck Master, Harold Klemp, spoke at a three-day major seminar at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina. Source: mallsofamerica.blogspot.com. One exclaims, Arent you afraid of those Eckankarists, arent you afraid what theyre going to do?, I take a guilty sip of my drink. No, I was excited that somebody would pay attention to my research, Lane exclaims. Lane asks me if I want to see Twitchells Del Mar home. His critique was instrumental in my dropping out of Eckankar in the early 80s. Read full review of Eckankar Helpful? 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.. Lane believes, that Twitchell created the unbroken line of Vairagi Eck Masters, dating back some six million years to Gakko, who emigrated from the planet Venus. Love and Sex Eckankar Religions in Minnesota - Carleton College In October, at a seminar in Las Vegas, Gross was revealed to be the new Living Eck Master when Atkinson walked over to him and handed him a blue carnation. Collectively, this means that right-handed humans might be more protected from a deadly strike. Where do you think Twitchell got these names?. Discomfort spreads across his face as I continue, You were the Master most of the time I was in it. Holding my hand, he looks deep into my eyes and says, Im still the Master. The Genealogical Connection: Kirpal Singh, Paul Twitchell, and Eckankar Other students of Radhasoami have objected to Lanes critical stance in The Radhasoami Tradition: A Critical History of Guru Successorship, published by Garland. Susan Rice, the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, is stepping down from her post, President Biden announced Monday. There was music and noise and clamor, and I turned to look at my friend. During their first six months of membership, new Eckists usually receive what is known as their first initiation in the dreamstate. Toni Atkins wife Jennifer LeSar to bid on Todd Gloria's downtown project. So he puts up a thousand bucks and out comes this funky. What do Eckists believe? What is Eckankar? - CompellingTruth.org I found all this fun, interesting stuff. Valentines Day, my birthday, is only three days away. But her email was the exact reason why i left. (In one illustration, the Rod of Power is depicted as a glowing white wand. 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 was giving a talk at UCSD, trying to sell his book, preaching against Eckankar and a whole bunch of other religions. The term God no longer had use for me. That he could notJ>e was his tragedy. I wonder if this is not Lanes tragedy too. He extends his hand and smiles broadly. Although no meetings are required, the local Eckankar newsletter lists a variety of classes, book discussions, Hu chants, and lectures. Within two years Klemp fired Gross, accusing him of negativity, spiritual decay, and embezzlement. On the desk behind him sits a teddy bear. There was a lot going on. She speaks so softly, I move the microphone closer. Remember, when Twitchell founded Eckankar in 1965, he was living in San Diego, at Point Loma. Hes now in Scottsdale, Arizona. Their divorce was final in 1960. The transaction was conducted ethically but the Left's attacks on Justice Thomas have nothing to do with ethics. James Peebles, an Eckist and fellow classmate of Lanes, also wrote a paper on Eckankar. Lane does arrive, at one oclock Thursday afternoon, on time to the minute. Moreover, people within John-Rogers group have confirmed that on the day of the robbery he was in San Diego., Lane didnt sue Hinkins, but he did go public with his story. Im not interested in all this other dialogue that David Lane is so focused on. Freeways knocked out Sorrento Rd., getting from the 5 to the 805, fitness fanatics head for Corner House, get those Mira Mesa signs out. Seriously, what could one say about anybody that left a long held teaching based solely on words in one book? Sex. Theres so much shit. 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. Lane and Walsh had put a circle with a slash through it over Eckankars logo, which is EK formed into a circle. Lanes still a member of Kadhasoami, but hes been reluctant to talk about it, beyond mentioning that his guru Charan Singhs death in 1990 has thrown him into a state of crisis. 195 views 10 months ago Talk probes a statement made by many in the Eckankar organisation, that their group is 'uplifting'. Grosss rise to power was steeped in controversy from the beginning. 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. I am afraid my beliefs will cause conflict within the Eckankar community and it may be best that I leave Eckankar. Curated stories, fun places to hang out and top events. He was obsessed. Opinion | Tucker Carlson's Great Replacement - New York Times ECKANKAR was founded by Paul Twitchell (1909 - 1971) in California in the mid-1960s. David Lanes critiques of Eckankar may be well documented and rational, but religious devotion is not about rationality. Then she asks him to think about Grosss music as he again holds out his arm. Apparently, says Lane, Darwin took $2.5 million and put it into a front corporation in Oregon called Dharma Corporation. It is a nonprofit religious organization and church, legally recognized in the United States and over 40 other countries. Acts of Intolerance Eckankar Religions in Minnesota 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. Members receive a monthly discourse, which they have the option of studying alone or in classes. Eckankar is a system of belief that seeks to unify the person's soul with Light and Sound which are twin aspects of the Holy Spirit, or the Divine Spirit. Everybody Ive ever talked to who knows Gail says shes a very sharp person. Lane can be such a card. They were gods to me, and one doesnt question the mating patterns of gods. Paul was an avid reader. But, Dave, I whine, why wont you talk about it on tape? Because I have a certain kind of respect for him, a kind of sweet affection. The only. People were wearing rich, colorful clothing. 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. This most incredible feeling came over me, literally like light inside of me. He publishes books through an organization called Be Good to Your Self, located in Las Vegas. I also have the evidence that David Christopher Lane is an informant for the F.B.l. The perplexed beggar was in hog heaven. 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. Since its early days Eckankar has always really been a religion. Several hundred members of Eckankar live in the San Diego area, but not all of them participate in local events. Former Eckankar re-visits the movement | San Diego Reader The mastership of Darwin Gross is a black cloud in Eckankar history, a history that Eckankar wants to erase. 2 Bud Light Executives on Leave After Promotion With Dylan Mulvaney 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. 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. In the Army he traveled to Thailand, where he met his wife. Its going to be interesting to see how this information gets back to me. In a husky voice, smooth as malt whiskey, she sings, Dont blame me for falling in love with you. Those answers were so far-reaching in their depth and breadth, they still help me today, nine years later. Eckankar does not help people find God. 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. Eckankar first caught my attention by how matter-of-fact and logical it was. Friday afternoon I visit 22-year veteran of Eckankar Kevin McMahon in his Cardiff home. You can get in a debate over whether one paragraph in one of Paul Twitchells writings looks like a paragraph in somebody elses writings, but that has nothing to do with your spiritual experiences and the confirmation you get personally through the teachings and your work with the inner master. He took to unmasking frauds, but always with the hopes of finding a true medium. 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. Remembering him in his better days, thin and attractive, I am shocked by the corpulent, aging man standing before me, coughing. Pine Avenue, right next to where I was living when I was doing my books in the 80s. It was like in my imagination. 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. I ask, How do you account for Eckankars success? Eckankar uses two things that everybody has to have. I keep waiting for Gross to give a speech, but he never does. This time the arm doesnt budge no matter how hard she pushes down on it. For free downloadable books, check out our Web site at www.Eckankar.org. No, I sigh, Im not afraid of those people.. In 1978, after five years of study, he was initiated into Radhasoami in India by the late Maharaj Charan Singh. An example is Jagat Ho. You only here it from those shills promoting the book or on Ford's sites. Peter Skelskey So Harold said, Hey, why should we make this difficult for people? How wonderful after Eckankar, when I was able to experience the exquisiteness of other musicians and various teachers and realize fully: "This is it. John-Roger was a follower of Eckankar, begins Lane. I said, Yeah, Geraldo, this guy robbed my house, he did this he did this he did that all on national TV. Del Mar Press agreed to change the cover on future editions. Two years ago you were living at your girlfriends aunts house, not making much money on the pro-bowling scene, and now youre God., Lane rolls his eyes. I just left Eckankar Now what do I do Final - YouTube Its hard to leave the magical vistas of Del Mar. 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. Nowhere in any of the Eckankar press materials is Gross mentioned. We dont rely on the written word. The beggar you meet on the street may really be an Eck Master. Everybodys sexuality is different than everybody elses. So I came upon this theory called genealogical dissociation. Peoples experiences dont matter to David Lane. Rebazar Tarzs, she says reverently. He has no phone. Eckankar is one of the New Age religions, started in 1965 by journalist Paul Twitchell. Eckankar took off like wildfire, growing from three students to thousands in less than three years. Eckankar is the most direct path to becoming a coworker with the Sugmad. Initiations link Soul to the Eck (Holy Spirit), which can be seen as light and heard as sound. Through a process that Lane himself does not completely understand, someone photocopied this manuscript and circulated it around the country. Its membership today is primarily in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Sitting at our outside table, high above Camino Del Mar, surrounded by sky and ocean, I feel as if were gods feasting on petty human concerns. In a way it was like an abandonment. ", The following year Lane wrote a second paper, The Making of a Spiritual Movement: The Untold Story of Paul Twitchell and Eckankar. I was obsessed, Lane admits. The report made claims of tax irregularities and personal misconduct by an Eckankar leader. Its difficult not to resent Lane, that temptress, that town gossip, that snake in Eden. 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. I'd heard rumors about why he left but I wanted to see for myself. Here it is. Besides my straight As, I had nothing to give me a sense of self-worth. In 1977, noting the similarities between Radhasoami and Eckankar, a religious movement founded in San Diego in 1965 by the late Paul Twitchell, Lane wrote a term paper comparing the two for an undergraduate religious studies class at California State University-Northridge. Saturday afternoon, when we arrive at the hotel, Lane keeps disappearing into the bathroom. Lane tried in vain to place his controversial book with a major publisher. He never had much money. Nobody wins, so we just let it sit there. He also does private executive coaching. Here's something you might be interested in. As we wander aimlessly back and forth between the second and third levels of the garage, I smile at my surfer companions inability to negotiate this concrete urban maze. Eckankar is a new religious movement founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. 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. Yelman flickers in her pink-and-cream chair like a pale flame. The experiential aspect to Eckankar really interested me, and thats how it started.. . Mother Teresas group. May the Force be with you.). Now what do you do when your group is charging money and does not follow any of the restrictions of this Indian group it evolved out of, one whose teachings are free? 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. Understand, hes got names coming out of the woodwork., So who do you think Rebazar Tarzs really is?. Why Harlan Crow Purchased Clarence Thomas's Mother's Home 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. Eckankar - Reddit 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. Hes told me he surfs, and in his knee-length khaki shorts, plum-colored T-shirt, and sandals, he looks like a surfer. My research has helped because its made me more discriminating, more critical-minded. ECKANKAR. The term God no longer had use for me. The Cadillac of Cults. Eckankar set up a meeting with Lane at its international headquarters in Menlo Park. One of the reasons he may have relinquished his spiritual role to Harold is that it didnt jibe with him. The Living Eck Master gives support and guidance for the things that we choose to do. Yelman pauses for emphasis. Buying a used car you at least look underneath the hood, hit the tires, maybe take it to a mechanic to check it out. I figure Lane knows plenty about this. In the late 50s, Twitchell also became a staff member of L. Ron Hubbards Church of Scientology, another association that would later be denied. 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. Lane and I drive to La Jolla for leaden upscale Mexican food. He does that all the time. For tax purposes Twitchell moved Eckankar to Las Vegas, but he maintained residence in San Diego for the rest of his life. Eckankar Pre Philosophy. The Living Eck Master descends from an unbroken line of Vairagi Masters. Second, everybody has to dream at night, or most people dream at night, and Eckists dream about Fubbi Quantz or Rebazar Tarzs or Paul Twitchell. Naturally the threat made me want to do more research. why i left eckankar - Kennedy Krieger Institute I wrote to Jerry, way to go, Jerry! That night in the dreamstate I had a meeting with a master. Grosss young, perky assistant, Dawn, explains, Frankly, there have been lawsuits." 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. Various Eckists say they witnessed the ceremony. 2 0 Share Reply More Q They sent letters about me claiming I was the negative force, that I. This is where Ive got to be careful. He focuses a lot on past things, Paul Twitchell and how much his writings look like the writings of a teaching Lane happens to be in. (My husband, who had never heard of Atkinson before, sees her as a kind of 60s super-vixen, like Pussy Galore. Gross continues to work as a spiritual master, with a small group of devoted followers, many of them former Eckists.
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