I like you and Im enjoying our talk, but nothing youre saying is very seductive. I open the door to a boyish 38-year-old with a full head of healthy brown hair. 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. The suggested annual membership donation for individuals is $120, a bargain in the miracles-and-freedom market. I have been an official member of Eckankar for 10 years. He also does private executive coaching. I'm a former member of this cult, in America. I would just close my eyes and he would be there, and I would be there with him too. After giving lectures and teaching Eckankar classes for ten years, I already knew them well. Followers of Eckankar believe that beyond the physical world there are many other realms existing at higher vibratory rates. It [had been mailed originally] from a P.O. Religions in Minnesota Religions in Minnesota Acts of Intolerance Because of the frequency and duration and escalation of these incidents, coupled with religious slurs being painted over sacred signs, property, and our roadway, it's religious bigotry. Basically, I feel that David Lane is making a name for himself by being an antagonist to Eckankar. Video explores the spiritual problems that may come, and explains how to deal wit. All rights reserved. His quest for knowledge and experience of God is without question. In what century was he born? Although the book was already typeset. Lane drives me back to Hillcrest. The Rod of Power was passed on to Harold Klemp. Jerry Mulvins suggestion that you start your own cult must have been intriguing on some level. The spiritual exercises are a form of prayer. ", Charles Richards: "David Lane is making a name for himself by being an antagonist to Eckankar.". Eckankar teaches that the soul is eternal, it exists because God loves it, and it is journeying to self-realization and God realization. or call 1-888-L0VE-GOD (recorded message) 952-380-2200 (Eckankar Spiritual Center) You may write us at: ECKANKAR PO Box . 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. Lifes kind of sad. Their divorce was final in 1960. 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. by. All that junk you gave Lane to write down came out of your own filthy minds, and mouths and you know filthy mouths must be cleaned out don't you. A skeptic goes to an Eckankar meeting, or anybodys meditation meeting, and says, Well, now wait a second, are you sure you saw the astral body of Rami Nuri? In Eckankar, since everyone is Soul, everyone is worthy. This is not seen as coldness or indifference but as a precursor to unconditional love. Gross smiles to himself as he hits the vibes. 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. But Lane had the jump on all of them when back in 1984 he wrote The J.R. Lane looks like hes swallowed a mouse, grinning and biting his finger. Finally, as a last resort, Lane suggests we exit the parking garage and then walk down the ramp where we drove in. For a year and a half or two years, says Lane, it was a shoestring operation. 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. But Eckists are such sweet people, I insist. Simply put, Twitchell cut his connection with Radhasoami for good marketing reasons. I would not put it past Twitchell to have simply coined the name from one of his trips to Baja.. 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.. I just went off on him. Gross and Gail Twitchell divorced in 1978. Murdochs obsession with water suddenly makes sense. Maybe it was just some neurons firing in the right part of your brain or maybe you had too much dopamine in the frontal lobes or maybe you took an Excedrin four hours ago. We dont want that kind of explanation., Its a beautiful, sunny day. It controls their minds using sophisticated thought control systems, and demand absolute obedience to Klemp and to the cult. Curated stories, fun places to hang out and top events. Various Eckists say they witnessed the ceremony. So you were awake when you had this experience? I ask, intrigued. He basically took Eckankars money, while saying it was really for Eckankar purposes. Excommunicated from Eckankar, his lifetime agreement terminated, Gross was suddenly penniless. McMahon generously drives me to my interview with holistic health practitioner Bettina Yelman, whose Del Mar office is just down the hall from Richardss. 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.. And the sex though Eckankar in no way encourages sexual contact among its members with that degree of trust and the sense of two souls meeting, the sex was great. Its going to be interesting to see how this information gets back to me. I wonder how long it takes new Eckists to even learn of his existence. 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.. Lane and I drive to La Jolla for leaden upscale Mexican food. Eckankar took off like wildfire, growing from three students to thousands in less than three years. 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. 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. And I dont mean fun in a mean way, I mean, I find Paul to be incredibly imaginative and very interesting to investigate.. Clearly he is more comfortable with the fluid topography of waves, of meditation, of philosophical inquiry. You are wondering about the question why i left eckankar but currently there is no answer, so let kienthuctudonghoa.com summarize and list the top articles with the question. He claimed to have been born on a boat on the Mississippi a few minutes after a great earthquake shook the mid-South and formed a lake in its wake. I just arrived here because the cult Eckankar was mentioned by someone, along with a few other cults. Everybody has an IQ of 80 or loweruuurrrrrrrrrr, lets go, lets start a religion. , Our pizza arrives, and Lane politely allows me to take the first piece. . My group is for dumbshits. The sound current was very loud. 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. In Youth Ask A Modern Prophet, Harold Klemp writes, "The deep relationship between man and woman is a sacred token of human love. David Lanes critiques of Eckankar may be well documented and rational, but religious devotion is not about rationality. 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. If thats his focus in life, then he has a very limited view of life. McMahon explains that plagiarism isnt always what it seems. An example is Jagat Ho. Since I dont want to play the awkward game of trying to figure out who one another is in public, I haggle. We zone out on lounge music for an hour and a half, then Dawn walks to the front of the room and says, Thats it. I ask Lane if hes going to introduce himself. I mean, I couldnt get in the door, so I had to climb through the bedroom window. About four weeks later Lanes guru in India, Charan Singh, received a letter, supposedly from another follower in San Diego, criticizing Lane and quoting from his wifes stolen diaries. Lane pauses and thinks for a bit. He is a reserved man whose dimpled smile betrays a sense of humor. Twitchell told his second wife, Gail, that he was born in the early 20s. In her Golden-Tongued Wisdom, Rosanne continues to sing, A cold hard rain comes pouring down. In the past, we thought that this was our little private esoteric religion. 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. Then, Lane says excitedly, John-Roger committed the biggest mistake. Answer. 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 . The inner form of the Living Eck Master, known as the Mahanta, works with students in the dreamstate and during their spiritual exercises. Id be very careful where I go and what I do and who I talk to, you wouldn 7 want anyone to get hurt now, would you? If you've checked out the lives of the Eck Masters and found problems, do the same thing to all these "occult experts" because a lot of them had their stories . His only interest was getting the message out about the light and sound of God., McMahon doesnt blame anyone for being skeptical. What it means is that I ultimately dont know. He extends his hand and smiles broadly. Im a surfer, so I had this surfer hair and a turtleneck. But this is not oppressive at all. Rosanne Cash sings, Some dreams die with dignity. Initially he refuses to come to the Hillcrest home where Im staying, preferring to meet in a nearby restaurant. It got to the point that it became a mythology in which Twitchell couldnt remember all the names. Once we get to Del Mar, Lane pulls to the side of the road and examines a copy of Twitchells death certificate to get the exact address. To top it off, their white helmets bore an insignia that was remarkably similar to Eckankars circular EK logo. I anticipate our talk with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. It was like in my imagination. 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. After reading Eckankar books for a year and a half, Yelman went to a seminar in Las Vegas. He invited me to his house in Mandeville Canyon, a beautiful house, a mansion. I had the following experience, I was taken back to the crucifixion. 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 . Some people who have ringing in their ears say that its horrible. And Twitchell was also very sharp, but maybe not sharp business-wise. On Saturday, I lunch with Lane at a restaurant in Del Mar. Late one afternoon, I visit transpersonal psychologist Charles Richards at his office in Del Mar. Dont miss out. 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.. He never had much money. In Understanding Cults, Lane published The Criminal Activities of John-Roger Hinkins, a laborious account of Hinkinss alleged break-in and smear campaign. I was confident that soon James would see the light and become a disciple of Eckankar. I was on the Holy Grail of research.". He does that all the time. The guys like an idiot, right? 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. I ask, How do you account for Eckankars success? Eckankar uses two things that everybody has to have. Two different analysts verified they were all written by John-Roger Hinkins. I asked what happened to my friend, my childhood master. Indeed, as Lane, Melton, and others have pointed out, most of Paul Twitchell's writings are derived from two Radhasoami publications, With a Great . Theyve made an open-eyed decision. Theres contradictions and scandals in every religion, Christianity included. 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. One exclaims, Arent you afraid of those Eckankarists, arent you afraid what theyre going to do?, I take a guilty sip of my drink. One interesting guy I met was Jerry Mulvin. People always say, Leave us alone; Eckankar works. I do leave those people alone. Eckankar is a classic case in point. James Peebles, an Eckist and fellow classmate of Lanes, also wrote a paper on Eckankar. Rebazar Tarzs, yeah, that Rebazar Tarzs. When they find out youre talking to me, I guarantee that their lawyers will write. We have to make sure for ourselves that what were experiencing is truth and not an illusion.. He probably thought my recipe file was written in code and had secret information, or something like that. Eckankar believes that God exists in two parts, the Light and Sound, known as ECK. Home study discourses and musical tapes are also available. Paul was an avid reader. Around his neck hangs a similar pendant. You know, just a natural progression. McMahon, who was raised Catholic in New York City and on Long Island, has always been interested in spirituality. The term Eckankar is also a word used to refer to the name of God in Sikhism. The term God no longer had use for me. Star Wars was no ordinary action flick, we concluded, but a profound spiritual saga. I dont have a real axe to grind., At a Hillcrest cafe, Lane confides, The people who scare me are John-Rogers people, not Eckankars. John-Roger Hinkins, founder of the Church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSI A, pronounced Messiah), has gotten a lot of bad press lately. The 69-year-old joined the broadcaster in 2008 after 22 years in football management. But Eckankars attorneys mailed the package back to me. I really hadnt planned to write about him at all. For years after I left Eckankar, I was plagued with wrenching spasms of primal fear, emptiness, collapse, and betrayal. 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. I want Eckankar in some weird universe to keep going, because its fun for me. Other students of Radhasoami have objected to Lanes critical stance in The Radhasoami Tradition: A Critical History of Guru Successorship, published by Garland. I think that in Eckankar skepticism is healthy, he continues. I would ask a question and get an answer, and I would jot it down. This is God's love and intelligence, and it is EVERYWHERE." 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. 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. But even in his formality I instinctively trusted him. Those who become disheartened quit ECK for other paths that seem to require less drive and responsibility of them. Eckists left and right were smiling at the guy, stopping for long chats, and tossing money into his cup. When I woke up in the morning, I had an opportunity to ask questions. I dont think so. Controversy; A Critical Analysis of John-Roger Hinkins and MSIA.. We see that all the time.. He read thousands and thousands of books, and he was a spiritually hungry man. Do you think it would be an easy thing to do?". My research has helped because its made me more discriminating, more critical-minded. Although no meetings are required, the local Eckankar newsletter lists a variety of classes, book discussions, Hu chants, and lectures. 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. I had my two sisters to take care of while my parents were being mixed up. One of the reasons he may have relinquished his spiritual role to Harold is that it didnt jibe with him. 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. The Living Eck Master descends from an unbroken line of Vairagi Masters. 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. The term God no longer had use for me. 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. Each year Eckankar holds three of these U.S. seminars, which can draw 6000-plus people. 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 . Everybodys sexuality is different than everybody elses. Where do you think Twitchell got these names?. Youre not going to say, Well, Im a dumbshit. They say you can never damage the Eck spirit, because its life. In The Sea, the Sea she writes, Far away in that ocean of gold, stars were silently shooting and falling and finding their fates, among those billions and billions of merging golden lights. McMahon looks as Irish as his name, with a large, soft face and a sad mouth that bends pleasantly when he smiles. McMahon seems suspicious of me, so I tell him that my current husband is an Irish Catholic from Long Island and that Im still very much in contact with my former husband, whos a higher initiate of Eckankar like himself. 2 0 Share Reply More Q 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. This time the arm doesnt budge no matter how hard she pushes down on it. As late as December 1993, Gross sent out a memo to all his readers defending Paul Twitchell and the corporation he started against Lanes attacks. The loss of my old loves and Grosss loss of status become merged in an ineffable sadness. Eckankar then threatened Gruss with a $2.5 million lawsuit for publishing Peebless paper, for making a photocopy of it. Eckankar is a new religious movement founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. Paul Twitchells the past; weve evolved out of that. 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? The disciples felt used and manipulated for spiritual reasons., After the secret meeting. Her enormous eyes seem to sparkle. Eckankar has members in over 120 countries around the world, and its teachings have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. Eckankar lost. For years he came to me every single day and would teach me, but I never visually saw him except for once.. We close our eyes and chant Hu together for several minutes. How wonderful after Eckankar, when I was able to experience the exquisiteness of other musicians and various teachers and realize fully: "This is it. 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.". Some letters contained threats against me and my informants. Eight years later he broke with Kirpal Singh and thereafter denied any involvement with him. Once I got into Eckankar I was suspicious that he probably was an Eck Master, but he never really said so., When Yelman was 12 and she moved with her family to California, the visitations ceased. Bettina Yelman received her dreamstate while at an Eck seminar in Hawaii. I would raise my head to the stage in rapt silence, devouring every word the Grosses spoke. Not the truth itself. Now, Jagat is actually the first name of a Radhasoami guru named Jagat Singh. Lane says, He got them from his Indian books on Radhasoami, or Julian Johnsons The Path of the Masters, or from With a Great Master in India. "Actually, Eckankar is the one who has kept me going because they keep [after] me every time I try to come out with something. But they kept running it, and he never sued them., In August 1988, the Los Angeles Times published an extensive two-part critique of John-Rogers activities, based on Lanes research. 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. Its hard to leave the magical vistas of Del Mar. He didnt bring up David Lane, but he requested that I not dwell on Darwin Gross. The experiential aspect to Eckankar really interested me, and thats how it started.. Lane leans down to better peer through his window. Everything is mauve and cream: the water cooler, the paper cups, the walls, carpet, chairs, and even the stereo. I could almost picture the legendary Rod of Power in Darwins hand. Theres certain things I left out of the book, and one of them is the night Twitchell died. Nobody wins, so we just let it sit there. He seems gently ecstatic, but so tired. Grosss rise to power was steeped in controversy from the beginning. (My husband, who had never heard of Atkinson before, sees her as a kind of 60s super-vixen, like Pussy Galore. See! she exclaims. Its a bitchin house.. The lover has lied to you, but the lover is oh so seductive and satisfying, and submission is so thrilling. The Kal is similar to Satan, representing everything that is materialistic and evil, a being of vileness, wrath, and vengeance. In 1942, after a stint in the Navy, Twitchell moved to New York, where he continued his journalism career, attended many churches, and read extensively on spiritual subjects. 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. As Eckankar filled my life, I felt like I was entering Shangri-la; a new glistening world of love, of possibility opened before me. Hes sitting on a couch in the small lobby outside the conference room. Well, the upshot of it is, we were friendly for five years, and then in 1983 four of his closest disciples defected. And just explain that Twitchell covered up his life. The upshot of it was, they didnt do anything.. Twitchell married his second wife, Gail Atkinson, in San Francisco in 1964. I did my spiritual exercises daily as much as probably anyone in eckankar. Members receive a monthly discourse, which they have the option of studying alone or in classes. I said to myself, I bet this is where Twitchell got the name Rebazar Tarzs! But he refuses to reveal details for publication and will only repeat the facts as listed on the death certificate. I never stopped, not even for a minute even though they, pardon my expression, treated me like shit. As I walk away he yells after me, Hang in there!. The think any actual activ long time member of Eckankar is very happy with Eckankar. A few months later Gross and Twitchells widow married, sending more ripples of confusion throughout the fold. In the late 50s, Twitchell also became a staff member of L. Ron Hubbards Church of Scientology, another association that would later be denied. Eckankar took off like wildfire, growing from three students to thousands in less than three years. 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. Eckankar does not help people find God. That night in the dreamstate I had a meeting with a master. A volunteer raises one arm straight out to the side, and Dawn easily pushes it down. Should I send this to the IRS? 'Should I send this to Eckankar? Little notes he was making to himself. Thats his axe to grind with Eckankar. I was 21. 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. 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. 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. Thats one explanation. Hes got his music. Shes very clean and clear about her business acumen. He went nuts. 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. On the negative side, Twitchells teachings were synthesized without really maturely thinking whether these different teachings fit in together. The air is cool as I listen to the soft lapping of waves. His voice changed, Well, we cant reveal that information. Was he in San Diego? No reply. Theres no calm center to this storm. And it continues to rain. Then she asks him to think about Grosss music as he again holds out his arm. Im not interested in all this other dialogue that David Lane is so focused on. 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. 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. And I saw into the vast soft interior of the universe which was slowly and gently turning itself inside out. The other one is, I overslept. He and Gross have been sparring since 1977. Rebazar Tarzs. Eckankar first caught my attention by how matter-of-fact and logical it was. What I find interesting is that his material doesnt shake the belief of most Eckists., This is why, he responds immediately. If theyre going to sue you about a 120-page term paper when youre 20 years old, you know somethings up. Yet it has a sweetness to it. The walls are covered with Andrea Zuills dramatically lit oil paintings of monstrous chalky-fleshed zombies. 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. I bet youve fantasized about it. I dont give them any value. 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. WHY I LEFT THE MASTER. With the popularity of the Ghostbusters logo. Do people get mad at Ralph Nader for saying that a Pinto blows up? I said, Yeah, Geraldo, this guy robbed my house, he did this he did this he did that all on national TV. In order to help the reader understand where I'm coming from, I am an active higher initiate in Eckankar who has been on the path since the mid-80's. I first read this book over a decade ago because I knew Ford as an acquaintance and I respected him as a dedicated leader in Eck. That i owed it to myself to know for sure that what i. Buying a used car you at least look underneath the hood, hit the tires, maybe take it to a mechanic to check it out. 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.

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