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Dear Seeker of Truth,

The purpose of ECKANKAR is to make God an everyday reality in your life.

It is to tie in the divine teachings with things that go on here on earth.This gives you a greater understanding of how the Holy Spirit works in your life.

As Soul, you have the God-knowledge within you. My main job is toawaken the knowledge and love for the divine things that are already in yourheart. You are Soul. You are a child of God. And your spiritual destiny is tobecome a Co-worker with God, to spread divine love to all those around you.

We are students in life; the education goes on all around us, every second ofthe day. Part of the learning comes from the ECK discourses sent to those who areready for these highest teachings of God.

Before you can improve your life and find a measure of happiness, you mustlearn to do one thing every day out of pure love. That means, don’t expect any-thing in return—neither thanks nor happiness. Pick that occasion carefully.Then, whatever that one act of giving of yourself to someone else is, do it with allyour heart.

You need to learn to give, without ever thinking of a reward. That’s how tofind the treasures of heaven.

Along with the daily practice of the spiritual exercises, study of the ECKdiscourses brings Soul closer to the constant guidance and protection of theMahanta, the Inner Master, which is extended to all who sincerely love truth.

The enclosed materials may help you decide if the benefits of ECK can meet yourspiritual needs.

With blessings in ECK,

Harold Klemp

Religion of the Light and Sound of GodE

ECKANKAR • PO Box 2000 • Chanhassen, MN 55317-2000 USA(952) 380-2200 • Fax (952) 380-2295 • www.Eckankar.org

Ancient WisdomECKANKAR

How past lives,dreams, and Soul Travel

help you find God

Todayfor

i

ECKANKARAncient Wisdom for Today

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This book has been reviewed and pub-lished under the supervision of theMahanta, the Living ECK Master,Sri Harold Klemp.

iii

ECKANKARAncient Wisdom for Today

EECKANKARMinneapolis

www.Eckankar.org

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ECKANKAR—Ancient Wisdom for TodayCopyright © 1993, 1995 ECKANKAR

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form byany means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission ofEckankar.The terms ECKANKAR, ECK, EK, MAHANTA,SOUL TRAVEL, and VAIRAGI, among others, aretrademarks of ECKANKAR, PO Box 2000, Chanhassen,MN 55317-2000 USA. 060124

Printed in USA

Compiled by Todd CramerDoug Munson

Edited by Joan KlempAnthony MooreMary Carroll Moore

Text photos by Bree Renz (page ix)and Robert Huntley (page x)

Second edition—1995Fifth printing—2006

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication(Prepared by Quality Books Inc.)

Eckankar : ancient wisdom for today / compiled byTodd Cramer and Doug Munson.

p. cm.Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN: 1-57043-110-8

1. Eckankar (Organization)—Doctrines. I. Cramer,Todd II. Munson, Doug

BF605.E3E25 1995 299’.93QBI95-20494

This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).

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Contents

1. What Is Eckankar? ............................. 1Experience God for Yourself • Eckankar HasAncient Roots • There Is Always a LivingECK Master • Paul Twitchell IntroducedEckankar in 1965 • The Mission of the LivingECK Master Is to Help People Find Their WayBack to God • The ECK Message Is neitherOrthodox nor Evangelical • What Are ECKistsLike? • Defining Eckankar

2. Soul Travel ........................................ 13You Are Soul • A Classic Soul Travel Experi-ence • Worry Less, Know More Love, FeelEnergized, Change Bad Habits • Spiritual Ex-ercises Are Different from Prayer and AstralProjection • A Spiritual Exercise to Try

3. Dreams .............................................. 25Soul Never Sleeps • The Mahanta Is theDream Master • Dreams Help Us in DailyLife • Dreams Help Spiritual Unfoldment •Karma Can Be Resolved in the Dream State •Dream Symbols Are Individual • Dream Char-acters Represent Aspects of the Dreamer•There Are Many Levels of Dreaming•Dreams Can Prophesy • Keep a Dream Jour-nal • The Purpose of Dreams Is to Bring theIndividual Closer to the Light and Sound ofGod

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4. Karma ................................................ 37The Law of Karma Is Scientific and Logical •Understanding Karma Can Liberate Us fromBeing a Victim • You Can Be Free of Karma •Karma Metes Out Perfect Justice • We AreResponsible • Experience Teaches Us • Spiri-tual Maturity Comes When We Realize WeAre the Creator of Our Own Life

5. Reincarnation.................................... 45Near-Death and Out-of-Body ExperiencesHave Helped People Live Life More Fully •Heaven Exists on Other Planes • Reincarna-tion Helps Explain Aspects of Our Personali-ties • Reincarnation Is a Widely Held Belief •Soul Is Always Moving Forward • We’ve BeenHere Before • There Is a Reason for the VeilSeparating Us from the Past • We OftenReturn to Be with Family and Friends fromBefore • Past-Life Memory Is Accessible •The Physical Plane Is a School of Life

6. The God Worlds of ECK .................... 55Soul Travel Makes It Possible to AchieveGod-Realization in This Lifetime • The SoulPlane • Gain Spiritual Understanding fromthe Temples of Golden Wisdom • The AstralPlane • The Causal Plane • The Mental Plane• The Etheric Plane

7. Love ................................................... 65Divine Love Needs No Words to Communicate• What Can We Learn from Norman aboutDivine Love? • Love Is Simple • Know GreaterLove through the Golden Heart

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8. The ECK-Vidya ................................. 73Man Always Wants to Know the Future • AllLife Is Cyclical • ECK-Vidya Looks into SoulRecords—Past, Present, and Future • This Isa Warring Planet, but That’s OK • Never UseKnowledge to Manipulate Others • Golden-tongued Wisdom • The Waking Dream

9. Solving Problems .............................. 83The Fine Art of Knowing When to Give Up •HU Will Help You • Use the Shariyat Tech-nique for Well-Being and Happiness

10. Initiations .......................................... 91Initiation Links Soul to the Audible LifeStream • How Many Initiations Are There? •Each of Us Enters Eckankar with a DifferentState of Consciousness • The Initiation Pro-cess • Initiation Pace and Frequency Vary •Each Initiation Corresponds to a DifferentPlane of Existence • Consciousness Has to BeEarned Moment to Moment • The RulesChange from Plane to Plane • The Real Initia-tion Occurs Inside • Initiations Are Privateand Sacred • Each Initiation Is an Invitationfrom the Living ECK Master to Take the NextStep on the Way Home to God

11. The ECK Masters ........................... 101The Living ECK Master Belongs to the Orderof the Vairagi, Providing Guidance Home toGod • Harold Klemp’s Link with a Long Lineof Living ECK Masters • You Can Be Freefrom Fear • We Are Never Given More ThanWe Can Handle • The Living ECK Master

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Grants Total Spiritual Freedom to His Stu-dents • There Is Always a Living ECK Master• Few Religions Resemble the Spiritual Teach-ing Given by the Founders • With the LivingECK Master as Guide, We Experience OnlyWhat Is Necessary for Spiritual Growth • TheMahanta Is the Inner Form of the Living ECKMaster • The Living ECK Master Is NotWorshiped • The Living ECK Master Takes onKarma but Doesn’t Relieve It • It’s Natural toQuestion • The ECKist’s Goal Is SpiritualMastery

12. The Play of Soul .............................. 111Eckankar Is a Living Religion • Prove It forYourself • Understand Who You Really Are •Become Liberated from Being the Victim •Life Becomes Miraculous • There Are ManyTechniques, and Always the Inner Master, toAct as Your Light through the Darkness •To Become a Member of Eckankar • Love forand Responsibility to All Life

How to Take the Next Step onYour Spiritual Journey ................... 119Through Membership in Eckankar You’llDiscover • How to Find Out More • How toPurchase Items • For Further Reading andStudy • There May Be an Eckankar StudyGroup near You

Bibliography.......................................... 131

Index ...................................................... 133

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The spiritual leader of Eckankar isSri Harold Klemp, the Mahanta, the LivingECK Master. His inspiring and practicalapproach to spirituality helps thousands ofpeople find greater freedom, wisdom, andlove. His teachings uplift and help themrecognize their own experiences with theLight and Sound of God.

1

T

1What Is Eckankar?

here are many routes we can taketo heaven. God has established so

many different paths and means for usthat there is a way for everyone. . . .

. . . If you are ready, the Spiritual Ex-ercises of ECK will help you to find yourown custom-made approach to the King-dom of God.

Harold KlempThe Golden Heart

This earth is a big old schoolhouse. Infact, so is this entire material level ofexistence called the physical plane. How-ever, we’re here to learn more than just

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reading, writing, and arithmetic. We’rehere to find our way back to God.

Our teachers have been many: Moses,Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Confucius,Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Socrates,Copernicus, Martin Luther, Shakespeare,Emerson, Einstein, the list goes on. Thecourses we’ve taken range from WhoAm I? 101 to Meaning of Life 404. Textsinclude the Old and New Testaments,the Apocrypha, the Torah, the Kabbalah,the Koran, the Tao-te Ching, the Book ofChanges (I Ching), the teachings of theBuddha, the Bhagavad Gita, the Book ofMormon, the daily news, and even nurs-ery rhymes.

The purpose of ECKANKAR—AncientWisdom for Today, as was the purpose ofthe old schoolhouse primer, is to teach thebasics. To give you the tools to explore yourdreams. To help you have more love andunderstand past and present relation-ships. And to gain the spiritual insightsthat improve the quality of your life everyday. It’s a spiritual adventure of a lifetime.

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Experience God for Yourself

A cornerstone of Eckankar is the valueof personal spiritual experience. Read-ing a book or listening to a friend willgive you only a small understanding ofthe spiritual worlds and your role in them.

To master your life, you must applyself-discipline and have a true desire toexperience God for yourself. Your experi-ence with the spiritual Light and Soundof God will enrich your life and help youput daily problems into loving perspec-tive.

Eckankar Has Ancient Roots

There’s a common golden thread run-ning through all religious and spiritualteachings. It’s called the ECK. It is alsoknown as the Holy Spirit, the Word ofGod, and the Audible Life Stream.

Though the teachings of Eckankarhave ancient roots, they are timeless.They’re a living teaching. They speak tous through books and through experience

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in both the dream and waking states.Humans have been inspired by the HolySpirit to reach spiritual understandingsince the beginning of civilization.

A basic text is the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, which means Way of the Eternal.It is the holy scriptures of Eckankar. Sev-eral chapters of ECKANKAR—AncientWisdom for Today open with a quote fromThe Shariyat.

There Is Alwaysa Living ECK Master

The key teacher and mentor inEckankar is the Living ECK Master.Eckankar is never without a livingMaster. This ensures the religion remainspure and appropriate for the conscious-ness of the day. It avoids the theologicaldisputes and political maneuverings socommon in large organizations. And it al-lows the spiritual student to see and heara teacher who has traveled the path toSelf- and God-Realization.

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Paul Twitchell IntroducedEckankar in 1965

When Paul Twitchell introducedEckankar to the modern world in 1965,he separated spiritual truths from thecultural trappings which had surroundedthem. Average people could begin to ex-perience the Light and Sound of God whilestill living a happy, balanced, and pro-ductive life.

Paul Twitchell was born in Kentuckyin the early part of the twentieth centuryand served in the U.S. Navy during theSecond World War.

A seeker from an early age, he wasintroduced to a group of spiritual Masterswho would change the course of his life.These were the Vairagi ECK Masters.While they trained Paul to become theLiving ECK Master, he explored a widerange of spiritual traditions under dif-ferent teachers. The high teachings ofECK had been scattered to the four cor-ners of the world. Paul gathered these

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golden teachings of Light and Sound andmade them readily available to us.

It was these God experiences hechronicled in his book The Tiger’s Fang.Paul Twitchell eventually joined theVairagi Order and was given the task ofbringing Eckankar to the world. He be-came the Living ECK Master.

By 1965, Paul was conducting SoulTravel workshops in California and of-fering discourses on the teachings ofEckankar. A community of ECKists be-gan to grow, and in 1970, Eckankar wasestablished as a nonprofit religious orga-nization. Paul Twitchell died in 1971, butnot before he initiated many into the ECKteachings.

The Mission of theLiving ECK Master

Is to Help People FindTheir Way Back to God

The present Living ECK Master isHarold Klemp. He grew up on a Wisconsin

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farm, attended divinity school, and com-pleted four years in the U.S. Air Force.While stationed in Japan, he discoveredEckankar. Initiated by Paul Twitchell in1969, Harold earned his way into theGod Worlds. He later chronicled theseexperiences in his book Autobiography ofa Modern Prophet.

Harold Klemp speaks to many thou-sands of seekers each year at ECK semi-nars, and his talks are broadcast aroundthe world via the Internet. Well over ahundred recordings of his talks are avail-able in various media from Eckankar. Hehas authored more than sixty books, andhe continues to write, including manyarticles and spiritual-study discourses.His inspiring and practical approach tospirituality helps people find greater free-dom, wisdom, and love. His teachingsuplift and help them recognize their ownexperiences with the Light and Sound ofGod.

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The ECK Message Is neitherOrthodox nor Evangelical

Eckankar is a religion but not anorthodox religion. Eckankar is a religionfor the individual—what many of ushoped religion would be. It is designed tohelp individuals find their own way backto God through direct personal experi-ences.

There is no desire to convert people toEckankar. Though many ECKists sharetheir spiritual enthusiasm with others,there is an abiding respect for the beliefsystems of all people. The ECK messagetherefore tends to be offered in a quietand steady way. The teachings are writ-ten to speak to the inner being, Soul.They don’t play off the emotions or thefears of spiritual seekers.

The best way to find out aboutEckankar is to read one of the more thana hundred books on the subject offeredby Eckankar. Many of them mention theSpiritual Exercises of ECK, which you

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can try in private and at your own pace.Some of these books are available in morethan eleven languages.

What Are ECKists Like?

ECKists come from all walks of life.Their only common denominator is a loveof God and a commitment to spiritualunfoldment. They are of every race andreligious background. They are respon-sible members of their community andare not restricted by any special dietaryrules, ascetic practices, or dress codeswhich would differentiate them from theirneighbors.

Many people who have come intoEckankar have done so because theirquestions about life were not beinganswered by orthodox and traditionalteachings.

Defining Eckankar

To aid your understanding ofEckankar, a few definitions are in

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order. We use certain words to definespiritual principles, either because theyare more descriptive or because they donot carry the same connotation or stereo-type as some more commonly used words.

ECK— (EHK) The Divine, or Holy, Spirit;the Audible Life Stream; the essence ofGod which supports and sustains all life;the Life Force.

Eckankar— (EHK-ahn-kahr) Religionof the Light and Sound of God. Also meansCo-worker with God.

Light and Sound of God—The HolySpirit. The two aspects through whichGod appears in the lower worlds. TheHoly Spirit can appear to us as Light,which is a reflection of the atoms of Godmoving in space, or as Sound, which isthe Audible Life Current that carriesSoul back home to God. The SpiritualExercises of ECK show people how tolook and listen within themselves forthese qualities of Divine Spirit forupliftment and guidance.

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Mahanta— (mah-HAHN-tah) The innerform of the Living ECK Master whoguides the spiritual student on the innerplanes. An expression of the Spirit of Godthat is always with you.

Soul—The True Self. The inner, most sa-cred part of each person. As a spark ofGod, Soul can see, know, and perceive allthings.

Soul Travel—A natural way to expandthe consciousness, to experience thehigher viewpoint of yourself as Soulthrough spiritual exercises.

Sugmad— (SOOG-mahd) A sacred namefor God, the source of all life. It is neithermasculine nor feminine.

This book will give you a brief overviewof the religion of Eckankar. The teach-ings are actually quite simple and do notrequire any formal training or academicrigor. In fact, the basic beliefs of Eckankarcould easily be summarized as follows:

• Soul is eternal and is the individual’s

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true identity.• Soul exists because God loves It.• Soul is on a journey of Self- and God-

Realization.• You can actively explore the spiritual

worlds through Soul Travel, dreams,and other spiritual techniques.

• Spiritual unfoldment can be acceler-ated by conscious contact with the ECK,Divine Spirit.

• This contact can be made by the use ofthe Spiritual Exercises of ECK and bythe guidance of the Living ECK Master.

• The Mahanta, the Living ECK Masteris the spiritual leader of Eckankar.

• Spiritual experience and liberation inthis lifetime is available to all.

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2Soul Travel

oul Travel is an individual expe-rience, a realization of survival. It

is an inner experience through whichcomes beauty and love of all life. It cannotbe experienced in rituals and ceremonies,nor bottled in creeds.

The Shariyat-Ki-SugmadBook One

You Are Soul

The traditional concept of Soul is thatyou have one, but It is distant from youreveryday life and becomes important onlywhen your physical body ceases to exist.The ECKist believes, however, that eachperson is Soul and that Soul is the es-sential and permanent center of our being.

S

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It can never be lost.The pressures of the modern world

make it easy to forget who we are. Ourphysical senses and emotions becomeoverwhelmed, and we lose Soul’s spiri-tual view. Regaining this view is calledSoul Travel. And Soul Travel is accom-plished by practicing the Spiritual Exer-cises of ECK on a daily basis.

Many people experience Soul Travelas an expansion of awareness andknowingness: an inner nudge to call afriend, or seeing beyond your currentdifficulties to a deeper meaning. Othersmay have dramatic experiences full ofspiritual majesty. In Eckankar, you learnto prove spiritual truths yourself throughpersonal experience.

A Classic Soul Travel Experience

“A single pinpoint of white lightappeared in the depths of the darkuniverse before me. It was far off in thedistance but exploded toward me at a

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fantastic speed, like a brilliant sunracing from the other side of the universeto swallow me in the hotness of its light.Now I flew toward it, like a tiny dot oflight racing to meet a planet of unspeak-able radiance.”

Harold Klemp recounts this classicSoul Travel experience in his book Auto-biography of a Modern Prophet. It oc-curred while he was in training to becomethe Living ECK Master. On this visit tothe God Worlds accompanied by the ECKMaster Rebazar Tarzs, he would learnhow the ECK helps people with burdensof the heart. Harold continues:

“It was like flying into the sun, pass-ing through a curtain of light, and com-ing out on the other side to a world ofgorgeous colors. I hung suspended inspace, a splendid light (the glorious Soulbody) of seeing, knowing, and being.

“Below me lay the dazzling white sandsof a beach, with a multiplicity of blue-and-green ocean waters; the waveswashed mildly upon the sand. Small birds

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ebbed and flowed with the tide, mirror-ing the give-and-take of life. The brightblue sky was unclouded by haze of anykind. This must be heaven, I thought.

“In the next instant, I was atop a highcliff overlooking the ocean. How can onedescribe the perception of Soul, since,despite this great height, it was possibleto see and hear as if my feet were walk-ing in the warm sands of the beach below?

“ ‘Look, in the distance!’ commanded adeep baritone voice beside me.

“Startled, I looked around. It wasRebazar Tarzs, the Tibetan ECK Master,who no doubt was my benefactor in pro-viding this trip to a most beautiful heavenof God. Gripped in his powerful right handwas a stout walking staff of shoulderheight. With his left, he pointed far downalong the beach, where two dark figureswere walking.

“Suddenly, from our vantage point onthe steep cliff, the distance between usand the two specks collapsed. Time andspace had both crumbled. My spiritual

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vision jumped to the two figures in atwinkling and showed a man and a womanslowly walking the beach toward us. Tomy surprise, the smallish man was myfriend and Master, Paul Twitchell—theMahanta. The other person was a youngwoman in a flowing white gown thatbillowed softly around her in the gentlesea breeze. Slender, with brunet hair, shestood somewhat shorter than Paul. Painand trouble had drawn her face into atight band, and she plodded beside him asif in a daze.

“The two beach walkers passed wellbelow our observation point on the cliff.A cloak of light surrounded us, andRebazar made the comment, ‘This warmlight that bathes us is from the Ocean ofLove and Mercy. It is the Holy Spirit andis a reflection of the light from the atomsof God.’ Rebazar’s ruby red robe wasbarely to be seen in this mist of goldenlight, which seemed to enwrap me too,although I could not see myself.

“ ‘This sphere of golden light is the

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Soul body,’ he said, ‘the highest of theforms of man.’

“On the beach below, the heavyheartedwoman trudged beside Paul. A shufflingtrail in the sand marked their slow pas-sage, meandering footsteps at the edge oflapping wavelets. Paul saw us on the cliffand waved his hand, but an invisiblescreen shielded us from the woman. Theyinched along the beach, slowly shrinkingin the distance. A long way off stood alighthouse, their destination.

“ ‘The sorrows of life have cut sharplyinto the spirit of that young one,’ Rebazarremarked, compassion modulating hismusical voice. His speech was not in outertones, yet it came through the electricatmosphere of this remote world of God asclear as a bell. . . .

“. . . The woman had tried to commitsuicide, but the Mahanta stepped in to pre-vent it. For months thereafter, he took herout of the body at night and brought her tothis serene paradise by the sea for spiri-tual healing.

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“ ‘Her emotional and mental repair willtake time,’ concluded Rebazar. ‘Come, letus go.’

“I took a last look at the ocean and thebeach, and suddenly understood that thesparkling, celestial waters of this oceanwere inexperienced Souls who awaited theright conditions for rebirth into the physi-cal world. Then, in an instant, I was homein my room.”

* * *

The following are ways Soul Travelhelps us live a healthier, more spirituallyfulfilling life.

Worry Less, Know More Love,Feel Energized, Change Bad Habits

What can Soul Travel do for you? Thebenefits are both subtle and far-reaching.When you realize through personal expe-riences that you live beyond the physicalbody, you are released from the fear ofdeath. You worry less. When you realize

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through experience that you are a cre-ative part of a loving God, you invitemore love into your life. You feel less lonelyor alienated. When you realize throughexperience that your life has a spiritualpurpose, you will feel energized.

When filled with the excitement andjoy which comes with these spiritualexperiences, you are more able to changethe habits of the past. Instead of exertingwillpower or fighting deprivation, youmay find old habits often just drop away.

Eckankar teaches that Soul is a happybeing. It is not guilty of anything. It isthe cause of all Its life circumstances.This shifts the emphasis from blamingothers to going within to find root causes.And with this newfound strength it isoften easier to serve others and not be soconcerned with your own limitations.

Spiritual Exercises Are Differentfrom Prayer and Astral Projection

You can Soul Travel by learning theSpiritual Exercises of ECK. A spiritual

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exercise is different from prayer because itencourages us to listen to God. In otherwords, we let the Creator talk to us, in-stead of the other way around. A spiritualexercise differs from meditation in that aspiritual exercise is more active. TheECKist actively joins in a higher state ofconsciousness rather than passively wait-ing to receive it. And a spiritual exercisediffers from traditional religious ritualsbecause no props or physical movementsare required.

Soul Travel also differs from the now-popularized astral projection. To travelout of the physical realm using your Astralbody limits you to the Astral Plane. Rec-ognizing the awareness of Soul goes fur-ther. It allows you to explore any of theGod Worlds, from the Astral, Causal,Mental, Etheric, and on to the variousplanes of Soul. These distinctions will bediscussed further in chapter 6, “The GodWorlds of ECK.”

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A Spiritual Exercise to Try

The Spiritual Exercises of ECK helpyou open your heart to the Light andSound of God. Eckankar teaches over onehundred different exercises, all designedto give you a greater understanding ofyourself and of God.

One of the basic Spiritual Exercises ofEckankar is to sing HU (pronounced likethe word hue), the holy name of God. Topractice this technique, find a quiet placeto sit or lie down. Relax and think abouta spiritual quotation or someone you love.Close your eyes. Sing HU silently or aloudfor a few minutes and then listen quietly.You may experience the divine ECK, theHoly Spirit. Or you may gain a new in-sight into your life. These experiencesare not the privilege of a select few. Withself-discipline and commitment, you canbuild your own foundation of spirituality.

Doing a spiritual exercise is a simple,yet profound practice. Each day uponarising, or at bedtime, give twenty min-

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utes to this personal appointment withthe Holy Spirit. Doing this at the sametime each day builds a spiritual momen-tum you can see and feel in your dailylife.

Eckankar teaches that our destiny isto become a Co-worker with God. Thismeans that we will be a channel for theECK, Divine Spirit, in our lives, givingjoy and spiritual upliftment to thosearound us. The individual is never lostin Eckankar. This differentiates Eckankarfrom Buddhism or Hinduism, which de-scribe their final goal as a dissolution ofthe individual into God. Eckankar’s re-spect for the sanctity of the individualshows itself in how Eckankar is taughtand honors the rights, privacy, and per-sonal space of others.

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D

3Dreams

reams touch every level of ourlife. They may let us glimpse the

future, or give suggestions for healing,or share insights into our relationships.Above all, they can and will steer usmore directly toward God.

Harold KlempThe Art ofSpiritual Dreaming

Soul Never Sleeps

Soul never sleeps. It is a unit of aware-ness. While the body sleeps, the conscious-ness of Soul is awake. The memory ofthis experience is often called a dream.

Dreams are as real and valid as the

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waking state. They simply occur on adifferent plane of existence. The reasonso many of our dreams are confusing isthat our memory becomes distorted. Uponwaking, the dream experience is runthrough the dream censor, a function ofour own mind, and we remember onlypieces of the event. Or the dream is cam-ouflaged with symbols because of ourdiscomfort or lack of understanding.

The Mahanta Isthe Dream Master

The Mahanta, the inner form of theLiving ECK Master, is the Dream Master.One way he guides his spiritual studentsis through their dreams. He uses thedreams of an individual to help work outkarma and to impart spiritual understand-ing. The goal of an ECKist is to move atwill between the outer, or physical, worldand the inner spiritual worlds. This canbe done via the Spiritual Exercises ofECK and by the conscious use of dreams.

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Dreams Help Us in Daily Life

The following story, taken from HaroldKlemp’s book The Eternal Dreamer, is adelightful example of how dreams canhelp us in our daily lives. Dreams can giveus symbols to work with, and they cangive an opportunity for Soul-to-Soulcommunication.

Once a couple bought a horse theynamed Sid. Their plan was to train thehorse, and when it reached a certain age,they would resell it. Of course, it neveroccurred to them to wonder what Sidthought of all this.

About a year later, the husband hadan unusual dream in which he foundhimself entering a crowded bar. Seeingone unoccupied table, he went over andsat down. A man came over and intro-duced himself. “Hi,” he said. “I’m Sid,your horse.”

The dreamer thought this was thefunniest thing he’d ever seen. “My horsein a dream, looking like a man,” he said.

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“This is wild.”The only thing that bothered him about

the dream was that this man had a toothmissing, whereas his horse did not.

The dreamer and his horse got to talk-ing. Sid said, “You know I love you andyour wife. I’d like to stay with you. I’venever had owners like you before whocould Soul Travel and meet with me in thedream state so we could talk things over.”

“Sid,” he asked, “I notice you’ve beenlimping on one of your hind legs. Is some-thing wrong?”

“I’m having a problem with that foot,”said Sid. “It’s just a minor thing, but ifyou can get a farrier to trim my hoof, Icould walk better.” And they continuedtalking.

When the man awoke and told his wifeabout the dream, they shared a good laughover it. She thought the part about themissing tooth was really hilarious.

Later that morning as they walked tothe stable, they saw a crowd around Sid’sstall. The ECKists rushed over, concerned

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for the welfare of their horse.The owners saw a little bit of blood on

the door of the stall, but Sid seemed tobe all right. The husband put a halter onthe horse and led him outside. “If youplan to ride him, just don’t put a bit inhis mouth,” one of the grooms advisedhim. “Your horse somehow got his mouthcaught on the door lock, and his toothbroke off.”

Husband and wife looked at each other.“The missing tooth in your dream,” shesaid. Without another word, they leanedover to check the horse’s hind foot. Justas Sid had said in the dream, his hoofneeded trimming.

The Dream Master, the Mahanta,sometimes adjusts the dream state sothat one Soul may communicate withanother, whatever Its form. Since the manmight have totally discounted a dreamabout a talking horse, the Master changedthe image to one the dreamer could ac-cept. This is just one of the ways theDream Master works.

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Dreams HelpSpiritual Unfoldment

Dreams play an important role in spiri-tual unfoldment. They are a look into theheavenly worlds. In many cases, the dreambecomes a teaching tool. An ECKist is al-ways interested in learning, and the dreamcan be a message about reaching a higherconsciousness. In dreams our personalities,with their fears and desires, are exposedfor us to look at. We admit things to our-selves in dreams which we would be un-able to be honest about in our waking state.

Karma Can Be Resolvedin the Dream State

Karma, or past spiritual debts, can beresolved in the dream state. The purposeof karma is to open our consciousness andteach us a spiritual lesson. If we are ableto learn a spiritual lesson by having theexperience in a dream, we’d have littleneed to repeat the experience whileawake. The main requirement is that wecontinue our spiritual growth.

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This can save a great deal of wear andtear on our bodies. For instance, theMahanta, the Inner Master, could movethe experience of an automobile accidentfrom the Physical to the Astral Plane,allowing the experience to happen dur-ing a dream. It could still be a frightfulexperience, but much easier to handlethere than here.

Dream Symbols Are Individual

Many people claim the images andsymbols we have in dreams are commonto everyone and can be easily interpreted.You can find books in your local librarytelling you water means this or horses meanthat. The dream teachings of Eckankar donot follow such a simplistic model.

In ECK, each person is a unique indi-vidual. Therefore, the dream symbols usedby each person are also unique. Swimmingin a river may well have a different mean-ing for one person than it would foranother. The key for the dreamer, then,is to go within and determine what each

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of these symbols may mean. This can evenbecome a type of spiritual exercise.

Dream Characters RepresentAspects of the Dreamer

The plot and characters in dreams arenot always significant in themselves. Achilling nightmare can hold a very uplift-ing message for the dreamer. For the mostpart, though, the characters in a dreamrepresent the dreamer himself. These arekeys to understanding who we are andwhat our purpose is. Eckankar explainsthat we are to look for a positive messagewhen trying to understand the meaning ofour dreams. The Dream Master is alwaysworking for your benefit.

There Are ManyLevels of Dreaming

There are many levels of dreaming. Ifthe dreamer becomes aware that he is ina dream, he may be able to take controlof the experience. The dreamer may call

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upon the Mahanta and request spiritualinstruction. Or the dreamer may chooseto visit a Temple of Golden Wisdom onone of the other planes. In these cases,the experience can become more SoulTravel than dreaming.

Dreams Can Prophesy

There are also dreams of prophecy.You can view life from above the normaltrack of time and get a glimpse of thefuture. It is best, however, to restrictyour use of prophecy to your own per-sonal life. The opportunity for misunder-standing the symbols is great. If youdream of an earthquake and then run towarn your friends of the upcoming cata-clysm, it would probably be embarrassingwhen nothing happens.

Such a dream, more likely, is foretell-ing a personal shift, perhaps indicatingthe approach of a sudden change in cir-cumstances or consciousness. The dreammay indeed be prophetic, but you couldmiss the real meaning.

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Keep a Dream Journal

Keeping a dream journal can behelpful. This provides a bridge betweenthe inner and outer worlds. Most ofour dreams are forgotten very quickly.After reading their own dream journals,many people are amazed at how much theydream.

A dream journal also gives us an oppor-tunity to see any patterns in our dreams.Certain symbols may tend to appear regu-larly. In recognizing them, we are betterable to make sense of these experiences.

And finally, the process of writingthe dream down allows us to synthe-size and let go of the experience. As thisbaggage is released, we gain both under-standing and spiritual freedom.

The Purpose of Dreams Isto Bring the Individual Closerto the Light and Sound of God

The ultimate purpose of dreams is tobring the individual closer to the Light

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and Sound of God. In this way, dreamshave the same purpose as life itself. TheMahanta can communicate in a dreamwith the new student who has not yetbeen able to open his conscious mind tothe Inner Master.

A dream is a step on the path of spiri-tual unfoldment. It can also be an inspi-ration to the average person, as in SoulTravel. All things are possible. Life is nolonger a mundane, random experience.

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T

4Karma

he universality of the Law ofKarma is one of the chief factors

which binds life together, and not onlyhuman life but animal, plant, and min-eral life as well. All these compose one bigfamily, with a complicated and insepa-rable history and an inseparable karma.

The Shariyat-Ki-SugmadBook One

Sir Isaac Newton was twenty-threeyears old when he watched an apple fallto the ground in his mother’s orchard.The apple never really hit him on thehead. It did, however, support his theoryof universal gravitation.

At the time, in 1665, Sir Isaac hadalso just formulated his three laws of

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motion, one of them being that for everyaction, there is an equal and oppositereaction.

Newton’s explanations are usuallyapplied to the interaction of physicalforces and objects. However, the sameaction /reaction principle applies to theforces of emotion and thought.

The Law of KarmaIs Scientific and Logical

The Law of Karma is scientific andlogical. It is the spiritual form of thephysical Law of Cause and Effect. Everyaction creates an equal and oppositereaction. The Law of Karma helps usunderstand the effect of our actions. Theprocess helps Soul mature. The law’spurpose is to teach love and to uplift, notto punish.

Karma applies itself in the most ex-acting and clever of ways. If we deprivedanother human being of freedom in aprevious life, we’d probably have our free-

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dom curtailed in this life. This experiencewould give us time to reconsider our viewsand learn the Law of Love.

Understanding Karma CanLiberate Us from Being a Victim

Once we accept the Law of Karma inour lives, we are liberated from being thevictim. We begin to see underlying spiri-tual causes and act accordingly. Prob-lems become opportunities for spiritualgrowth.

Karma differs from fate or destinybecause it encourages us to take an activerole in life. The Law of Karma requiresthe spiritual seeker to follow the highestcode of ethics. The rules are simple.Eckankar is not a passive path to God.

You Can Be Free of Karma

When you achieve the exalted state ofSelf-Realization, you’ll still be held ac-countable for your actions in your daily life.

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However, you will have worked off thekarma built up from past lives. And whenyou finish your mission in this life, unlessyou choose to come back to this plane toteach or to serve, you need not return.

Perhaps you will maintain this ex-panded consciousness throughout yourlifetime. Perhaps you’ll hold on to it foronly a moment at a time. You will learn,however, that there is always a risk oflosing the 360-degree viewpoint. You earneach step toward God Consciousness mo-ment to moment.

Most ECKists want to be free of kar-ma. They would like to balance theirkarmic account by the end of their presentlifetime. The Mahanta helps them do this.By practicing the Spiritual Exercises ofECK, they drop the attitudes and habitsbinding them to the past. They can fulfilltheir spiritual destiny without having tobe reborn. Thus they are freed from end-less rounds on the Wheel of the Eighty-Four. The ECKist calls this spiritualliberation.

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Karma Metes Out Perfect Justice

The Law of Karma metes out perfectjustice. This is reassuring in a worldwhich can appear to be unjust. One dutyof the ECKist is to show compassion andkindness to all, regardless of their posi-tion on the spiritual ladder. We are all ona spiritual journey together.

Our suffering is not always punish-ment for past actions. There are manysubtle processes at work. If you experi-enced fear and persecution in a past life,you may still carry these feelings in yourpsychic memory. You may experienceunwarranted fear and anxiety in yourcurrent life. These fears may persist untilyou remember the eternal nature of Souland surrender your concerns to the HolySpirit.

We Are Responsible

Eckankar teaches us to be responsible.On a physical level, this means we makeevery effort to support ourselves. On a

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spiritual level, this means we earn ourown state of consciousness.

This seems illogical if we view onlyone life at a time. In a single life wesuffer or are blessed for no apparentreason. God seems arbitrary and random.The ECK principle of spiritual responsi-bility makes more sense as we accept theprinciples of karma and reincarnation.Reincarnation teaches that we are bornagain and again until we learn the spiri-tual lessons of life. The Law of Karmaensures that we link our behavior withits inevitable results. We reap in one lifewhat we have sown in another.

If we impede the development of an-other human being, we will incur a karmicdebt. By our actions, it’s clear we haven’tyet learned the Law of Love. The debtwill have to be paid, and a lesson willhave to be learned. The suffering whichmay follow is not the act of a vengefulGod. We are just reaping what we havesown. It is the loving God which helpseach Soul develop Its highest spiritual

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potential through experience.Perhaps the most serious of karmic

infractions is to misuse spiritual powerfor personal gain. History brims withexamples of those who used psychic in-sight for personal advancement. Falseteachers have incurred a debt to theirfollowers and at some point, that debtmust be paid.

Experience Teaches Us

Experience teaches us. When a lessonis learned, particularly a spiritual les-son, we no longer need the experience.The karma is finished. We can move onto the next step. This is not absolution orforgiveness. It is spiritual growth.

Spiritual Maturity ComesWhen We Realize We Are

the Creator of Our Own Life

We cannot purchase God Conscious-ness in a marketplace, nor can it be

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granted to us by another. Our mistakesor sins of the past cannot be absolved atthe last minute simply by request. Weearn spiritual wisdom by taking respon-sibility for our actions and by learninghow the ECK, the Holy Spirit, works.Spiritual maturity comes when we real-ize we are the creator of our own life. Welearn to be a Co-worker with God byunderstanding how to create what ishighest and most beneficial for the whole.

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You’re like a hamster going aroundand around in a wheel. This wheel

is called the wheel of reincarnation. Lifeafter life you come back trying to solve themystery, wondering how to love God, thenhow to love yourself.

The answer to that mystery is calledspiritual freedom. And the way to spiri-tual freedom is simply to sing HU withlove. That is where you begin.

That’s the doorway to a new life, a life

5Reincarnation

of love.Harold KlempWhat Is Spiritual Freedom?

Another scientific principle is the con-servation of matter and energy. Thisnatural law states that matter can neither

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be created nor destroyed; it can only bechanged from one form to another.

French chemist Antoine-LaurentLavoisier discovered this principle in thelate eighteenth century shortly before los-ing his head in the French Revolution. Sincethen, several scientists, including JohnDalton and Albert Einstein, refined andexpanded on the principle. They found thatthe total amount of matter and energy inthe universe always remains the same.The parts are just reassembled into newcombinations.

Every aspect of the universe is partof a phenomenal recycling effort. We,as Soul, are divine sparks of God. Thatwhich can never be created nor destroyed.This doesn’t mean that the human popula-tion on earth remains the same. Not allSouls incarnate as humans at the sametime.

We evolve in consciousness throughmany different forms of life, even in theplant and animal kingdoms, before we takehuman form. Our goals are to learn how

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to survive, how to love, how to achieve self-mastery, and how to find our way home toGod.

Near-Death and Out-of-BodyExperiences Have Helped

People Live Life More FullySome people have had near-death expe-

riences. They were able to view their in-jured body from above and had a glimpseof the higher worlds. Most have extremelyhappy and uplifting experiences.

Soul never dies. It does not grievefor Its physical body. Many tell of meetingold friends or relatives who have passed onor of encounters with great majestic beingswho greet them but say the time for theirdeath has not yet arrived. Those who re-turn to their physical body often feel to-tally different about their lives. They arenow free of the fear of death and are ableto live life more fully.

And there are those who’ve had out-of-body experiences. These experiences

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are similar to the near-death experiencebut can occur under more ordinarycircumstances. The person is able to shifthis spiritual attention away from thephysical realm and travel in the Soulbody. After such experiences it is hard tobe afraid of death because the continuityof life becomes so apparent.

Heaven Exists on Other Planes

When the physical body dies, Soul con-tinues to exist on the other planes of God.Soul may stay on these other planes for aday, a thousand years, or more. This isdependent on Soul’s mission, Its karmicobligation, and Its level of spiritual unfold-ment. For many, this in-between time isheaven. The Astral Plane, for example, hassections which resemble all of the heavensdescribed in the major religious traditions.You might find Saint Peter and the pearlygates, or the happy hunting grounds, oreven visit the palace of Zeus or Jupiter.On the Astral Plane you find what youexpect, what you hope for, or what you fear.

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Reincarnation Helps ExplainAspects of Our Personalities

Reincarnation provides an explanationfor various elements of our personality.Why does a young child show greatmusical talent when his parents havenone? The reason could be that thesetalents were developed in a previous lifeand a subtle memory persists.

If the awareness of Soul is maintained,living in the physical world can be joyous.However, members of Eckankar aspire tospiritual freedom. This means they maychoose to reincarnate but are not com-pelled to do so. The Mahanta can guideSoul out of the worlds of illusion and helpIt rise above the Laws of Karma andReincarnation.

Reincarnation Isa Widely Held Belief

Reincarnation is a widely held belief.Hundreds of millions of people, including

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most Hindus and Buddhists, believe thatSoul inhabits many bodies over the courseof time. ECKists believe that Soul entersthe body at or around the time of birth.Without the entrance of Soul, the bodycould not survive.

Soul Is AlwaysMoving Forward

Soul is always moving forward. It isnever punished. It must simply obey theLaw of Karma and will eventually learnfrom Its experience. It is rare for an in-dividual who has attained the humanstate of consciousness to be reborn as ananimal. This would slow the ability tolearn, to unfold, and to graduate from theschool of life.

We’ve Been Here Before

Most of us have lived before. Soulreincarnates on the physical plane againand again until It graduates from theschool of physical life.

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By choosing different bodies and dif-ferent life experiences, Soul learns to viewlife from all sides. Living as male or fe-male, as black or white, as rich or poor, forexample, Soul tests and purifies Itself.

There Is a Reason for the VeilSeparating Us from the Past

If we could remember all of our previ-ous lives, the confusion would be over-whelming. To survive on this earth, wemust be able to focus on our currentidentity and deal with day-to-day events.Divine Spirit protects us from confusionby pulling the veil over our memory whenwe are reborn.

We Often Return to Be withFamily and Friends from Before

The patterns of karma often bring usinto contact with those we have knownbefore. This is a thread which runs be-tween family and friends, neighbors andbusiness associates. Your sister fromancient Egypt may be your father-in-law

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today. Your adversary from the Civil Warmay be your friend in this life.

Past-Life Memory Is Accessible

Through the Spiritual Exercises ofECK, you can remember past lives. Youwould remember those which have abearing on this life, the ones which giveyou insight into your current spiritualproblems. These records are stored onthe Causal Plane. They can be viewed aseasily as you would visit a library on thePhysical Plane, as long as you are de-tached enough to handle the information.

The Physical PlaneIs a School of Life

We often return to the school of life onearth, or some other physical arena, tocontinue our spiritual education. Soul, inharmony with the Law of Karma, choosesIts next incarnation. We choose our par-ents and our circumstances because they

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suit our spiritual needs. From this per-spective, Soul is not concerned with painor pleasure, riches or power. It simply islooking for Its next spiritual experienceand is compelled to balance Its karmicaccount.

Similarly, those of us who find our-selves on a spiritual quest have probablypursued these interests before. Many onthe path of Eckankar have studied withprevious ECK Masters. We find a glint ofrecognition in this life. Others have ledlives committed to spiritual unfoldmentand now find themselves ready to con-tinue with the next step.

ECKists are not frantic to escape thisworld or avoid rebirth. As a Co-workerwith God, Soul is never finished with Itswork. But at a certain point It may nolonger need to inhabit a physical body.Reincarnation will only continue for thosewho need or choose it. The Mahanta canguide Soul out of the worlds of illusionand help It rise above the laws of karmaand reincarnation.

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It is through these worlds that you takethe journey to Self- and God-Realization.

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he best hotels and the most luxu-rious accommodations on earth

seem like dark huts compared to the thingsyou see on the inner planes. The worldsof God are light and spacious, and the joythat Soul experiences there is beyondhuman understanding. This is what Soulis trying to get to, and it comes throughthe spiritual exercises.

Harold KlempCloak of Consciousness

Years ago, a lone ECKist stood on abridge over a river in Wisconsin. His storyis a dramatic example of the ultimateexperience of the Light and Sound, God-Realization. “From out of the night,” he

6The God Worlds of ECK

T

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recounts, “as if from a distant lighthouse,came a searing bolt of blue-white light thatpierced my heart. . . .

“A heavy roll of thunder shook thebridge, as if a locomotive were sweepingpast a railroad crossing at high speed. Itrembled at the power of the sound. . . .

“All became still. The sound of thunderceased, but the Light of God poured end-lessly into my heart as It swept down fromthe God planes, from the very center of allcreation. . . .

“Then it came, barely a breath of soundgliding over the water. . . . The soft ripple ofsound washed in again. Without a doubt, itwas ocean waves upon a peaceful shore. . . .

“The sound of waves grew still.A pause, then again the ocean swell, butthis time more compelling. . . .

“The tide must be coming in, I thought.Faster, louder came the surging. Thunder-ous, booming, crashing. . . .

. . . With each tide fall I reeled. The fullOcean of Love and Mercy was crushing me,cleansing, scouring, blessing. . . .

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“The Sound was All. It filled my everyatom. The sweet and holy Current of Godcradled me with Its fierce love. Therewas no part of me where It was not. Thiswas ECK, the ancient, ageless Voice ofGod, giving new life to Its creation.”

That ECKist who stood on the bridgeis Harold Klemp. This experience, ex-cerpted from his book Autobiography ofa Modern Prophet, occurred while he wasin training to become the Mahanta, theLiving ECK Master. His experience wasdramatic and unique. Yet it shows whatis possible for the seeker who loves Godwith all his or her heart.

Soul Travel Makes It Possibleto Achieve God-Realization

in This Lifetime

Learning to recognize, understand, andwork with the Light and Sound of God isone of the most unique and excitingaspects of Eckankar. Becoming attunedto the sounds, visual characteristics, and

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vibrational rates of the God Worlds viaSoul Travel makes it possible for the seekerto achieve Self-Realization and even God-Realization in this lifetime.

The God Worlds can best be describedas planes of reality. Each plane corre-sponds to a certain state of consciousnessand vibration. God, or the Sugmad, is thesource of all the planes. From out of theSugmad flows the ECK. It is the ECK,Divine Spirit, which supports and sustainsall life in all planes.

Harold Klemp experienced the Ocean ofLove and Mercy in the pure spiritual worldsof God while physically on that bridge inWisconsin. Sugmad exists at the heart ofthe spiritual worlds, in the Ocean of Loveand Mercy, beyond matter, energy, space, ortime. It is in these worlds that you take thejourney from Self- to God-Realization.

The Soul Plane

Self-Realization is achieved on the SoulPlane, just across the division between

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the lower (psychic) and higher (spiritual)worlds. The Soul Plane is the only planein the higher worlds where Soul is stillcloaked with a form or body. Each plane,whether psychic or spiritual, can be rec-ognized by its own particular sound. Thesound of the Soul Plane is the single noteof the flute.

The ECK continues to flow outwardfrom the heart of God, even to thefar reaches of the lower worlds. They arethe worlds of matter, energy, space, andtime. The coarsest material level, oper-ating at the lowest frequency of vibra-tion, is the Physical Plane.

Life is short here, and the understand-ing of the spiritual laws is usually lim-ited to a very few. As an ECKist, however,you learn that your experience is no longerlimited to this plane. You also reach apoint where, at the end of this lifetime,you may have a choice whether or not youwish to return.

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Gain SpiritualUnderstanding from

the Temples of Golden Wisdom

Often we gain wisdom and spiritualunderstanding by visiting Temples ofGolden Wisdom. There are Temples oneach plane, each with an ECK Masterserving as guardian of the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, the holy scriptures of ECK.Most notable on the Physical Plane arethe Katsupari Monastery in Tibet(Fubbi Quantz, guardian); the Gare-HiraTemple at Agam Des in the Hindu Kushmountains (Yaubl Sacabi, guardian); theFaqiti Monastery in the Gobi Desert,(Banjani, guardian); and the Temple ofECK, in Chanhassen, Minnesota (HaroldKlemp, guardian). The sound of thePhysical Plane is often heard as thunder.

The Astral Plane

As you dream, you may spend a greatdeal of time in a more refined state of con-sciousness called the Astral Plane. YourAstral body is lighter and functions at a

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higher vibration. The Astral Plane is thesource of human emotion, psychic phenom-ena, ghosts, and UFOs. The Astral Plane isalso home for most humans upon the deathof their physical body.

The Astral Plane is much larger andmore beautiful than the Physical Planeand often mistaken for man’s final rest-ing place, or heaven. The spiritual beingswho reside there seem angelic by earth’sstandards, and the rulers of the AstralPlane appear as gods to those unfamiliarwith the planes above the Astral.

This is the highest plane reached bythose practicing astral projection and mostoccult sciences. Askleposis, the Temple ofGolden Wisdom on this plane, is located inSahasra-dal-Kanwal (Gopal Das, guardian).You can often recognize the Astral Plane bythe sound of the roaring sea.

The Causal Plane

Memories of past lives are stored onthe next higher plane of existence, the

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Causal Plane. If you are looking for theseeds of your current life, you could visitthe Causal Plane and read the Akashicrecords. The Causal Plane contains morespiritual matter than does the Physical,but it is still governed by the laws ofduality. The Sakapori Temple of GoldenWisdom is located here in the city of Honu,and the guardian of the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad there is Shamus-i-Tabriz. Youcan recognize the Causal Plane by thesound of tinkling bells.

As you travel into a higher state of con-sciousness, the magnificence of whatyou behold can be overwhelming. This initself can be a trap, because the tempta-tion to linger is strong. The impressionis always that you have reached the higheststate. This is why the Mahanta, the InnerMaster, is so important. He will always benear to give you a little nudge, to remindyou to continue on your spiritual journey.

The Mental Plane

The source of the mind and its con-

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structs—philosophy, ethics, and moralteachings—is the Mental Plane. It isa grand place populated by advancedspiritual beings. The word Aum, chantedby those in many religious groups, origi-nates from the Mental Plane. Althoughthis is a very spiritual plane, resi-dents of this plane are still subject toreincarnation. This is because theMental Plane is still part of the lowerworlds.

To pass into the true spiritual planes,we must drop the mind. Soul uses themind as a tool but cannot be guided byit. The mind cannot understand the truenature of God. God can only be experi-enced, and descriptions of God are mostoften inaccurate because they depend onthe power of the mind.

The Temple of Namayatan, the Templeof Golden Wisdom on this plane, is lo-cated in the city of Mer Kailash, and theguardian is the Koji Chanda. You canrecognize the Mental Plane by the soundof running water.

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The Etheric Plane

Marking the border between the lowerand higher worlds of Divine Spirit is theEtheric Plane. This is the source of ourprimitive thoughts and the subconscious.The Dayaka Temple of Golden Wisdom islocated here in the city of Arhirit, andthe guardian of the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmadis Lai Tsi. You can recognize the EthericPlane by the sound of buzzing bees.

As you unfold spiritually, you’ll travelthrough the various God Worlds of ECK.This journey will be a unique experiencebecause we are all individuals, each at adifferent point in our unfoldment.

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7Love

The very heart of the doctrine ofECK is love. This love is that

divine essence which unites all reality andbrings together all Souls. The higher Soulgoes into the other worlds the greater thisbecomes. Love is the bond which holds theworlds together.

The Shariyat-Ki-SugmadBook One

A Minneapolis, Minnesota, newspaperonce reported the story of a dog namedNorman. Norman is very special. He’s ashining example of divine love in action.

Norman, a curly haired cockapoo withweak knees, sports a different brightlycolored scarf around his neck each day.He is a caregiver at a south Minneapolisnursing home. An odd occupation for a

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dog? Not really, if you think about it.He’s good at what he does. Residents

look forward to his arrival every day. Hearrives in the morning with the activitiesdirector. He moves from lap to lap, dayafter day, giving selfless love and bring-ing joy to his patients.

Divine Love NeedsNo Words to Communicate

One patient in particular, who suffereda stroke, is especially appreciative ofNorman’s attention. She always welcomeshim with a big smile and outstretchedarms. They often set off for an adventur-ous ride in her wheelchair. The stroketook away her ability to speak, so shecan’t communicate with him verbally, butshe scratches him on the head. Neitherneeds words to express the love they share.

Why does Norman take his job so se-riously? Why does he do it so well andwillingly? Because of the love he’s beengiven.

When Norman was a pup many years

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ago, he was abandoned on a doorstep. Aloving Soul, his former master, rescuedhim. When it was discovered that he hadleukemia, she invested over two thou-sand dollars of her own money to savehim and nursed him back to health. Itwas then he began his career as pettherapist.

His master was associate director fora nursery and early childhood center.Many of the children were developmen-tally disabled. Norman’s owner saw abright future for him as a caregiver. Hecharmed and inspired the children untilhis master died. That could have spelledthe end of his career, but Divine Spiritand his master’s sister saw more need forhis gift of love. She started taking himto the nursing home where she worked,to continue his mission.

What Can We Learnfrom Norman about Divine Love?

The love given Norman by his mastertranscended the love most people give

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an animal. The love she gave was givenwith no thought of return. It was lovegiven straight from the heart. Totallyselfless.

This type of love keeps on giving,building on itself. Speaking of divine love,The Shariyat says, “One does not see andgrasp it at first glance but it grows withinhim like the acorn of the oak in the earth.Gradually it opens the consciousness ofthe receiver and flows through to theworld, changing all about it.”

Further, it says, “The wise man is onewho stores up the ECK within himselfand at the same time distributes the spiri-tual love which is within himself. He isnot one who gives his compassion to afew but to all, whether or not many un-derstand this. He is able to live amongthe wretched, the thieves, the unhappy,robbers and fools, for he accepts life forwhatever it is and gives love to all. Heis the wise one who is able to give all thathe has to his fellowman. He finds love forthose who greedily accept what he gives,

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and they shall be blessed a thousandtimes for his love.”

Life in the lower worlds is made pos-sible by the interaction of two powerfulforces: the ECK force and the Kal force.Positive and negative. Love and power.The ECK force descends from the purepositive worlds of God, giving love andlife to all that exists in the worlds below.

Love Is Simple

In Cloak of Consciousness, HaroldKlemp says, “It is no secret that the powerof love is stronger than the power of themind. The mind enjoys little games andpsychic adventures, such as the use ofcrystal power. Someone who wants theGod Consciousness no longer cares forthese things. We care about the Lightand Sound of God. For this one musthave the Golden Heart, which means aheart filled with love.

“Someone told me about how well hisyoung daughter took to having a new

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baby in the family. Whenever the babywants the rattle or needs the bottle backin its mouth, the little girl simply helpsthe baby in whatever way she can.

“She doesn’t question the reason forthe baby’s needs or wait to be told whatto do. She does it simply because sheloves the baby, with none of the pettyjealousies that can make things compli-cated in a family or a group.

“. . . Love makes things very simple.”

Know Greater Lovethrough the Golden Heart

The key to love is the Golden Heart.If you have it, it is very easy to SoulTravel. Let’s take a moment to look withinand experience the radiant love of theGolden Heart.

Begin to visualize a growing, goldenlight surrounding you. It may be verysubtle at first. It embraces you, flowswith you.

Soon you are riding currents of lightinto the vastness of the cosmic sea. A

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place you’ve long forgotten. It’s a placedeep within your inner being, the dwell-ing place of Soul.

Now your consciousness settles on thesurface of the sea. Now the sea of loveand light begins to emanate from you,expanding. It’s deeper than the mind canconceive. You’ve moved beyond the re-gions of space and time.

Ever so lightly, you sense a breeze. Youhear the sound of a wind from deep within.It creates tiny ripples on the surface ofthe sea. Suddenly you realize you’re ex-periencing the Light and Sound of God.You can stay here for a while if you choose,basking in this radiant, soothing ocean ofLight and love.

When you’re ready, slowly come back.It should be easy enough to speak of thiskind of experience, but words often failus. We can try to share our experience,but it’s up to each of us to open up thatawareness within ourselves.

Truth is not gained through observa-tion, it’s gained through experience. The

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path of Eckankar offers each of us theopportunity to open our consciousness andour hearts to greater awareness, to be-come the Golden Heart. We can each feelthe love that passes on from one world tothe next, into the higher planes of reality.But the awakening has to start withinyour heart.

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I

8The ECK-Vidya

f you are open to the Holy Spirit, youwill find truth coming to you through

the actions and words of other people.This is a facet of the ECK-Vidya, the an-cient science of prophecy. I call it theGolden-tongued Wisdom.

When God speaks to you through oth-ers, the words may even come via the elec-tronic media. . . . Suddenly a sentencepops out that is precisely for you. It maymean nothing to anyone else, but for youit has a significant meaning.

Harold KlempThe Drumbeat of Time

In his book Journey of Soul, HaroldKlemp gives several important insights

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into the ECK-Vidya and the nature ofprophecy through the following story:

“An individual had a question aboutthe role of the ancient oracles in the spiri-tual life of man in the time of the Oracleof Delphi. To learn and open up, he de-cided to study the ECK-Vidya. First hewent into a contemplative state andasked, ‘What is this all about?’ He thenvisualized himself in ancient Greece,sitting on the side of a mountain. Aftera while, an ECK Master came along andasked him what he wanted. He said hewanted an understanding about the roleof oracles in the spiritual life.

“He came to understand that theoracles were used in those early timesbecause the consciousness of man was solow. They were not able to go to the templewithin directly, through the SpiritualExercises of ECK, and meet the InnerMaster to get information on whateverthey were looking for. So the ECK Mas-ters at the time would work throughoracles. What has come down to us in

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history is a poor shadow of the originalmessage that was given; it’s merely arehashing of the psychic and occult tech-niques which have lost their originalmeaning.

“As he sat there on the mountainsideand got insight into his question, theECK Master showed him some incidentsfrom his past lives, revealing somethingthat was of importance to him in this life-time, something which had a direct bear-ing on his spiritual unfoldment. Littleobjects that looked like electromagneticcards were pulled out of a file. You mayeither read them directly, or they maydisplay pictures that give the completescope of the individual and of thoselives which were of importance. The ECKMaster pulled these out for him and gavehim a look. He considered this an addedbonus, but it happened through his ownefforts. He worked with his creativity tofigure out how he could go about gettinga deeper, more penetrating insight intohis own life, and this is how he did it.”

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Man Always Wantsto Know the Future

Men and women have long wanted toknow what their future holds. They askif they will be happy, find love, or becomewealthy. They want to know about theirhealth or their careers. Corporationsspend millions of dollars trying to figureout the future. For the most part, theyemploy traditional forecasting methods.If they believed in the power of prophecy,they’d spend millions more to take ad-vantage of it.

Many seekers of truth have the pro-cess of unfoldment in reverse order. Theybelieve if one learns how to work withcrystals, symbols, numerology, etc., theywill unfold spiritually. In Eckankar, webelieve one must first be linked with theLight and Sound of God. This processpurifies Soul and enables us to becomeCo-workers with God. Once this occurs,we are able to work with the various toolsand symbols offered by the ECK-Vidya.

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Without spiritual understanding, theseitems become playthings for psychicexperimentation and do not lead to spiri-tual liberation.

All Life Is Cyclical

The ECK-Vidya teaches us that all oflife can be divided into cycles. Thesecyclical patterns have their origins in theECK, or Holy Spirit. Daily cycles arecontained within monthly cycles, monthlywithin yearly, and so on. Because weunderstand earthly, physical cycles, wecan predict when the moon will again befull. This would seem like a miracle tosomeone unfamiliar with the movementof the earth around the sun and the moonaround the earth.

It is the same with spiritual cycles. Alllife is governed by spiritual cycles, andthe ECK-Vidya adept comes to under-stand them. Prophecy becomes a naturaltalent. The cycles governing ideas, na-tions, and individuals become more clear.

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ECK-Vidya Looks into SoulRecords—Past, Present, and Future

Those trained in the ECK-Vidya areable to delve into the past and the future.These adepts can look into the Soulrecords to understand what has happenedand why. They can also look into thefuture and see what is likely to happen.They can do this because they have cometo understand the cycles of life.

This goes beyond astrology, which isthe study of planetary influences only.Planetary influences are often over-whelmed by other spiritual forces at work.Knowledge gained from astrology origi-nates from the Astral Plane, only oneplane above the physical. The same canbe said of other psychic procedures, likenumerology or channeling.

This Is a Warring Planet,but That’s OK

What does the future hold? Unfortu-nately for those utopians who believe we

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can have heaven on earth, our planet isa warring planet. Any period of peacewill be followed by one of conflict. It isthe nature of the lower worlds to have lifeand death, joy and suffering. The onlyway we can have heaven on earth is if ourconsciousness resides on the Soul Plane.Though we are in a physical body, ourattention is on the love of God. Thus weare in this world, but not of it.

Never Use Knowledgeto Manipulate Others

The ECK-Vidya has identified thevarious cycles which govern man’s lifehere on earth. The responsibility of work-ing with the ECK-Vidya is great, becausethe information gained can be so easilymisused. Many people would be knockedout of balance if they knew what wasgoing to happen to future generations.Others would try to take the informationand use it for their personal financialadvantage. A rule of Divine Spirit is that

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we must never use our knowledge tocontrol or manipulate others.

Golden-tongued Wisdom

There are two elements of the ECK-Vidya which play a role in the life of theaverage person. These are called theGolden-tongued Wisdom and the wakingdream.

The Golden-tongued Wisdom is a phe-nomenon which trains people to look forspiritual guidance in the most mundaneof events. For instance, you could beshopping in a store when the clerk sud-denly makes a casual remark to you.Though innocent enough in itself, the com-ment has some specific spiritual meaningto you.

It’s as if the ECK is speaking to youthrough the unwitting channel of thestore clerk. Or perhaps you turn on theradio and begin listening to the lyrics ofa popular song. The message inspires you,and you see the solution to a current prob-lem. With an open heart, you can hear

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Divine Spirit speaking to you through theGolden-tongued Wisdom.

The Waking Dream

A variation on the principle of theGolden-tongued Wisdom is the wakingdream. The waking dream is anothervehicle through which Divine Spirit com-municates to you. But these experiencesare more couched in symbols, similar todream experiences.

Say a man is shown a picture of abutterfly, but in his mind it looks like abee. A few hours later, he hears his wifemention the letter B. A week later, a friendasks if he is getting enough B vitamins.Now the connection between all threeevents becomes clear to him. He startstaking extra B vitamins, and a healthproblem he’d asked for help with improves.

Soul, the higher self, made sense ofthe symbolic events, and the messagemade its way to the conscious mind. Thisis an example of the waking dream.

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To learn more about the theory andpractice of the ECK-Vidya, you can readThe ECK-Vidya, Ancient Science ofProphecy by Paul Twitchell. More spe-cific information on the Golden-tonguedWisdom and the waking dream can befound in Harold Klemp’s books The Artof Spiritual Dreaming, The EternalDreamer, and The Dream Master.

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9Solving Problems

he spiritual life is not meant tofinally end the succession of prob-

lems, for they are given as opportunitiesfor Soul’s unfoldment. What the spiritualstudent does develop, however, is the in-ner link with the ECK, the Holy Spirit.Thus he taps into the Supreme CreativeForce that guides him around all theblocks in his path that once defeated him.

One’s ability to take charge of his ownlife increases. This is a solid step towardself-mastery and that state of conscious-ness called the kingdom of heaven.

Harold KlempA Modern Prophet Answers YourKey Questions about Life

T

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In any subject you take in school,whether it’s science, math, history, orart, the secret to success is problem solv-ing. Generally, the solution is containedwithin the problem. The more experi-enced you become, the more problems yousolve, the more you grow in mastery andconfidence, especially with problem solv-ing on a mental level.

The same is true in the school of life.Sometimes, however, the problems we faceseem beyond our abilities. Here is ouropportunity to grow spiritually. Knowinghow to work with the ECK, Divine Spirit,helps us overcome the fear of facing some-thing that seems beyond our ability. Welive a much more joyful, fulfilling life.Knowing how to strike a balance betweendoing everything within our power toaddress a problem and handing it over tothe ECK is the secret of problem solvingfrom a spiritual perspective.

Whether the problems we face arefinancial or health related or spring froma lack of self-discipline, there are spiri-

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tual exercises to help us addressthem. The following are a couple ofexamples.

The Fine Art ofKnowing When to Give Up

A short while ago, an ECKist foundhimself in a discouraging financial posi-tion. He looked at the stack of bills on hisdesk for mortgage, car payment, utilities,and credit cards. Then he looked again athis checkbook balance and projected hisincome for the month. He felt numb whenhe discovered he would be short severalhundred dollars at least. Even if he paidsome of the bills late, it wouldn’t solve theproblem. It seemed impossible.

To complicate matters, he soon foundthat his position with a large corporationwas to be eliminated in several monthsbecause of downsizing. The companyhad just undergone a merger and waseliminating duplication. He’d beenworking diligently to seek out new oppor-tunities for the survival of his family.

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They loved their little home in the coun-try and the quaint community in whichthey lived. But it seemed nothing wasworking out.

Finally, he reached a point of surren-der. “Mahanta,” he said, “I’ve done all Ican. I surrender this situation into yourhands.” Then he let go of his attachmentto all of the problems he faced. He put histrust totally in the ECK and the InnerMaster.

When he received his next paycheck,he discovered to his amazement that itincluded an extra two weeks’ salary. Anote accompanying the check explainedthat this was money that had been heldout at the beginning of his employ by theold company he worked for before themerger. To help simplify bookkeeping, em-ployees of that company were being reim-bursed. The check contained enoughmoney to cover the deficit he faced, withenough left over to get a jump on thefollowing month.

In addition, he found a new perma-

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nent position with another company thatturned out to be the best job he’d everhad. It meant leaving the large corpora-tion, giving up his cherished home, andmoving halfway across the country. Butit also meant a more secure and spiritu-ally fulfilling future for his whole family.

HU Will Help YouThere is little more frightening for a

parent than the thought of a child gettinglost or disappearing. A family of four wasvisiting Minnesota for the first time. Theywere from a small New England townand were unaccustomed to large, crowdedshopping malls. One day during theirvisit, they decided to visit one of the hugemalls the area had to offer. The twochildren, both boys, love to ride escala-tors. The boys spotted a long one, allsilver and glass with black handrails.Steps rose out of the floor, moving grace-fully and invitingly, one by one, up to thesecond floor. The boys begged to ride theescalator.

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After they rode the escalator up, theboys took another back down. Then, amidthe confusion of the crowds, the youngestboy got separated from his family. Hedisappeared. Dad, Mom, and the olderbrother scoured the mall for over a halfhour with no success. It seemed aneternity. Finally, Mom did a spiritualexercise. She sang HU. She took two stepsthen heard a tearful little voice behindher cry, “Mommy!” Her little boy stoodwith a security guard in exactly the samespot where she had sung HU.

Use the Shariyat Techniquefor Well-Being and HappinessIf you have a problem you’re having

trouble solving using other techniques,this one has proved to be helpful to manyECKists. It’s especially helpful if you aredown-to-earth by nature. Called theShariyat technique, this is givenin Harold Klemp’s book Unlocking thePuzzle Box.

First, simply look at your problem. What

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is its nature? Is it a spiritual matter, ordoes it involve physical health, finances,or a broken heart?

Second, open Book One or Two of TheShariyat-Ki-Sugmad at random and reada paragraph.

The third step is to chant HU andcontemplate upon what you have just readin The Shariyat. Don’t contemplate onyour problem or try to make some kindof a bridge between your paragraph andyour problem. This is very important. Justcontemplate upon the paragraph fromThe Shariyat while chanting HU.

After you have completed the contem-plation, the fourth step is to open TheShariyat, again at random, and readanother paragraph. At this point, you cantry to see how the first and second para-graphs relate to your problem. The entireexercise shouldn’t go much longer thanfifteen or twenty minutes.

The following day, if you still don’thave an answer, do this spiritual exerciseagain. If you do get an answer, then you

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can use the same technique on anotherproblem bothering you.

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10Initiations

At the time of initiation the chela[spiritual student] is imparted vi-

tal secrets, which facilitate his growth andspeed up his karma. The highest, perfectdirections for the Spiritual Exercises ofECK are given. These help him to unfoldhis inner hearing and inner sight, and withthem he begins his ever growing inwardand upward pilgrimage to the Sugmad.

The Shariyat-Ki-SugmadBook One

A new ECKist from Australia had beenwondering what her First Initiation wouldbe like. When she was ready for it, aHigher Initiate in ECK came to her inthe dream state and said, “Come, let usgo see the Master.” Together the newECKist and the Higher Initiate journeyed

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to one of the worlds of the Astral Plane,chatting as they walked along. Soon theMaster appeared in the Light body, andthe First Initiation was given.

The individual went on to completeher second year of study, at which timeshe was ready for the Second Initiation.This one is both an outer and inner ini-tiation. This is where the full linkup withthe Holy Spirit occurs.

As she sat with the ECK Initiator incontemplation, she became aware that theInitiator was leading her down a beach.The setting was very familiar; she had beenthere in dreams many times since child-hood. Is this real or am I imagining it?she wondered.

All of a sudden her consciousness wasfully on the inner plane. She and theInitiator were met by the ECK MasterRebazar Tarzs, who joined them in theirwalk along the beach.

Ahead of them on the sand was ablanket spread with fruit. The InnerMaster, the Mahanta, was waiting for

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them. In his hands he held a goblet madeof precious jewels. “This is the water oflife,” he said to her. “Take it, and drink.”

This water of life is actually the ECK,which is the Light and Sound of God.Once a person drinks of it, he will neverbe the same. This is the sort of thing thatoccurs during the ECK initiation. Youbecome aware that ECK is the path oflove. When this connection between Souland the Holy Spirit is made, it is simplyto give the person the best opportunityto live his life in the most fruitful waypossible.

Initiation Links Soulto the Audible Life Stream

The ECK is the essence of Sugmad, orGod. It flows from the Creator down intothe lower worlds and then returns againto the Source. It supports and sustainsall life. Over the centuries It has beengiven many names. The Holy Spirit, HolyGhost, Logos, the Word, Divine Spirit,

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the Bani, and the Vadan are a few ofthese names. Many religious traditionsrefer to the ECK in some way.

Divine Spirit is also called the Au-dible Life Stream, because It can be ex-perienced audibly, as Sound. It isawareness of this Sound that distin-guishes Eckankar from many other reli-gions. When Soul is ready, the Mahantalinks It with this Sound. This allows Soulto travel at Its own pace back to God.

As individuals progress spiritually,they become eligible for further initia-tions. Each initiation strengthens thebond of love between the individual andGod.

How ManyInitiations Are There?

The inability of the mind to compre-hend those areas beyond the Soul Planelimits us in our understanding of thevarious heavens and their correspondinginitiations. From the physical perspec-

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tive, we can identify fourteen levels ofinitiation. Yet there is always a plus factorin Eckankar. There is no end to the spiri-tual universe. The God Worlds are notfinite areas surrounded by borders.

Each of Us EntersEckankar with a Different

State of Consciousness

Harold Klemp says in How to SurviveSpiritually in Our Times,“Your ECK ini-tiation can open the window of heaven.Your state of consciousness means noth-ing more than your state of acceptance.”

Each of us enters the path of Eckankarwith a different state of consciousness.Our own level of unfoldment depends onour experience in this life and in previ-ous incarnations. Some have studied theECK teachings in past lives and there-fore take to the path quite easily. Forothers it may be their first contact withthe teachings of Light and Sound, and

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they may feel more comfortable proceed-ing slowly.

The Initiation Process

Beyond the First Initiation, whichoccurs in the dream state, initiations inECK are given both physically andspiritually. The Living ECK Masterauthorizes each initiation. A letter is sentto the ECKist, which is an invitation toreceive the initiation. The ECKist thenmakes an appointment with an ECKInitiator.

The initiation takes less than an hourto complete, and includes instruction andcontemplation. In some initiations, a newspiritual word is given, to be sung duringspiritual exercises.

Initiation Paceand Frequency Vary

The pace of spiritual progress variesfrom person to person. A number of years

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normally pass between ECK initiationsto ensure that each person has builtstrong spiritual foundations at each level.

Some may experience their next ini-tiation inwardly six months or morebefore they receive the outer invitationfrom the Master. For others, the signifi-cance of the initiation may not be fullyunderstood for months after the initia-tion.

Each Initiation Correspondsto a Different Plane of Existence

Each initiation corresponds to a spe-cific plane. The Second Initiation is re-lated to the Astral Plane, the Third to theCausal Plane, the Fourth to the MentalPlane, and so on. The Fifth Initiation isespecially significant, because it corre-sponds to the Soul Plane. This is thebeginning of the pure spiritual worlds,above space and time. At the Fifth Plane,the usual laws of karma and reincarna-tion no longer hold sway.

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Consciousness Has toBe Earned Moment to Moment

Of course, obtaining the Fifth Initia-tion in Eckankar does not guaranteespiritual balance or understanding. Con-sciousness always has to be earned mo-ment to moment. Regardless of spiritualstature, a person can become confused,experience a spiritual setback, and haveto start on the path again. The roadbecomes narrower as we move into thehigher worlds. With greater spiritualfreedom comes greater responsibility andaccountability.

The Rules Changefrom Plane to Plane

The initiations of ECK can have adramatic effect on our spiritual lives. If,as a Second Initiate, we become accus-tomed to operating on the Astral Plane,we may expect the rules and systemslearned there to work for us everywhere.Many who take the Third Initiation are

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puzzled to find that the Causal Planeoperates in a different manner. They mustlearn the new rules. This process consti-tutes part of our spiritual growth.

The Real Initiation Occurs Inside

Only the Mahanta, the Living ECKMaster can link up Soul with the ECKthrough initiation. The outer initiation issimple and easy. As with many experi-ences in Eckankar, the real event occursinside each of us. The outer initiation isa physical acknowledgment of the innerspiritual event. It is the inner event whichmakes all the difference.

Initiations Are Private and Sacred

The clergy of Eckankar are from theranks of the Higher Initiates, those in theFifth Circle or above. And teachers ofEckankar classes must have received atleast their Second Initiation. Yet theseare not distinctions which one ECKistuses to compare himself to another, or to

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gain status in the community. The initia-tions of ECK are private and sacred.

Each Initiation Is anInvitation from the Living ECKMaster to Take the Next Step on

the Way Home to God

The Living ECK Master is the onlyone who can approve an initiation for anECKist. The First Initiation usuallycomes within the first year of study. It isentirely an inner initiation. Sometimesthe student of ECK will remember this,and sometimes not. It can occur in thedream state, or it can be experiencedduring a spiritual exercise. There is noouter ceremony to mark the First Initia-tion.

Each person, regardless of his outerinitiation, is capable of spiritual great-ness. Each initiation is an invitation fromthe Living ECK Master to take the nextstep on the way home to God.

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These ECK Masters are also on everyplane and planet in the universes

of God. Their work is to help forward theevolution of humanity, to find and traindisciples. They see that these disciplescome to the Living ECK Master so that hecan take them under his charge to bringabout qualities of love and wisdom in thisworld.

The Shariyat-Ki-SugmadBook Two

Much has been written about guardianangels. In fact, there have been so manyreports of angelic visitations that nationalresearch groups have been formed torecord and investigate the phenomenon.

11The ECK Masters

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Sometimes these angels appear physi-cally during a life-threatening episode,then disappear. Other times, accompa-nied by blue or white light, they appear inan inner vision or a dream. Sometimesthey appear as invisible friends to chil-dren. One common thread in all theseappearances is that, through the experi-ence, people’s lives are changed for thebetter.

In Eckankar, these angels are ECKMasters. You’ve read about several of themalready. Eckankar literature is richwith the stories of people who were helpedby the ECK Masters. They include innerhealings by Lai Tsi, an ancient ChineseECK Master, and help during hardshipby a female ECK Master, Kata Daki. Andaccounts of animals or favorite pets be-ing protected by Prajapati, another ECKMaster. Their appearance makes an im-pression that lasts a lifetime. Often theseoccurrences take place before people dis-cover Eckankar for themselves.

Probably the most common occurrence

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is the appearance of the “man in blue” orthe appearance of a blue light. This is theLiving ECK Master.

The Living ECK Master Belongsto the Order of the Vairagi,

Providing Guidance Home to God

When the Living ECK Master stepsdown from his position, he usually takeson a different mission in the heavenlyhierarchy. Shamus-i-Tabriz, who servedas the Living ECK Master over fourhundred years ago, now teaches in awisdom temple on one of the other planes.

The brotherhood of ECK Masters aremembers of the Order of the Vairagi. TheSanskrit word vairag means “detached.”These Masters are detached from thepassions of this world. Their only missionis to guide Soul home to God. They do nothave a social agenda and usually stayaway from political and other causes.Through the Spiritual Exercises of ECK,many ECKists work with some of theseECK Masters.

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Harold Klemp’s Link with aLong Line of Living ECK Masters

The present Living ECK Master,Harold Klemp, studied under PaulTwitchell, who studied under numerousteachers, including the Tibetan RebazarTarzs. This unbroken chain reachesback through time. There have been count-less ECK Masters in this lineage. Somehave been historical figures, but mosthave worked silently or with small groups.

You Can Be Free from Fear

A common expression in Eckankaris that the Master is always with you.The Mahanta gives spiritual protectionin a number of ways. Just like on earth,the inner heavens contain both good andbad elements. Some of us stumble ontocertain areas of the Astral Plane and be-come frightened. Without knowing why,other people are plagued by fears through-out their life. And still others, particu-larly in the developing nations, have

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serious concerns about witchcraft andvoodoo. The Mahanta provides a cloak ofprotection for his students so they cangrow and learn spiritually without fear.

We Are Never GivenMore Than We Can Handle

The Mahanta also works with eachECKist in the dream state. When we dream,we simply operate in a different state ofconsciousness. We have less resistance toDivine Spirit, and we can more easily re-ceive the guidance of the Master. TheECKist finds many spiritual issues are re-solved while dreaming, and Eckankar pro-vides instruction which helps us rememberand understand our dreams.

The Living ECK MasterGrants Total Spiritual Freedom

to His Students

The prime mission of the Mahanta,the Living ECK Master is to lead Soul

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home to God. The Master always grantstotal spiritual freedom to his students.They are never controlled or manipulated,and they have complete freedom of choicein every aspect of life. The ECK Mastershave attained spiritual freedom for them-selves and would like to share this joy withas many Souls as want it.

There Is Alwaysa Living ECK Master

Eckankar always has a living Master.The Living ECK Master makes sure thespiritual essence of the teachings re-mains pure even though the outer formand shape of Eckankar might change.

Each Living ECK Master is respon-sible for training and appointing hissuccessor. There are always a number ofindividuals who are quietly in trainingto become the next Living ECK Master.The spiritual training is rigorous, andmany do not pass the required tests. Onlyone is chosen.

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Few Religions Resemblethe Spiritual Teaching Given

by the Founders

Very few religions of today resemblethe spiritual teaching given by theirfounders. Christianity has gone throughmany changes, and the Bible has seenmany edits. As a result, what is writtenmay bear little resemblance to whatChrist actually said. The purpose of aliving Master is to prevent such mis-direction of the original spiritual truths.The Master is the Living Word.

With the Living ECK Master asGuide, We Experience Only WhatIs Necessary for Spiritual Growth

The ECK Masters have made the samespiritual journey and have come tounderstand the road. They know theshortest route. We can save enormouswear and tear by following their lead backto God. Without a spiritual guide, thejourney home can be long and arduous.

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With the Living ECK Master as our guide,we experience only what is necessary forour spiritual growth. The purpose of theLiving ECK Master is to show us the wayhome to God.

The Mahanta Is the Inner Formof the Living ECK Master

The Mahanta, the Living ECK Masteris the spiritual leader of Eckankar. TheMahanta is the inner, or spiritual, formof the Living ECK Master, which mostECKists work with on a daily basis. Fewcan physically converse with the LivingECK Master because of physical-worldlimitations. But the Mahanta is avail-able to all at every moment.

The Living ECK MasterIs Not Worshiped

In Eckankar, the Living ECK Masteris not idolized. He is given respect andlove, but he is not worshiped. It is theMaster’s function, not his personality, that

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is important. Thus when the Mastershipis passed from one person to another, thespiritual life of the ECKist need notchange.

The Living ECK Master Takes onKarma but Doesn’t Relieve It

The Mahanta also takes over thekarma of his followers. This does not meanhe will relieve anyone of their karma, forthis could mean they would be deprivedof an experience they may need. But itmeans their karmic experience will beorganized in such a way they can betterunderstand the lessons being offered.

If we open our hearts, we will be ableto see what our experiences are tellingus about our attitudes and our own spiri-tual nature. The Mahanta also tells uswe will never receive more than we canhandle. Our karma is regulated in sucha way that, if we listen to our spiritualguidance, we won’t be overloaded, loseour balance, and fall off the spiritual path.

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It’s Natural to Question

The God Worlds of ECK are vast andcan be quite confusing to the uninitiated.Am I on the Astral Plane? Am I on thebest path? Is this a true spiritual experi-ence, or am I deluding myself? Where arethe signposts? How far is the goal? Whatis the goal? It is natural under such cir-cumstances to seek out a guide. We lookfor someone who has traveled the roadbefore and can now show us the way.

The ECKist’s GoalIs Spiritual Mastery

The goal of every ECKist is to expe-rience life to the fullest, which meansbeing a Co-worker with God. That is spiri-tual mastery. Some of us may eventuallyserve on earth as “guardian angel” ECKMasters, while others will pursue spe-cialized interests in the spiritual worlds.

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12The Play of Soul

The play of Soul is like a drama inwhich Soul is both the actor and

audience. On entering the theater the au-dience knows that it is about to see a play,but the actor creates maya, an illusion ofreality which gives the audience extremeemotions of joy or terror, laughter or tears.It is in the joy and sorrow of all beingsthat Soul, as audience, is carried away byItself as the actor.

The Shariyat-Ki-SugmadBook One

Eckankar Is a Living Religion

The great beauty of Eckankar is thatit is a living religion. It’s not bogged downwith credos and dogmas. It evolves as our

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consciousness evolves. We do not worshipthe Living ECK Master. He is a guide tobe respected, loved, and honored. He isnot an icon to be worshiped. You maystudy many books and attend classes orlectures, but your real learning comesfrom inside yourself and from your expe-riences.

Prove It for Yourself

As reported in The Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, the ECK Master Gopal Das oncesaid, “Those who follow the ECK takenothing for granted, for they must proveit for themselves. Only then will theyknow that God so loved them that Hesent a Living ECK Master to bring Soulshome to Him.”

Understand Who You Really Are

As you begin to study the teachings ofEckankar, you may accelerate your spiri-tual growth. By practicing the Spiritual

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Exercises of Eckankar, you can learn toSoul Travel. You begin to understand whoyou really are: that you’re here for aspiritual purpose. You can let go of yourfear of death. You worry less. You invitemore love into your life. You feel ener-gized and grow and change. Undesirablehabits begin to fall away.

You begin to understand the natureand importance of dreams. The dreambecomes a teaching tool. The DreamMaster is the teacher. He helps you lookunabashedly at your innermost fears anddesires, and helps you come to terms withthem. The ultimate purpose of dreams isto bring you closer to the Light and Soundof God.

Become Liberatedfrom Being the Victim

In time, past lives are revealed to you.You discover the role of karma and rein-carnation in spiritual unfoldment. Youbecome liberated from being the victim.

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You learn you are responsible, but youdiscover that the responsibility is not aweight. It is a key to spiritual freedom.You are the creator of your life; and bytaking responsibility for your actions andlearning from your experiences, you earnwisdom and spiritual maturity.

As your relationship with the InnerMaster matures, you also become moreaware of the God Worlds. You exploreother planes, even other planets. You visitTemples of Golden Wisdom. You meet ECKMasters, and the universe opens up foryou. The process of God-Realization be-gins. You let God enter more fully intoyour life.

Life Becomes Miraculous

When you let God into your life, divinelove also enters. Experiences and coinci-dences you would have discounted astrivial before now, become miraculous.Life itself is rich, and you discover the joyof service and charity. God’s love awak-

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ens your heart. You find this love in theeyes of the Living ECK Master and in theeyes of friends and family.

You’ll be given the keys to the futureand the past. Events and experiences willspeak to you in a way you’ve never knownbefore. You can begin to see cycles andconnections between your life and time-less wisdom. The waking dream andGolden-tongued Wisdom open your innereyes and ears to the Voice of God.

There Are Many Techniques, andAlways the Inner Master, to Act asYour Light through the Darkness

Problem solving will one day cease tobe as frustrating or traumatic. You cometo understand that you are never givena problem beyond your abilities. You learnto hone your existing talents and developnew ones. Although growth seldom seemscomfortable, the self-mastery you gaingives you a far deeper level of self-assurance and sense of comfort. You are

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never alone. There are many techniques,and always the Inner Master, to act asyour light through the darkness.

To Become aMember of Eckankar

To become a member you can visitEckankar’s Web site at www.Eckankar.org,call (952) 380-2222, or write Eckankar,PO Box 2000, Chanhassen, MN 55317-2000 USA.

One of the benefits of membership isthat you receive discourses, or spiritualstudy lessons. During your first two years,you study spiritual exercises and dreams.You will unfold at your own pace. You canstay in your present religion. In fact, itsteachings will probably become clearerthan ever. You will probably notice anacceleration of change, but you’ll alwayshave the means at hand to understandwhy change is taking place.

With each year of ECK membership,you will receive a new series of lessons

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for your personal study. You can also joinan ECK Satsang class studying any ofthe lessons you have received. ECKclasses offer a comfortable setting inwhich class members can share experi-ences, insights, and questions.

It is not until the end of a two-yearperiod, when you’re invited to receive yourSecond Initiation, that you decide whetherto make a more lasting commitment toyour spiritual awakening. After yourSecond Initiation, your life is transformed.You enter a new world of possibilities.

Love for andResponsibility to All Life

Harold Klemp says that “The teach-ings of ECK work on the simple principlethat love is the divine current whichmakes all life possible. We as Soul rideon this current, first of all, away fromGod. Then, at the farthest point away, atthe very end of Its rope, Soul finds theteachings of ECK and can return home.

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“Before this, Soul has despaired of everfinding truth, of ever finding the bestway home to God. Throughout Its manysojourns, in Its many lifetimes on earthand on the inner planes, Soul has beengranted boons such as instant healingsand ‘undeserved’ riches. All too often theindividual has been misled to believe thatlife is a free ride or that life gives itsbounties only to the fortunate. This mis-understanding has brought confusion.

“But when we come to ECK, we findthat the games of illusion come to anend. . . . Finally we reach the understand-ing that everything we do, everythingthat happens to us, is for our own spiri-tual good and of our own making. At theend of the road we realize that the spiri-tual path is about love for all, self-responsibility, and responsibility to alllife.”

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How to Take theNext Step on Your Spiritual

JourneyDiscover your own answers to questions

about your past, present, and future throughthe ancient wisdom of Eckankar. Take thenext bold, adventurous step on your spiritualjourney, and learn how you can join Eckankar.

Eckankar can show you why special at-tention from God is neither random nor re-served for a few saints. It is for everyindividual. It is for anyone who opens theheart to Divine Spirit, the Light and Soundof God.

If you’re searching for the secrets of lifeand the afterlife, Harold Klemp, today’sspiritual leader of Eckankar, and PaulTwitchell, its modern-day founder, havewritten a series of monthly discourses thatgive special Spiritual Exercises of ECK andlead you in a direct way to God.

Those who wish to study Eckankar,Religion of the Light and Sound of God, canreceive these special discourses which giveclear, simple instructions for the spiritualexercises.

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Through Membership inEckankar You’ll Discover

1. The most direct route home to Godthrough Eckankar’s teachings on the Lightand Sound of God. Eckankar brings theopportunity to gain wisdom, charity, andspiritual freedom in this lifetime.

2. The spiritual meaning of dreams, SoulTravel techniques, and ways to establisha personal relationship with Divine Spiritthrough study of monthly discourses. Thesediscourses are available to the entire fam-ily. You may study them at home or in aclass with others.

3. Secrets of self-mastery in a special let-ter to members and articles by the LivingECK Master in the Mystic World, a quar-terly newsletter. In it are also letters andarticles from members of Eckankar aroundthe world.

4. Upcoming Eckankar seminars andother activities worldwide, new study ma-terials available from Eckankar, and more,through special mailings. Join the excite-ment and fulfillment of attending majorEckankar seminars!

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5. The joy of the ECK Satsang (discoursestudy), classes, and book discussions. Theseclasses enable you to share spiritual expe-riences and find answers about the ECKteachings with others in your community.

How to Find Out MoreTo request membership in Eckankar us-

ing your credit card (or for a free brochureon membership) visit Eckankar’s Web site atwww.Eckankar.org or call (952) 380-2222,weekdays, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.,central time. Or write ECKANKAR, Dept.BK141, PO Box 2000, Chanhassen, MN55317-2000 USA.

How to Purchase ItemsFollowing are some of the study materials

available from Eckankar. Using your creditcard, you can purchase these items by calling(952) 380-2222 weekdays between 8:00 a.m.and 5:00 p.m., central time. For prices andshipping information you can call the abovephone number or write to us at ECKANKAR,Dept. BK141, PO Box 2000, Chanhassen,MN 55317-2000 USA. You can also pur-chase many of these and other items atwww.Eckankar.org.

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For Further Reading and Study

Those Wonderful ECK MastersBy Harold Klemp

Could you be one of the countlesspeople who have been touched by ameeting with an ECK Master? Thesereal-life stories and spiritual exercisescan awaken you to the presence and

help of these spiritual guides. Since the beginningof time they have offered guidance, protection, anddivine love to help you fulfill your spiritual destiny.

Past Lives, Dreams, and SoulTravelBy Harold Klemp

What if you could recall past-lifelessons for your benefit today? Whatif you could learn the secret knowl-edge of dreams to gain the wisdom of

the heart? Or Soul Travel, to master the shift inconsciousness needed to find peace and content-ment? To ride the waves of God’s love and mercy?Let Harold Klemp, leading authority in all threefields, show you how.

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Autobiography of a ModernProphetBy Harold Klemp

Master your true destiny. Learnhow this man’s journey to God illu-minates the way for you too. Dare toexplore the outer limits of the last

great frontier, your spiritual worlds! The more youexplore them, the sooner you come to discoveringyour true nature as an infinite, eternal spark ofGod. This book helps you get there! A good read.

The Art of Spiritual DreamingBy Harold Klemp

Dreams are a treasure. A gift fromGod. Harold Klemp shows how to finda dream’s spiritual gold, and how toexperience God’s love. Get insightsfrom the past and future, grow in

confidence, and make decisions about career andfinances. Do this from a unique perspective: byrecognizing the spiritual nature of your dreams.

Animals Are Soul Too!By Harold Klemp

Fur, feathers, scales, or skin,Harold Klemp says that we’re wovenof the same cloth by the Creator, hereto learn from each other. Incrediblestories and spiritual exercises to help

you raise your awareness of our divine kinship withanimals as Soul—and with all living things.

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A Modern Prophet AnswersYour Key Questions about LifeBy Harold Klemp

A pioneer of today’s focus on “ev-eryday spirituality” shows you how toexperience and understand God’s lovein your life—anytime, anyplace. His

answers to hundreds of questions help guide you toyour own source of wisdom, peace, and deep inner joy.

The Mahanta TranscriptsSeriesBy Harold Klemp

This collection of talks from aroundthe world by the Living ECK Mastercontains hundreds of stories and spiri-tual exercises to show you how:

• to experience yourself as Soul• God speaks to you• Divine Spirit works with you• to live a more loving and creative life• to replace your fears with God’s love• to open yourself to new spiritual horizons• to learn from your dreams• you are the creator of your own worlds

Titles include:Journey of Soul, Book 1How to Find God, Book 2The Secret Teachings, Book 3The Golden Heart, Book 4Cloak of Consciousness, Book 5Unlocking the Puzzle Box, Book 6

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The Eternal Dreamer, Book 7The Dream Master, Book 8We Come as Eagles, Book 9The Drumbeat of Time, Book 10What Is Spiritual Freedom? Book 11How the Inner Master Works, Book 12The Slow Burning Love of God, Book 13The Secret of Love, Book 14Our Spiritual Wake-Up Calls, Book 15How to Survive Spiritually in Our Times,Book 16

The SpiritualExercises of ECKBy Harold Klemp

This incredible book is a staircasewith 131 steps. It’s a very special stair-case, because you don’t have to climb

all 131 steps to get to the top. And what awaits youat the top? The doorway to spiritual freedom, self-mastery, wisdom, and love.

A Cosmic Sea of Words:The ECKANKAR LexiconBy Harold Klemp

The ultimate companion book for allEckankar literature. An easy-to-useguide to over 1,700 key spiritual termsand concepts for today’s reader.

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ECK Wisdom Temples,Spiritual Cities, & Guides:A Brief HistoryBy Harold Klemp

This fascinating guidebook de-scribes Golden Wisdom Templesand their locations and guardians,

including the ten spiritual cities on Earth to helpthis world. It includes charts of historic data forover seventy ECK Masters. Use it as creative in-spiration for your spiritual exercises.

ECKANKAR—The Key toSecret WorldsBy Paul Twitchell

One of the first texts on Eckankarand the Ancient Science of Soul Travel.It offers you simple exercises to un-derstand the hidden forces at work inyour daily life.

The Spiritual NotebookBy Paul Twitchell

Learn what saints and mysticsknew about God and the divine force—the inspiration for all myths and re-ligions. Whatever your religious belief,this book can inspire the beginning of

your own inner journey.

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The Tiger’s FangBy Paul Twitchell

Paul Twitchell’s teacher, RebazarTarzs, takes him on a journey throughvast worlds of Light and Sound, intothe heart of God Itself ! Their conver-sations bring out the secret of how to

draw closer to God—and awaken Soul to Its spiri-tual destiny.

The ECK-Vidya, AncientScience of ProphecyBy Paul Twitchell

The ECK-Vidya teaches us that allof life can be divided into cycles. Thisbook introduces ways to recognize theflow of Divine Spirit in the cycles ofyour life.

The Shariyat-Ki-SugmadBooks One and Two

These books contain the wisdom andecstatic knowledge of the spiritualworlds beyond the regions of time andspace. Studying these highly inspiredbooks gives insight into the scripturesfound in the Temples of Golden Wisdom.

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The ECK Dream DiaryUse this dream journal to create

a bridge between your inner andouter worlds by recording yourdreams in this beautiful two-hundred-page spiral-bound note-book. Includes quotes on the ECKdream teachings.

HU: A Love Song to GodThis audio recording is designed

to help listeners of any religious orphilosophical background benefit fromthe gifts of the HU. It includes an

explanation of the HU, stories about how the HUworks in daily life, and exercises to uplift you spiri-tually.

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There May Be an EckankarStudy Group near You

Eckankar offers a variety of local andinternational activities for the spiritualseeker. With hundreds of study groupsworldwide, Eckankar is near you! Manyareas have Eckankar centers where youcan browse through the books in a quiet,unpressured environment, talk with otherswho share an interest in this ancient teach-ing, and attend beginning discussion classeson how to gain the attributes of Soul:wisdom, power, love, and freedom.

Around the world, Eckankar studygroups offer special one-day or weekendseminars on the basic teachings ofEckankar. Check your phone book underECKANKAR, or call (952) 380-2222 formembership information and the locationof the Eckankar center or study groupnearest you. Or write ECKANKAR, Dept.BK141, PO Box 2000, Chanhassen, MN55317-2000 USA. Or visit Eckankar’s Website at www.Eckankar.org.

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Please send me information on the near-est Eckankar center or study group inmy area.

Please send me more information aboutmembership in Eckankar, which includesa twelve-month spiritual study.

Please type or print clearly BK141

Name

Street Apt. #

City State/Province

Zip/Postal Code Country

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Bibliography

Harold Klemp, The Art of Spiritual Dreaming (Min-neapolis: Eckankar, 1999)

——————, Autobiography of a Modern Prophet(Minneapolis: Eckankar, 2000)

——————, Cloak of Consciousness, Mahanta Tran-scripts, Book 5 (Minneapolis: Eckankar, 1991)

——————, The Dream Master, Mahanta Tran-scripts, Book 8 (Minneapolis: Eckankar, 1993,1997)

——————, The Drumbeat of Time, Mahanta Tran-scripts, Book 10 (Minneapolis: Eckankar,1995)

——————, The Eternal Dreamer, Mahanta Tran-scripts, Book 7 (Minneapolis: Eckankar, 1992)

——————, The Golden Heart, Mahanta Tran-scripts, Book 4 (Minneapolis: Eckankar, 1990)

——————, How to Survive Spiritually in OurTimes, Mahanta Transcripts, Book 16 (Minne-apolis: Eckankar, 2001)

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——————, Journey of Soul, Mahanta Transcripts,Book 1 (Minneapolis: Eckankar, 1988)

——————, A Modern Prophet Answers Your KeyQuestions about Life, (Minneapolis: Eckankar,1998)

——————, Unlocking the Puzzle Box, MahantaTranscripts, Book 6 (Minneapolis: Eckankar,1992)

——————, What Is Spiritual Freedom? MahantaTranscripts, Book 11 (Minneapolis: Eckankar,1995)

Paul Twitchell, The Spiritual Notebook (Minneapo-lis: Eckankar, 1971, 1990)

———————, The Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, Book One(Minneapolis: Eckankar, 1970, 1987)

———————, The Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, Book Two(Minneapolis: Eckankar, 1971, 1988)

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Index

Angels, 101–2Astral Plane, 21, 48,

60–61, 78, 97, 98,104

Astrology, 78

Causal Plane, 52,61–62, 97, 99

Clergy, ECK, 99Cycles, 77, 115

Death, 19, 47Divine love, 65–72,

114–15Dream(s), 25–35, 60 ,

105, 113, 116journal, 34symbols, 26, 31–32

Dream Master, 29, 32, 113

ECK, 10, 93–94Eckankar, 10, 116ECKists, 9, 40, 41ECK Masters. See

Vairagi ECK MastersECK-Vidya, 73–82Etheric Plane, 64Ethics, 39Experience, personal,

3, 43, 109

Fear(s), 19, 41, 104–5

God. See also SugmadCo-worker with, 22,44, 76listening to, 20–21

God-Realization, 55–58,114

God Worlds, 21, 48, 55–64, 95, 110, 114

Golden Heart, 69, 70, 72Golden-tongued Wis-

dom, 80–81, 115Golden Wisdom

Temple(s), 60, 61,62, 63, 64, 114

Guidance, spiritual, 109

Heaven, 48. See alsoGod Worlds

Holy Spirit. See ECKHU, 22, 87–89

Initiation, 91–100

Kal force, 69Karma, 30–31, 37–44,

51–52, 109, 113Law of, 38, 41, 50

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Klemp, Harold, 6–7, 57,104

Light and Sound of God,10, 55–56, 57, 70–71,113

Living ECK Master, 4,11, 99, 103, 105– 6,108, 112, 115

Mahanta, 11, 26, 40,108, 109

Meditation, 21Mental Plane, 21, 62–63,

97

Near-death experiences,47–48

Out-of-body experiences,47–48

Past lives, 40, 52, 75Prayer, 20Problem solving, 83–90,

115Prophecy, 33, 76–77

Rebazar Tarzs, 15–19,92, 104

Reincarnation, 42, 45 –53, 113

Responsibility, 41–42,98, 114, 118

Self-Realization, 39, 58

Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad,the, 4, 60

Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad,The, 89, 112

Shariyat technique, 88–90

Soul, 11, 12, 13–14, 25,46, 47, 48, 117–18

Soul body, 17–18Soul Plane, 58–59, 79,

94, 97Soul Travel, 11, 13–23,

33, 70, 113benefits of, 19–20

Spiritual Exercises ofECK, 20–23, 40,52, 112–13, 116

Spiritual liberation, 12, 40Spiritual teachers, 2Sugmad, 11

Temple(s) of GoldenWisdom. SeeGolden WisdomTemple(s)

Twitchell, Paul, 5–6,17–18, 104

Vairagi ECK Masters, 5,53, 60, 74–75,101–2, 103, 104,106, 107, 110

Waking dream(s), 81–82, 115

RELIGION/ECKANKAR $5.00/USA

he Voice of God speaks to ustoday. And you don’t need to be a

prophet or saint to hear It. Are you oneof the millions who have heard Godspeak through a profound spiritualexperience? Did you understand it, orfind it puzzling?

After reading this book, you willemerge with a new perspective on theway you see life. The timeless wisdomof Eckankar can help you understandyourself as Soul, an infinite, spiritualbeing. Try simple spiritual exercises tohelp you connect with the Light andSound of God, for a richer, happier life.

T

ISBN 978-1-57043-110-4

~<(sl&r!=edbbae< +Ö-Ä-Z-U-Uwww.Eckankar.org

Membership Invitation

ECKANKARReligion of the Light and Sound of God

Internet: www.Eckankar.org

Yearly ECKANKAR Membership

AdvancedSpiritual Study

Three ways to take your next step:

(age 18 and older)

Mail: ECKANKAR, PO Box 2000,Chanhassen, MN 55317-2000, USA

You are welcome to give as you are able. ECKANKAR suggests a donation of $60 foran individual and $120 for a family. This helps provide membership benefits to youthroughout the year. Your gift is greatly appreciated.

Phone: (952) 380-2222, weekdays,8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., central time

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*Children age 17 and under living with you can be added to either membership. For couplesand children, please include their names, birth dates, and gender on a separate piece of paper.

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Included with Your Membership

The Mystic World

You’ll receive this colorful, eight-pageperiodical from the Living ECK Masterevery quarter. Enjoy stories, inspiration,and insights from ECK members allaround the world.

Membership GuidebookThis guidebook to

Eckankar by Sri Harold Klempcomes in your second monthof study. It offers answers toquestions on many aspects ofECK.

Letter of Light for YouthMemberships with child-

ren come with a quarterlynewsletter of articles,artwork, and puzzles byyouth, and a special Q&Acolumn from the Master.

Spiritual Study ClassesMembers can come

together each month toexplore their experienceswith the ECK discourses.Ask your questions andbe part of a spiritualcommunity!

Membership Donation

Copyright © 2012 ECKANKAR. All rights reserved. The terms ECKANKAR, ECK, EK,MAHANTA, SOUL TRAVEL, and VAIRAGI, among others, are trademarks of ECKANKAR,PO Box 2000, Chanhassen, MN 55317-2000 USA. Printed in USA. 130427

To learn more about ECK membership,visit www.Eckankar.org/Membership.

What is spiritual freedom?

Spiritual freedom is growing into a state of more godliness. Becoming more aware of the presence of God.

—Sri Harold Klemp

Life Does Reveal Its Secrets

he Spiritual Exercises of ECK are your passkey to the secrets of the ancient ones. Through contemplation you meet with the most secret, genuine, and mysterious part

of yourself. This brings you:

Stairway to Spiritual Freedom

hose who study Eckankar move toward ever higher states of awareness via the ECK initiations.T

T

• Each initiation brings a true awakening, opening you to a greaterexperience of God’s Light and Sound and bringing you morelove, wisdom, and creativity.

• Most ECKists receive their FirstInitiation during their first year ofmembership; it often comes in adream.

• The ECK initiations are sacred,joyous occasions of inner andouter spiritual beauty on this direct path to God.

• A greater state of consciousness

• New ways to work with your life’s challenges

• More self-confidence as you discover yourselfas Soul and learn that you are eternal

I found a well oflove and help beyondcomprehension.

—SS

Harold Klemp,the Mahanta, the

Living ECK Master

y main job is to awakenthe knowledge andlove for the divinethings that arealready in yourheart.

You are Soul.You are a child ofGod.

And yourspiritual destinyis to become aCo-worker with God, to spread divine loveto all those around you.

—Sri Harold Klemp

M

Eckankar has an inner and outerliving guide. He has made the journeyinto the heart of God and has returnedto help truth seekers on their own wayhome. This guide is the Mahanta, theLiving ECK Master.

He uses every means possible to showthat you exist because God loves you.

ith membershipyou’ll receive The

Easy Way Discourses,a powerful studyplan that unlocks thewisdom inside you.Each month you’llexplore a lesson fromthe Living ECKMaster.

The ECK discourses are written witha secret, internal rhythm that graduallyunfolds your consciousness.

Each lesson includes a new spiritualexercise to try during the month.

These methods are a step-by-step planthat breaks up old, ingrained patternsand offers new keys to enlightenment.

You’ll explore topics such as:• Set Your Sights on God• Karma or Sin?• The Logic of Reincarnation• What Is Spiritual Living?• Access to the Inner Worlds

W

Advanced Spiritual Study Personal Spiritual Guide

I always knew I loved God, butuntil Eckankar, I never realized howmuch God loved me.

—Indiana

The ECK teachings put you on the advanced track tospiritual freedom. Expect to find greater

purpose, love, and personal experience with Divine Spirit.

A New World Awaits You