Religion of the Light and Sound of God (page 2)

SheilaM

Robyn:

Interesting Weird but interesting as always!

Double Edge

Facinating...learn something new every day..... Thanks! (I think...)

The temple of Eck (a golden pyramid) is about 6 miles from where I live. When I was dating Mrs. Thirdson, she asked me about the temple clearly visible from Highway 5 in Chanhassen. I hadn't a clue. So we looked up Eckankar on the web. After viewing the official site complete with images of the rather smug and gitty Sri Harold Clump, and after discovering we could be members for just $95 per year, we looked at the other hits. Definite problems with the cult. What sticks in my mind was the web page entitled "My life with Eckankar and Amway" I guess Eckankar is also a pyramid selling scheme?

Thirdson

I

Robdar

after discovering we could be members for just $95 per year, we looked at the other hits

If you can't afford to join Eckankar, you do not have to pay. The $95 donation or actually $15 donation per lesson is used to cover shipping and handling of the books that they send you. You can always go to the temple and purchase the books on your own. And temple is free.

I am not trying to round up business for Eckankar, they have their good and bad points. I had mentioned Eck to a friend of mine while we were talking on instant message and I looked up the link. I thought that I would post it here. As I mentioned before, it has been at least 5 years since I attended temple. And before that it had been about 3 years. But I do find some of their concepts interesting.

Robyn

Introspection

From what I can remember in chatting with Eckists online, the concepts are taken from principles found in older systems. What are some specific ones?

Robdar

Intro,

It has been a while since I have read their literature, but some of the books by Paul Twitchell seemed to me to be an assorted mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism and some Christianity. Jehovah is considered to be a lesser God, not the supreme God. I didn't care for Twitchell though. He came across to me as pompous and a wanna be leader. Now Klemp is in charge and he is a lighter touch.

Now Eck mostly just focuses on an inner path to hear the voice of the Creator as it is expressed through sound and light. "Don't you wonder sometimes 'bout sound and vision?" (David Bowie rocks!) The link posted above is a pretty good one. It covers the basics of what the Eck is and how to become aware of it.

Robyn

Introspection

Robyn, I actually did glance at their home page again, but to me it's pretty clear when something is not direct because they use dualistic language. Even the approach of a way indicates it's not the way most of the time, because, to paraphrase some quote I read recently (can't recall the author I'm afraid) "It's all the Way." The quote said something like "There seems to be no God because it's all God." It's just words and concepts of course. In an effort to delve deeper, spiritual people have a tendancy to get hooked on experiences. In fact, all experiences are spiritual, simply because if you are looking for that which is underlying everything it only makes sense to look at EVERYTHING, rather than some particular method or thought system, because that just shows you don't recognize that underlying factor in some things - which is really not recognizing it at all, even if you have the greatest, most complete integrated system. You may see a nice expression of it, but that expression is not it. It's just life. (the universe, and everything )

Robdar

Even the approach of a way indicates it's not the way most of the time, because, to paraphrase some quote I read recently (can't recall the author I'm afraid) "It's all the Way."

Intro, so, what you are saying is that "the tao that can be explained is not the true tao".

Hey, have you read the "Tao of Pooh"?

Love ya,

Robyn

Introspection

No I haven't Robyn, I really should! My zen teacher had cited a Curious George calendar someone gave him as "scripture" - so I'm very much into those expressions.

Robdar

Intro,

It is a great little book. IMO, many seekers get uptight and forget to see the humor of the way. Here is what the back of the book of the Tao of Pooh says:

"While Eeyore frets....and Piglet hesitates...and Rabbit calculates....and Owl pontificates....Pooh just is."

I like this:

Zen teaches that once we can open up to the inevitability of our demise, we can begin to transform that situation and lighten up about it. The classic parable below, for example, teaches that even in the midst of death we can find sweet things about life:

There was once a man who was crossing a field and met up with a tiger. The man began to run. He came to a great cliff, caught hold of a root and swung over the edge. But at the bottom of the cliff was another tiger.

Soon, two little mice came along and began to gnaw on the vine. The man looked in terror at the tiger below. But then he saw a strawberry vine. He picked the strawberry and ate it. How delicious it was.

Cool, yes?

Robyn

Edited by - robdar on 14 January 2003 4:53:3

Edited by - robdar on 14 January 2003 4:59:9

Religion of the Light and Sound of God

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