Ancient Wisdom for Today (8 page)

The Initiation Process

Beyond the First Initiation, which

occurs in the dream state, initiations in ECK are given both physically and

spiritually. The Living ECK Master

authorizes each initiation. A letter is sent to the ECKist, which is an invitation to receive the initiation. The ECKist then makes an appointment with an ECK

Initiator.

The initiation takes less than an hour to complete, and includes instruction and contemplation. In some initiations, a new spiritual word is given, to be sung during spiritual exercises.

Initiation Pace

and Frequency Vary

The pace of spiritual progress varies

from person to person. A number of years 96

normally pass between ECK initiations

to ensure that each person has built

strong spiritual foundations at each level.

Some may experience their next ini-

tiation inwardly six months or more

before they receive the outer invitation from the Master. For others, the significance of the initiation may not be fully understood for months after the initiation.

Each Initiation Corresponds

to a Different Plane of Existence

Each initiation corresponds to a spe-

cific plane. The Second Initiation is related to the Astral Plane, the Third to the Causal Plane, the Fourth to the Mental Plane, and so on. The Fifth Initiation is especially significant, because it corresponds to the Soul Plane. This is the

beginning of the pure spiritual worlds, above space and time. At the Fifth Plane, the usual laws of karma and reincarnation no longer hold sway.

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Consciousness Has to

Be Earned Moment to Moment

Of course, obtaining the Fifth Initia-

tion in Eckankar does not guarantee

spiritual balance or understanding. Consciousness always has to be earned mo-

ment to moment. Regardless of spiritual stature, a person can become confused, experience a spiritual setback, and have to start on the path again. The road

becomes narrower as we move into the

higher worlds. With greater spiritual

freedom comes greater responsibility and accountability.

The Rules Change

from Plane to Plane

The initiations of ECK can have a

dramatic effect on our spiritual lives. If, as a Second Initiate, we become accustomed to operating on the Astral Plane, we may expect the rules and systems

learned there to work for us everywhere.

Many who take the Third Initiation are 98

puzzled to find that the Causal Plane

operates in a different manner. They must learn the new rules. This process consti-tutes part of our spiritual growth.

The Real Initiation Occurs Inside

Only the Mahanta, the Living ECK

Master can link up Soul with the ECK

through initiation. The outer initiation is simple and easy. As with many experiences in Eckankar, the real event occurs inside each of us. The outer initiation is a physical acknowledgment of the inner spiritual event. It is the inner event which makes all the difference.

Initiations Are Private and Sacred

The clergy of Eckankar are from the

ranks of the Higher Initiates, those in the Fifth Circle or above. And teachers of Eckankar classes must have received at least their Second Initiation. Yet these are not distinctions which one ECKist

uses to compare himself to another, or to 99

gain status in the community. The initiations of ECK are private and sacred.

Each Initiation Is an

Invitation from the Living ECK

Master to Take the Next Step on

the Way Home to God

The Living ECK Master is the only

one who can approve an initiation for an ECKist. The First Initiation usually

comes within the first year of study. It is entirely an inner initiation. Sometimes the student of ECK will remember this, and sometimes not. It can occur in the dream state, or it can be experienced

during a spiritual exercise. There is no outer ceremony to mark the First Initiation.

Each person, regardless of his outer

initiation, is capable of spiritual great-ness. Each initiation is an invitation from the Living ECK Master to take the next step on the way home to God.

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The ECK Masters

These ECK Masters are also on every
plane and planet in the universes

of God. Their work is to help forward the
evolution of humanity, to find and train
disciples. They see that these disciples
come to the Living ECK Master so that he
can take them under his charge to bring
about qualities of love and wisdom in this
world.

The Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad

angels. In fact, there have been so many reports of angelic visitations that national research groups have been formed to

record and investigate the phenomenon.

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Sometimes these angels appear physi-

cally during a life-threatening episode, then disappear. Other times, accompanied by blue or white light, they appear in an inner vision or a dream. Sometimes

they appear as invisible friends to children. One common thread in all these

appearances is that, through the experience, people’s lives are changed for the better.

In Eckankar, these angels are ECK

Masters. You’ve read about several of them already. Eckankar literature is rich

with the stories of people who were helped by the ECK Masters. They include inner healings by Lai Tsi, an ancient Chinese ECK Master, and help during hardship

by a female ECK Master, Kata Daki. And accounts of animals or favorite pets being protected by Prajapati, another ECK

Master. Their appearance makes an im-

pression that lasts a lifetime. Often these occurrences take place before people discover Eckankar for themselves.

Probably the most common occurrence

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is the appearance of the “man in blue” or the appearance of a blue light. This is the Living ECK Master.

The Living ECK Master Belongs

to the Order of the Vairagi,

Providing Guidance Home to God

When the Living ECK Master steps

down from his position, he usually takes on a different mission in the heavenly hierarchy. Shamus-i-Tabriz, who served as the Living ECK Master over four

hundred years ago, now teaches in a

wisdom temple on one of the other planes.

The brotherhood of ECK Masters are

members of the Order of the Vairagi. The Sanskrit word
vairag
means “detached.”

These Masters are detached from the

passions of this world. Their only mission is to guide Soul home to God. They do not have a social agenda and usually stay

away from political and other causes.

Through the Spiritual Exercises of ECK, many ECKists work with some of these

ECK Masters.

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Harold Klemp’s Link with a

Long Line of Living ECK Masters

The present Living ECK Master,

Harold Klemp, studied under Paul

Twitchell, who studied under numerous

teachers, including the Tibetan Rebazar Tarzs. This unbroken chain reaches

back through time. There have been countless ECK Masters in this lineage. Some have been historical figures, but most have worked silently or with small groups.

You Can Be Free from Fear

A common expression in Eckankar

is that the Master is always with you.

The Mahanta gives spiritual protection in a number of ways. Just like on earth, the inner heavens contain both good and bad elements. Some of us stumble onto

certain areas of the Astral Plane and become frightened. Without knowing why,

other people are plagued by fears throughout their life. And still others, particularly in the developing nations, have

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serious concerns about witchcraft and

voodoo. The Mahanta provides a cloak of protection for his students so they can grow and learn spiritually without fear.

We Are Never Given

More Than We Can Handle

The Mahanta also works with each

ECKist in the dream state. When we dream, we simply operate in a different state of consciousness. We have less resistance to Divine Spirit, and we can more easily receive the guidance of the Master. The

ECKist finds many spiritual issues are resolved while dreaming, and Eckankar provides instruction which helps us remember and understand our dreams.

The Living ECK Master

Grants 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 grants

total spiritual freedom to his students.

They are never controlled or manipulated, and they have complete freedom of choice in every aspect of life. The ECK Masters have attained spiritual freedom for themselves and would like to share this joy with as many Souls as want it.

There Is Always

a Living ECK Master

Eckankar always has a living Master.

The Living ECK Master makes sure the

spiritual essence of the teachings re-

mains pure even though the outer form

and shape of Eckankar might change.

Each Living ECK Master is respon-

sible for training and appointing his

successor. There are always a number of individuals who are quietly in training to become the next Living ECK Master.

The spiritual training is rigorous, and many do not pass the required tests. Only one is chosen.

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Few Religions Resemble

the Spiritual Teaching Given

by the Founders

Very few religions of today resemble

the spiritual teaching given by their

founders. Christianity has gone through many changes, and the Bible has seen

many edits. As a result, what is written may bear little resemblance to what

Christ actually said. The purpose of a living Master is to prevent such mis-direction of the original spiritual truths.

The Master is the Living Word.

With the Living ECK Master as

Guide, We Experience Only What

Is Necessary for Spiritual Growth

The ECK Masters have made the same

spiritual journey and have come to

understand the road. They know the

shortest route. We can save enormous

wear and tear by following their lead back to God. Without a spiritual guide, the journey home can be long and arduous.

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

The Mahanta Is the Inner Form

of the Living ECK Master

The Mahanta, the Living ECK Master

is the spiritual leader of Eckankar. The Mahanta is the inner, or spiritual, form of the Living ECK Master, which most

ECKists work with on a daily basis. Few can physically converse with the Living ECK Master because of physical-world

limitations. But the Mahanta is avail-

able to all at every moment.

The Living ECK Master

Is Not Worshiped

In Eckankar, the Living ECK Master

is not idolized. He is given respect and love, but he is not worshiped. It is the Master’s function, not his personality, that 108

is important. Thus when the Mastership is passed from one person to another, the spiritual life of the ECKist need not

change.

The Living ECK Master Takes on

Karma but Doesn’t Relieve It

The Mahanta also takes over the

karma of his followers. This does not mean he will relieve anyone of their karma, for this could mean they would be deprived of an experience they may need. But it means their karmic experience will be

organized in such a way they can better understand the lessons being offered.

If we open our hearts, we will be able to see what our experiences are telling us about our attitudes and our own spiritual nature. The Mahanta also tells us we will never receive more than we can handle. Our karma is regulated in such a way that, if we listen to our spiritual guidance, we won’t be overloaded, lose our balance, and fall off the spiritual path.

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It’s Natural to Question

The God Worlds of ECK are vast and

can be quite confusing to the uninitiated.

Am I on the Astral Plane? Am I on the

best path? Is this a true spiritual experience, or am I deluding myself? Where are the signposts? How far is the goal? What is the goal? It is natural under such circumstances to seek out a guide. We look for someone who has traveled the road

before and can now show us the way.

The ECKist’s Goal

Is Spiritual Mastery

The goal of every ECKist is to expe-

rience life to the fullest, which means being a Co-worker with God. That is spiritual mastery. Some of us may eventually serve on earth as “guardian angel” ECK

Masters, while others will pursue spe-

cialized interests in the spiritual worlds.

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The Play of Soul

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

audience. On entering the theater the audience knows that it is about to see a play,
but the actor creates maya, an illusion of
reality which gives the audience extreme
emotions of joy or terror, laughter or tears.

It is in the joy and sorrow of all beings
that Soul, as audience, is carried away by
Itself as the actor.