There are times that I enjoy the teachings of Eckankar, but there are aspects of it that are sometimes hard to except. Sometimes I think of the path and wonder what my siblings would think of it. I can imagine their doubts over the past masters from hundreds or a thousand years ago, or the spiritual temples claimed to exist. There is this doubt. If I allow it, these thoughts will pull on me like the suction of quicksand. But there’s a truth that is not easily dismissed. Several times I have been going through something, played a random Eckankar lecture, or flipped to a random passage, and that passage or that lecture DIRECTLY relates to my concern. This is the proof of Eckankar and while there are other paths that can teach “the secret” of manifestation, Eckankar’s promise is not materialism, but a spiritual path back to God.

It had been a few weeks since I listened to an Eckankar Lecture. Each time I get in my car, Spotify pops up with a playlist of lectures from Harold Klemp. Over the past few weeks I have dismissed it, favoring music instead. Last night I played a random lecture, and it played one about the topic of Easter. Now it might not seem relevant, but we’re weeks away from Easter, and my wife who is not an Eckist is preparing for Easter with a lot of preparation. Our whole house is becoming Easterized. I found that relevant.

Even more relevant was a message he gave in the same talk… a story about a an Eckist who was vexed with some anger issues. In the story, the Eckist was driving Harold Klemp someplace. He was talking about his frustrations: his car is overheating and had to get it repaired, some people he works with are frustrating him… and so on. Harold said that at that time he noticed the car was overheating again, and pointed it out. The moral of the story was that the car was a manifestation of the inner state. My inner state becoming frustrated with global events, or selfishness, or anger, it reflects and creates conditions reflecting my inner state. “If the world out there isn’t to your liking, change the world in here,” said my old Buddhist lama.

Before Eckankar, I had a belief that each religion is a belief system that renders the inner spiritual force we all tap into. A Christian renders their faith healing, for example. I’ve wondered if that’s still true. If I still believe it. If so, then perhaps Eckankar is another tapestry that is pulling truth into my life. Even if that is the case, it is a tapestry built on a foundation that has omitted materialism. It is a pure reach for the Divine Source.

I do have tugs of doubts on the reality of the ancient Eck Masters. Even if they are made up, Eckankar is a pure teaching. It doesn’t promise political power. It doesn’t demand adherents vote in certain people. It doesn’t claim hypocrisies of loving others, and at the same time championing executions. It doesn’t get in the muck of world events, picking sides and throwing slander. It doesn’t have core teachings defending violence. No, Eckankar is pure. It aligns to the purest of ideals: Love. It’s goal: To Return to God.

Through it all, Eckankar shines true.