Dark Star: A Look at Sri Paul Twitchell
Michael Turner
alt.meditation.shabda
(Originally published in the September 1996 issue of The Sonic
Spectrum. All rights reserved.)
Dark Star:
A Look at Sri Paul Twitchell
by Michael Turner
© 1996, 2007
Shall we go?
You and I, while we can
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?
- Robert Hunter
"How does one die daily and yet live?" This is the seventh spiritual
question which one must confront once he steps out on the pathway to
the Absolute. The answer is simple if you know Shabda Yoga - that is,
you must learn to leave the body at will and dwell on the other
planes, and return to the body when possible, and at your own command.
- Sri Paul Twitchell
Paul Twitchell is an enigma.
- Brad Steiger
This month we will take a look at one of Sant Mat's most provocative
figures: Sri Paul Twitchell. As someone once noted (I believe it was
Sri Harold Klemp), a whirlwind of controversy has surrounded Paul for
a long time. Since at least the late 1970's, when the first serious
accusations about Paul's character came to light, people who are aware
of Paul's life and works have pretty much been divided into two camps;
those who consider Paul to have been a Living Master of the highest
order and soul traveler par excellence; and those who think of him as
a "notorious" plagiarist and unmitigated fraud.
One thing I have noticed in my short life is that people rarely fit
neatly into the pigeonholes by which we try to define them. There are
elements of light and darkness present in all of us, regardless of our
station in life and spiritual attainment (or lack thereof), just like
the symbol of yin and yang. So long as we inhabit mental, emotional
and physical bodies, we are fallible. We can soar to spiritual
heights one moment, and plummet back to earth the next - only to stand
up, dust ourselves off, and leap for the stars once again. As Sant
Kirpal Singh so often said, every Saint has His past, and every sinner
his future.
Let's see with our hearts
These things our eyes have seen
And know the truth must
Still lie somewhere in between.
- Blues for Allah: Robert Hunter
Was Paul Twitchell Living Truth, or rank deceiver? Was he a
combination of both, or more than all of the above? As I have
mentioned on occasion, Paulji has long struck me as a cross between
P.T. Barnum, Huck Finn and Kirpal Singh. Even His staunchest critics
will admit that Paul had a genuine interest in occult and spiritual
matters, particularly those which pertained to conscious, intentional
out-of-body exploration. This subject seems to have captured His
imagination early on, and drove him to study every philosophy, occult,
metaphysical and spiritual disciplines which even vaguely pertained to
it. Paul was a restless soul, always moving and growing, learning and
mutating. He was an iconoclast, a true mystic, a cliff hanger, a "one
man cult," an enigma. More than anything else, Sri Paul Twitchell was
an American original.
I suppose the best way to study Paulji is to start with the facts,
the things we can be sure of about His life. To the casual observer,
this might seem self-evident. However, given the fact that there is
very little which is objectively known about Paul Twitchell before he
became a public figure as the "Living Eck Master," I believe it is
important to have at least a skeletal human framework from which to
proceed. Most of the historical data following is derived from
Professor David C. Lane's renowned critique of Paul Twitchell and
Eckankar, The Making of a Spiritual Movement.
John Paul Twitchell was born in Paducah, Kentucky, on October 22,
1908-11 (the year is still uncertain). His parents were Jacob and
Effie Twitchell, and He had three siblings, Howard Clyde, Rupert and
Katherine (Katie).
According to Paul, his father was a student of the Indian "Eck"
Master, Sudar Singh, Who taught Jacob the art of utilizing the Sound
Current to facilitate above-body consciousness. Jacob in turn taught
Paul and His sister, Katie, this process as well. In Brad Steiger's
hitherto official biography of Paul Twitchell, In My Soul I Am Free
(which now appears to be out of print), Paul stated that He and Katie
used to pop spontaneously out of their bodies for fun and frolic, a
practice their fundamentalist mother greatly disapproved of.
According to this account, Paul's knowledge of out-of-body
exploration grew throughout His youth, hitting an initial peak in His
mid-teens (which would correlate to the mid-1920's), when He and Katie
went to Allahabad, India to study with Sudar Singh.
At this point it is time to pause for a realty check. For it is in
these initial stages of Paul's authorized biography that critics begin
to take issue. According to other members of Paul's family (notably
Katie's husband, Paul Iverlet), Katie never set foot out of the United
States. In addition, according to all reputable Sant Mat scholars,
there is absolutely no record whatsoever of a Shabda Master named
Sudar Singh.
From here on, critics say Paul Twitchell fabricated his whole life
story to make Himself a modern day Shabda superman. However, to be
fair, it must be pointed out that Katie and Jacob were dead for
several years before Paul began His public Mastership, so all negative
accounts are based on here say from members of His extended family who
may (or may not) have had an ax to grind.
In addition, while there is no account of a "Sudar" Singh in Sant
Mat, there was a Master named "Sudarshan" Singh, Who was the nephew of
Soamiji Dayal, and who resided at the Radhasoami ashram in Allahabad
for several years (during the 1920's, I believe). So it is
conceivable that Paul went to India and stayed at this ashram. The
best way to resolve this question would be to thoroughly scan travel
records for this time period and see if John Paul Twitchell went to
India, as well as contact the Radhasoami Satsang at Soamibagh, and see
if they have records of American visitors to Allahabad. There
couldn't have been that many.
In addition, there is a decent chance that Paul's father, if he was
interested in eastern mysticism, came into contact with the Sant Mat
Teachings in the early 20th Century. While there wasn't a whole lot
of information available in the United States at the time, Phelps
Notes (written by an American Satsangi of Brahm Shankar Mishra, Rai
Saligram's successor) had been published in 1911, and a small
selection of Rai Saligram's discourses had been published as well.
Before we get too far afield, let's refocus on Paul's actual life.
He apparently graduated from high school sometime in the late 1920's,
and then attended some sort of junior college for a time thereafter.
He also began to ply His talents as a writer, publishing a variety of
articles in local newspapers and at least two books of mystical
poetry, one of which was Coins of Gold, later published by Eckankar
under the aegis of Illuminated Way Press. He also managed to get
himself listed in the local Who's Who.
While few details about Paulji's life during this period (and, in
fact, on up through World War II) are recorded, a reading of Coins of
Gold (first published in 1939) clearly indicates that spirituality was
very much on His mind at an early point in His life. It conveys the
sweet agony of separation, of the reed flute from its stock, of the
drop of water for the ocean, of Soul for God. For example:
I wait and in the reflection of the stars
I cup my hands to hold the tranquil night
The soft touch of the silence heals the impatience
That awaits your coming and the moonlight
In the heart I find you dwelling there . . .
As clear as the flow of an endless song
And in the eternity of a moment of God's kindness
I find the beauty for which I long
Then softly a step tinkles in the silence
And there is an interlude in the velvet still
A rainbow of echoes answers the challenge . . .
And at your coming they retire to the hill.
- Waiting
Judging from Paul's writing style, and the suggested reading list He
put in the last chapter of Letters to Gail: I, we can get an idea of
some of His formative spiritual and literary influences. In looking
at Paul's early years, it is important to understand that metaphysics
in general, and eastern religion in particular, were not in vogue as
they have been in the past 30 years. There was only a handful of
books, and even fewer authors, who made a dent in the western
consciousness. From India there was Swami Vivekananda (chief disciple
of Ramakrishna), Meher Baba and, most notably over the long run,
Paramahansa Yogananda. From Russia, there were Madame Blavatsky and
G.I. Gurdjieff. From England there was Christopher Isherwood (the
main western disciple of Vivekananda) and Paul Brunton (who helped
introduce Ramana Maharshi to the west).
Based upon my reading thus far, Paul Brunton appears to have had
greater impact than most upon Paul Twitchell's writing style. Both
share a sense of inquiry of, and a zest for, exploring the esoteric
and arcane knowledge of the east. And Paul Brunton had a delightful,
droll, poetic - very British - way of expressing himself. His
accounts of exploring Egypt and India (A Search in Ancient Egypt and A
Search in Secret India, respectfully) convey the feel of strolling
through these ancient cultures at an easy pace, taking in the sights
and sounds along the way. A Search in Secret India is especially
noteworthy for its accounts of Brunton's encounters with Meher Baba
(unimpressed), Ramana Maharshi (very impressed, to the point of
seeking initiation), and the Radhasoami colony at Dayalbagh
(borderline bewilderment about a "secret fraternity" which listened to
the sounds inside their heads). The latter are especially significant
in that it is most likely the first exposure most westerners had with
the Radhasoami teachings. Brunton's short book, A Hermit in the
Himalayas, is a wonderful account of a summer he spent living alone in
a Himalayan hut, visited only occasionally by a wandering sadhu or
forest critter. The style and tone of this book are quite reminiscent
of Paul Twitchell's narrative style, particularly in such works as
Stranger by the River and The Tiger's Fang.
The first substantial information we really have about Paulji arises
in 1942. At this time He married his childhood sweetheart, Camille
Ballowe (August 12, 1942, in Providence, Rhode Island), and enlisted
in the Navy as a "Chief Specialist" (later promoted to ensign and,
finally, lieutenant). Paul retired from the navy shortly after VJ Day
and moved with Camille first to New York and then Washington, D.C.,
where he served as a staff writer for Our Navy magazine. Over the
next five years, Paul worked a variety of jobs and, with Camille
attended a wide variety of churches, metaphysical and spiritual
gatherings. As Camille noted in an October 30, 1977, letter to
Professor Lane:
He was always interested in spiritual matters. Spent much of the
time in meditation, read everything he could find on spiritual
subjects. In New York we attended many churches and religious
services. Only as visitors...I have always thought of Paul as a
seeker of religion.
Sometime in 1950, Paul and Camille Twitchell joined Swami
Premananda's Self Revelation Church of Absolute Monism and soon
thereafter moved into the Washington, D.C. ashram. Swami Premananda
was at one time a student of Paramahansa Yogananda, and taught a form
of Kriya Yoga at his church. Kriya Yoga, as you may recall, utilizes
a combination of mantra, a frequency of the Sound Current and
pranayama (breath control) to facilitate spiritual upliftment, and was
born in late 1861, a few months after Shiv Dayal Singh brought Surat
Shabd Yoga into public consciousness.
For the next five years, Paul and Camille lived at the ashram, during
which time Paul edited its publication, The Mystic Cross. Paul
mentions his life at the ashram in The Flute of GOD (original
edition):
I remember very well when Swami Premananda of India, who has a Yoga
Church in Washington, D.C., said, "When someone asked Bertrand Russell
what his philosophy of life was, he wrote several volumes of books on
the subject."
Paul goes on to write in the same book,
One of my experiences while serving under the Yoga Satsang line of
masters was that I found one of the masters in the guise of a beggar.
I had been in difficulty for sometime, and very unhappy over the fact
that nothing could be found to solve my problem...
The night after my problem dissolved the Indian Master Yukteswar, of
Yoga Satsang, appeared to me in a dream. He said, "You are under my
protection. I come to you to give you help. Whenever anything
happens that you are discouraged and beaten by the world, I will come
to you, in many guises, to help. Never worry again about life's
problems on earth."
I'd like to pause here to mention that the above comments are found
in the serialized edition of The Flute of GOD, which was first
published in Orion magazine (excerpts of which are featured in The
Making of a Spiritual Movement), and are different than those in the
officially published Eckankar edition of this work. In the Eckankar
version, Swami Premananda's name is changed to "Sudar Singh," the
"Yoga Satsang line of masters" becomes "Rebazar Tarzs" and "the Indian
Master Yukteswar" becomes "the ECK adept." Some may allege that
Professor Lane monkeyed with the verbiage in an effort to discredit
Paulji. However, I can attest that I have seen photocopies of the
original Orion editions and they read exactly as Professor Lane has
indicated.
A few years back I came across a book by Swami Premananda called One
Hundred And One Noble Qualities. It was first published in 1956,
shortly after Paul left the ashram, and offers some clues as to Sri
Premananda's impact on Paulji's spiritual development and later
trajectory toward the Light & Sound Teachings:
Our True Nature as Soul
Man is the soul, he is spirit. In truth and reality, through all his
efforts and achievements, man is incessantly endeavoring to fulfill
the hopes and aspirations of his spiritual self. Man is not a
corporeal being, he is a spiritual individual. Spirituality is our
fundamental nature; therefore our spiritual ideal is the impelling
force of our life.
Self-Introspection
The guiding of consciousness subjectively in order to gain the vision
of one's own spiritual self is introspection. Introspection is the
inner searchlight which reveals our innate virtues and righteousness.
Introspection must be continued until our divine nature and qualities
are revealed within our consciousness.
Forgiveness
That divine attribute wherein one's whole consciousness is lifted up
into the sublime state of self-perfection is forgiveness. The
inspiration of forgiveness springs forth from the realization of
soul's oneness with God and with all other souls. Forgiveness is the
conclusive evidence of inner purity. A heart that is totally free
from all self-limiting qualities can offer forgiveness out of the
depth of its innate godliness.
Knowledge of God
We are impelled by our spiritual nature to attain the knowledge of
God and our true self. Our whole being demands it. We are from
Spirit therefore we reach out for the perfection of God. We
intuitively know our ultimate spiritual destiny.
Soul, God and the Inner Regions
Man is transcendental soul. We are transcendental spirit. Nothing
of this sensory world can confine our soul. Birth and death, pleasure
and pain, and all other conditions of this plane of evanescent
existence are merely the passing shadows of the divine reality of our
soul. There are other planes of existence and different worlds of
manifestation in God's cosmic creation. Our soul journeys through
them all, but none of these can hold our soul within its limitations.
God has made our soul of the substance of His transcendent divinity
that we may dwell in our spiritual glory forever.
After five years at Swami Premananda's ashram, Paul left in 1955
under somewhat cloudy circumstances (including separating from his
wife, Camille). After a respite in Florida, He returned to the D.C.
area where, in September of that year, He attended a series of
satsangs held by Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj. This was to serve as
perhaps the key pivotal point in His life for, at the end of the
Satsangs, He received initiation into Surat Shabd Yoga. Paul pays
homage to Kirpal Singh early in The Flute of GOD:
I have studied under many teachers, and may yet have to study under
more. Like Meher Baba, the Indian Saint, who was said to have had
nineteen teachers to help him gain his place in the universe, I have
so far had seven, some outstanding ones, including, Sri Kirpal Singh,
of Delhi, India. Each has had their place in my growth toward the
spiritual goal; each are equally great in their respective work for
mankind. However, I have felt a closer kinship and friendliness to
Kirpal Singh, who has shown me a lot of the other work during my first
year or so under him...
For the next few years, Paul remained in Washington and attended
satsangs and group study at the home of Kirpal's primary U.S.
representative, T.S. Khanna. Apparently, Paul had a strong resonance
with the Shabda teachings and Sant Kirpal Ji as Master. He saw His
Satguru's radiant form almost immediately and had profound meditation
and dream experiences on a regular basis. His experiences with the
Inner Master were vivid to the point of Kirpal tangibly appearing to
Paul in His apartment and giving discourse to Him. These encounters
formed the basis for a pair of books which became Eckankar classics:
Dialogues With the Master (now discontinued) and The Tiger's Fang.
Notes Paul,
I have talked with and taken down the words of Kirpal Singh who
appeared in my apartment in Nauri-raup (sic), in his light body,
although his physical body was six-thousand miles away in India.
and
Master Kirpal Singh spoke briefly of these masters when he took me
through the several invisible worlds in 1957. The story of this trip
has been recorded in "The Tiger's Fang."
In Heart to Heart Talks, Kirpal Singh himself noted,
Paul Twitchell used to write to me every week, "Master came and sat
down on the chair and dictated his teachings to me." He published
them in the Tiger's Fang.
The Tiger's Fang is a milestone in western mystical writing. In this
twelve-chapter book, Paul Twitchell describes a journey through the
inner regions escorted by Kirpal Singh. In each of the first eight
chapters he begins with a short narrative about that particular plane
and then continues with a discourse given by the region's ruling
deity. Starting with the Astral Plane, He continues through the
Causal, Supra Causal (or Mental), Etheric and Soul Planes and beyond,
culminating with a God-realization experience in Anami Lok. The final
four chapters contain discourses by such spiritual luminaries as
Jelaluddin Rumi, Shams I Tabriz and Shiv Dayal Singh (under the name
of "Fubbi Quantz").
This book was one of the first ones I read as a young Eckist and,
I've got to tell you, it completely blew my mind. The concept of
someone being able to consciously traverse the inner regions, on up to
the pinnacle of God-realization, and come back and record the
experience was all too much. It reinforced the theorem that the Light
and Sound teachings began where all other philosophies and
metaphysical systems left off, and makes an excellent companion volume
to other similar accounts such as Kabir's Anaurag Sagar, Shiv Dayal
Singh's Sar Bachan: Poetry, Sawan Singh's Discourses on Sant Mat and
Rai Saligram's Prem Bani Radhasoami.
Paul sent a manuscript of The Tiger's Fang to Kirpal Singh as a sort
of expanded initiate's report in hopes that His Master would publish
it under the auspices of Ruhani Satsang. To Paul's dismay, Kirpal
declined to do so due to certain "inaccuracies," among them being Paul
confusing aspects of the Causal (Brahmanda) and Supra Causal (Daswan
Dwar or Par Brahm) Planes and ascribing the Omkar Power to the latter
region (which has carried over to the current Eckankar God Worlds
chart). From what I can tell, Kirpal ascribed this and other errors
to Paul use of the "dream technique" as a primary means of out-of-body
exploration. To whit, Paul would go to bed, fall asleep and awake in
a lucid dream state, which was followed by an inner journey.
Such a methodology was largely antithetical to one of the
cornerstones of Shabda meditation, in which the inner work is done
while we are upright and fully conscious. Sant Mat literature is very
clear about doing our meditation, including a proper balancing of
Simran, Dhyan and Bhajan, while we are awake and alert. Both Sawan
and Kirpal commented repeatedly about how our consciousness generally
descends from the eye center when we sleep and rises to it and beyond
when we are awake, and have pointedly noted the semantic differences
between "falling" asleep and waking "up."
Given the popularity of dream interpretation and exploration these
days (including some western Light and Sound groups), it might be
tempting to think that Kirpal's objections to the veracity of Paul's
nocturnal travels were excessively harsh. I know I did, at first.
But as I shifted my focus from my Eckankar upbringing to its Sant Mat
roots, the essence of the Sant Mat perspective became increasingly
clear.
The main thing to understand is that dreams are highly interpretive,
and constitute a mishmash of the day's events (and meals), coupled
with our memories, hopes, fantasies and apprehensions. Furthermore,
and more important, they tend to be ego-enhancing - we become the
super hero of our dream world, which often serves as a welcome respite
from the drudgery of life.
This is not to say that we can't learn about ourselves, and God, from
our dreams. If we choose to pay attention and keep a dream journal,
we can learn to notice recurrent images and metaphors and, through our
waking meditation come to understand the meaning of the symbolism.
Even Kirpal said He had profound spiritual experiences while
dreaming. However, He stressed, as do I, that such exploration should
always be supplemental to our daily spiritual exercises. Regarding
inner experiences, particularly vis a vis Dialogues With the Master
and The Tiger's Fang, Kirpal had this to say:
In the beginning you'll feel as if somebody is hovering around you,
with you. You'll feel His presence like that. Then that will
manifest - that Form can materialize like the physical body to guide
you. Paul Twitchell used to write to me every week, "Master came and
sat down on the chair and dictated His teachings to me." He published
them in Tiger's Fang. You see, He comes and talks; He can dictate to
you. But when a man thinks himself self-sufficient, he's cut off.
After Paul was initiated by Kirpal Singh, His life went into
overdrive. Reeling from His separation from Camille, who appeared to
be His early source of poetic inspiration, He went through several
relationships, including one with a Roman Catholic woman who
apparently inspired Him to seek baptism in the Church (His request was
refused on account of His by now divorce from Ms. Ballowe). He also
became acquainted with L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of
Scientology (by my estimation, one of the most advanced mental plane
disciplines currently in practice). This in itself is rather
interesting, for it indicates that, in spite of Kirpal's spiritual
majesty, Paul wasn't content being a Satsangi of Shabd Yoga alone.
Perhaps it was because, even with the constant inner contact, Kirpal's
physical form was still thousands of miles away. In any case, by the
late 1950's Paul had become an avid Scientologist, as well as Shabd
Yogi. He is reported to have advanced to the state of "Clear" in
record time, and quickly became the Church's press officer.
Little is overtly recorded about Paul's relationship with Hubbard.
However, there are several factors indicating that they were not only
acquainted, but close friends (even interdimensional research
partners) for a time. The first factor is the common terminology they
both used, such as "MEST" (Matter, Energy, Space & Time) and
"exteriorization" (another term for "above-body consciousness").
Secondly, Paul's books Letters to Gail are full of Scientology
concepts, such as the "Tone Scale." Thirdly, Paul's pulp sci fi
novels are reminiscent of Hubbard's and, particularly The Three Masks
of Gaba, feature Hubbardesque characters. I realize that some may
(legitimately) say this is all conjecture. And to a certain extent,
it is. However, if one takes the time to really study Sant Mat
literature, particularly the writings and Satsangs of Kirpal Singh,
and then do even a cursory reading of Dianetics (or visit a
Scientology center), one can readily discern between pure Sant Mat,
and its diluting admixture of Scientology (quite akin to the process
of learning to discern the subtle, but profound, difference between
pure soul and it's mental covering).
By the early 1960's, for whatever reason, Paul left Washington, D.C.
and moved to Washington State. One account has it that he followed a
female companion at the time out west and, after the relationship
didn't work out, decided to make the Seattle area his home. He got a
job writing for the Seattle Post Intelligencer, and spent a good
amount of time reading metaphysical books in the Seattle Public
Library. During this time He met, and took a shine to, a young
librarian named Gail Atkinson. Paul told the story of their meeting
to Brad Steiger, which was printed in In My Soul I Am Free:
(Gail) had a part-time job there while she attended the University of
Washington as a full-time student. I was reading a tremendous amount
of books at the time. I would take out twenty books each evening and
I would trade them in for a fresh batch the next night.
Gail had been puzzling about this unusual fellow who left his crazy
bookmarks in the returned books, and she had been wanting to know more
about him. One evening she was on the checkout and return desk, and I
approached her with an armload of books. "Oh," she said, "so you're
Mr. Twitchell."
That started the romance. Our courtship period was quite unique,
however. I went right to work to educate her in ECK, and every day
for two years I wrote her a two-page letter on Eckankar. Not a word
of love or romance was given in these letters, but every sentence
dealt with Eckankar, from the beginning of the teachings to the higher
level.
Now it's just a hunch on my part, but I've got a feeling that Paul's
manic reading schedule was designed largely to impress the young coed
upon whom He had a crush. The letters He mentions, which were later
published by Eckankar as Letters to Gail: volumes 1, 2 & 3 (the
latter of which has been discontinued by Eckankar), was replete with a
wide range of spiritual and metaphysical information, including
frequent mentions of His Master, Sant Kirpal Singh.
I suppose that if you should ask the Living Master what is the
spiritual life, he would be greatly amazed, because he lives it so
completely, more than ordinary man, without thinking about it; such
would be his attitude: "I don't know! You must ask the Priest or
Bishop!"
This is why I propose to say that my knowledge of this is little. I
am neither a saint nor holy man, but I can only tell you what little I
have experienced through Kirpal Singh. To him, my personal debt is
great!
Regarding inner exploration, Paul remarked on March 31, 1963:
...Soul Travel is the most important spiritual step for the
individual. You can learn this in a close study of my book The
Tiger's Fang! This was a study of the Soul Travel effort. It was
done without any strain upon me, and was at a time when I was
extremely acceptable to the desires of Kirpal Singh. This was when he
left me on the fifth plane and from then on I was on my own! ...one
never becomes God, but he becomes a co-worker as I keep pointing out!
Regarding the darshan of the Master, He noted:
This gaze is known to the mystics as the Twaji (the gaze of the
master, or gaze of God). It is used by many of the Masters who wish
to heal, to draw one to themselves - it's the gaze which tears away
all the veils which have hidden your face from that of the Absolute,
and you stand forth pure Soul...
...This gaze is like a powerful beam which can cut directly into Soul
and brush aside all which has bothered the disciple or the pupil. All
you can see are those eyes burning with love for you, and it's like a
ray of light which drives into your heart; I know this to be true, for
I still remember when it came to me through Kirpal Singh. No woman,
in the deepest love, could have given me a gaze more powerful than
this!
Regarding the core teachings of Light & Sound, Paul stated:
This is problem nine, "The Nature of the Spiritual Energies," which I
presume is one of the higher studies of the spiritual science. It is
one which I've had a lot of study from Master Kirpal Singh and has
been the basis for the Audible Life Stream. The spiritual energies
are only those energy streams which come out of each plane, originally
form the highest source where is supposedly the Throne of the
Absolute! You have had some parts of this scattered through the
letters and in both The Tiger's Fang, and The Flute of GOD. Also, in
other writings of mine you have seen references made to the spiritual
energies.
The Audible Life Stream is that upon which all life is dependent. It
leaves the highest heaven like a radio beam, in a wide circle, going
out in waves; but as it leaves that plane in its downward descent, it
flows into the channel which will send the energy out over that
particular plane like a radio beam. The channel is always the deity
of that particular plane, and through him flows the spiritual energy
to be distributed to that region, and it will flow likewise through
the lesser deities on the same plane in a likewise manner...
As the Audible Life Stream descends into the planes below, each plane
has a distinctive sound...These are distinctive on each plane, and
each plane's subdivisions will likewise have a sound which one will
come to hear, when the senses become subtle enough.
Paul also refers to such classic Shabd Yoga texts such as Shiv Dayal
Singh's Sar Bachan, both quoting it at length in His letter of March
16, 1963, and in passing on July 8, 1963:
I have a book in my collection called the Sar Bachan written
(actually, translated) by Sardar Seva Singh, which is the teachings of
the Sound Current, and acts as practically my Bible!
On July 12, 1963, as Paul's first series of letters to his by now
fiancée, Gail, neared a close, He made the following comment about the
Shabda:
The positive spiritual force works on the higher planes, above the
Brahm world, and is the force which gives power to all worlds, but it
is limited to working in the upper worlds, because of the refinement
of its nature. In a way I don't know how to put it, but the positive
or Purush power, which Master Kirpal Singh always calls the Master
Power will not enter into this world below - its fineness in character
will not allow it to operate in this universe..
The positive force can come into the lower worlds, but it must come
through a Guru, the only way, and be distributed to his own disciples
and to those with whom he contacts. The Guru is a pole for the power,
in the lower world, and the one whom God has chosen to act as his
intermediary hero...
The problem of receiving the positive or Purusha power from the
higher planes remains one of these which must be solved by going into
the realms above the negative worlds. Once the Jivatma hears the life
Sound Current, which is part of the positive current, he has had a
touch of God and he doesn't want to live the life which you can find
around you in this civilization. He only wants to get into that life
above these lower worlds and dwell in the bliss which is there. He
must go upward - he feels the urge to get into those realms where he
can have nothing but the greatness of the Absolute!
Concurrent with these letters, Sant Kirpal Singh embarked on His
second world tour, which took Him to the Pacific Northwest that fall.
During this time, Paul brought Gail to Satsang and introduced her to
His Master for initiation, which Kirpal granted her. Judging from
Paul's second series of letters (found in Letters to Gail, part 3) to
her, it appears that Gail had a powerful resonance with the Light &
Sound initiation, for his communication to her is at once more intense
and more intimate, as if she was finally starting to experientially
understand what He was talking about.
Shortly after this Paul and Gail were married and moved from Seattle,
first to San Francisco and then shortly thereafter to San Diego, where
Paul pretty much lived the rest of His life. It was during this time
(late 1963-1964) that Paul began submitting articles about out-of-body
exploration to metaphysical journals and teaching classes on
"bilocation" at a Psychic Institute in San Diego. Interest was
sufficient to encourage Paul to teach a follow up class, and then
offering home study lessons (discourses) for those who either couldn't
make it to class or wanted supplemental reading material to study
between sessions. By 1965, Paul was advertising these lessons a
variety of magazines, including Fate, calling them at first,
"Eckankar, the Bilocation Philosophy," and later, "Eckankar: The
Ancient Science of Soul Travel."
The path He presented was rooted primarily in the Surat Shabd Yoga
discipline of merging the attention with the Divine Light & Sound of
God, and allowing oneself to be lifted up above physical, emotional
and mental consciousness, into the pure positive reality of Soul,
Shabda and God. But it also included elements of other philosophies
Paul had studied, including his recent encounters with Scientology and
Kriya Yoga, as well as older interests in Sufi meditation and
initiation methods, and the belief in mystical brotherhoods of
essentially immortal masters popularized by Helen Blavatsky and the
Theosophy movement.
As Paul taught this path, he kept sculpting it, fine-tuning its
message so as to enhance popular interest as well as more easily
facilitate the sought-after experience: i.e., above-body
consciousness. In doing so, He weeded out things He thought detracted
from the marketability of the Sant Mat Teachings to a western
audience, and added elements to improve its appeal. Examples of the
former are his early jettisoning of the eastern paths' emphasis upon
strict vegetarianism, sobriety, celibacy, extended meditation time
(2-3 hours each day) and offering the ancient Teachings for free
(Kirpal used to say that God's love and Spiritual Current are free,
and so also should be their physical expression). Examples of the
latter include Paul's dabbling in past life readings, Atlantis and the
wholly alien (to "traditional" Shabd Yoga Masters like Kirpal and
Charan Singh) concept of ancient Shabd Masters living in immortalized
bodies and imparting secret wisdom to the chosen few.
In Thus Saith the Master, the following exchange took place between a
chela and Charan Singh:
Q. A lot of us have read in Theosophical writings that there is a
world brotherhood called the White Brotherhood and a hierarchy of
adepts, or masters, that are responsible for the evolution of the
earth and the earth changes. Could you say something about that? Is
it true?
A. I don't believe in masters who are hidden somewhere in the
Himalayas or in those who are trying to control our destiny or trying
to help us from there. A Master who wants to help us must be at our
level, in the flesh. Those Masters who have become one with the
Father have become the Father Himself. They are as far away from us as
the Father Himself. Since the Father cannot be at our level we must
have a Master who is at our level. That is why we need a living
Master, because a living Master is at our level; but at the same time,
he is at the level of the Father. After his death, the Master becomes
one with the Father and is as far from us as is the Father Himself...
So I don't believe in masters who are hiding somewhere in the
Himalayas, trying to control our destiny from there. In the Bible and
in the writings of other great mystics, they are always impressing
upon us the necessity of a living Master, who is at our level. Unless
the Master is at our level, he's of no use to us, even if he's hiding
in the Himalayas.
As He progressively dissociated from the eastern traditions which
formed the underpinning of Surat Shabd Yoga, Paul began to form His
own. He spoke less and less of Kirpal Singh, and more and more of
Rebazar Tarzs, a 500-year-old Tibetan Shabd adept who became the
primary source of Paul's outer legitimating as a Master. By 1966,
Paul had established Eckankar as an American religious organization,
with Himself as Godman ("the Mahanta, the Living ECK Master") in
residence, and broken off all contact with His Satguru, Kirpal Singh
and, by 1971, went so far as to assert that He had never been
initiated by Kirpal or considered Him to be a real Master. In the
late 1960's, Kirpal Singh had this to say about his former student:
I tell you, one American was initiated by me - I've got the
initiation report in his own handwriting. Then he wrote to me, "The
Master's Form appears to me inside." That Form used to speak to him,
dictate to him, inside. And all that dictation was put into a book
and the manuscript was sent to me in 1963. Then later on he started a
new movement...
Later he sent me another letter, "Return my book, The Tiger's Fang."
That is what suchlike people will do. They had some little thing, and
got stuck fast there. Now he's carrying on propaganda. He says he
was never initiated by me. He was initiated in 1955. Some people get
stuck fast on the way. This little ego is very difficult to get rid
of unless there's some kind of protection. This is a living example.
He has written other books. I need not mention his name.
Q. I don't think he mentions Your name either.
A. I don't think he would. Why say things about anyone? If any man
does well, all right. I returned his book. That was dictated by me
on inner planes, and that's all right. He changed that book before
printing; where he mentioned my name, he changed it to another guru's
name. So that is the fate of these people. People are fed up with
these masters, gurus and sadhus. Why? Only for this reason.
During the same time, Paul also began editing his earlier
manuscripts, such as The Flute of GOD and The Tiger's Fang, and
changing Kirpal's name (along with others, including Jesus, Sawan
Singh, Swami Premananda and Shiv Dayal Singh) to such names as
"Rebazar Tarzs," "Sudar Singh," "Gopal Das," "Fubbi Quantz" and "Yaubl
Sacabi." When Paul died on September 17, 1971, there was scarcely a
word left referring to Kirpal Singh and the Shabd Yoga tradition.
When I talked to God, He said, "You understand.
Stick with me child, and I'll be your God, man.
Don't ask me what I think of you.
I might not give the answer that you want me to."
- Fleetwood Mac
Why did a man proclaiming himself to be a God-realized Living Master,
a Sant Satguru, choose to lie about his past? This is an issue which
has vexed Eckists for nearly two decades. One thing which is
instantly clear is that, by using legendary, immortal "Eck" Masters as
His source of legitimating, Paul both conveyed a sense of mystique
which bolstered His own trip (i.e. Eckankar) and also offered as his
references people whose very existence was empirically non-
verifiable. In other words, while anybody could go and speak with, or
write to, Kirpal Singh and ask His honest appraisal of Paul's
attainment (or lack thereof), no objective observer could dial up
Rebazar, or one of the masters at the spiritual city of Agam Des, and
get the same.
Now, I do want to make it clear that I am not casting doubt upon the
existence of non-physical Spiritual Masters who supplement the work of
the Living Satguru and contribute to our spiritual uplift. The
assistance provided by my inner guides has been invaluable, and I am
forever in their debt. At the same time, no matter how many inner
nudges I might be given by such dear friends as Jelaluddin Rumi, Shams
I Tabriz, Nanak and Shiv Dayal Singh (not to mentioned our beloved
master, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj), I would never consider using
their approval of what I do as a means of shoring up support for my
service as a teacher. Inner experiences are very precious, private
and sacred. We should hold them closely to our hearts, and learn from
them. Like the conjugal relationship between two people in love, our
contact with the Inner Master, and other masters who have come in the
past, should be kept quiet, and cherished as a gift from God.
But, back to our original question about Paul Twitchell and the
"character issue," particularly lying about his past and plagiarizing
other authors' works: why? Why did Paul feel a need to deny His
spiritual roots and invent new ones? Why did He feel the need to copy
such spiritual classics as Path of the Masters, Mysticism: The
Spiritual Path and Sar Bachan nearly word-for-word, and publish them
under his own name as The Far Country and Shariyat ki Sugmad, among
others?
I for one feel there is still not enough hard data about this man to
ascribe substantive motivation to His actions. All we can concretely
say right now is that plagiarism and spirituo-historical revisionism
did occur. Beyond that would require in-depth interviews with those
who knew Him during his tutelage under Premananda and Kirpal Singh, as
well as the early, formative days of Eckankar. Needless to say, the
key person to start with would be His widow, Gail Atkinson. Given
that she knew Paul intimately, before and after He began teaching as a
Living Master, she would probably be able to shed valuable light on
the life of this most enigmatic of Shabda Masters.
Beyond all of this, though, I want to repeat what I said at the
beginning, we cannot base our judgment of a man on his errors alone,
and it would be a grievous mistake to do so. For, in spite of some
major errors in judgment, Paulji did some very good things as well.
For one, He made significant strides in opening up western
consciousness to the Light and Sound Teachings. What had before been
a relatively arcane, eastern system of unfoldment appealing to those
already predisposed to the Indian lifestyle and perspective, now
became a bona fide western teaching as well. By stripping Sant Mat of
its eastern cultural trappings, Paul was able to present what He
believed to be the essence of the Teachings in a language 20th Century
Americans could understand and work with. And this was a good thing.
Maharaj Charan Singh had this to say about Paul Twitchell in Thus
Saith the Master:
Q. Master, in Las Vegas there is a man by the name of Paul Twitchell,
who has written a book in which he makes many references to Sant Mat
without using the term "Sant Mat," and which includes some of the
names. Are you aware of him. He teaches the Sound Current.
A. I have read the book. I don't want to say anything against
anyone. But, I personally think that what he has written was taken
from our books. There is hardly a word in the book which is not
referred to in any of our books...
Q. I see good in most things, including myself, and I always thought
that perhaps it was part of the Creator's plan that a man like Paul
Twitchell should be here to help effect spiritual development.
A. Well, if it is part of a Divine Plan, the Lord knows His own ways
and means of pulling a soul. I've nothing against this gentleman.
I've nothing against anybody. As long as he talks about the teaching
and talks about the same Lord, talks about the same thing, it is
acceptable to us...It's much better than talking about worldly things.
In addition, if you talk to the people whose lives He touched, you
will hear a wide spectrum of stories attesting to Paulji's spiritual
prowess. If you read Paulji: A Memoir, by Patti Simpson (one of His
earliest chelas) you find a man who was both very human, and capable
of connecting His students with the Divine Sound Current and lifting
them into the Pure Spiritual Regions of Sach Khand, and beyond.
And so we come nearly full circle to where we started. Did Paul
Twitchell make mistakes in his life which may have had a negative
impact on the credibility of western Light and Sound paths? Yes. But
did Paul's errors of judgment and action invalidate His experience of
God-realization? I'd have to say, "No." From my experience, Sri Paul
Twitchell definitely traversed the dual worlds, journeyed to Sach
Khand and Anami Lok, experienced God-realization, and was - and is -
able to guide his students within all the way back home to Anami Desh.
Who was the "real" Paul Twitchell? Twenty-five years after His death
he remains, as Brad Steiger once said, an enigma - and an American
original.
Next month we will take a look at Paul Twitchell's successor, and my
Master, Sri Darwin Gross. Until then...
Baraka Bashad!
Michael
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFS
alt.meditation.shabda
Rich
"Michael Turner" <Michae...@yahoo.ca> wrote in message
news:1190954841....@d55g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFS
alt.meditation.shabda
- That being the case, it behooves anyone seriously interested
in the latest, which goes far beyond David's skeletons,
to read this: http://heh.pl/&3dr
` o
|
~/|
_/ |\
/ | \
-/ | \
_/____|___\_
Rich~~~~(__________/~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~
Etznab
Michael,
Yours was a long post. One that I have only now reached
half way through.
I was grateful to witness earlier verions of Letters to Gail.
Especially the first letter where Kirpal Singh was mentioned
instead of Rebazar Tarzs. Also for the other earlier versions
of text where the name of Kirpal Singh was illustrated there
as well.
You have provided something that I was looking for. The
opportunity to read more about Paul Twitchell to research
the "actual" words he used.
To this day I have never read David Lane's book, except
for extracts from it that I've heard about or seen on the Net.
Does that information come from his book? What appears
in your post about half way through? Or is it new?
Anyhow, people can say what they want but I was glad to
see that information. Part of the "actual" truth about Kirpal
Singh and Rebazar Tarzs and the illustrations of both over
time.
I just hate it when I have to rely on revised and/or edited
versions of history (only) as if THEY were the actual account
of recorded history.
I like to look at both in order to compare them. Actually,
the more versions the better - so long as the original is in
there somewhere. Up until now I had not seen some of the
"originals" that you illustrated.
BTW, Letters to Gail (Vol. One) was first copyrighted in
1973 when Darwin Gross was Living Eck Master. Copyright
transferred to Eckankar in 1982. Was it in 1973 when the
original version of Letters to Gail was changed? For that
matter, what "version" of Letters to Gail did you quote from?
Sorry, I'll have to go back and read it again when time
permits.
Thanks again.
Etznab
Etznab
Michael,
It is unclear to me what is the source exactly for
the Letters to Gail information in your post. Is this
something from David Lane's book? Or from the
Sonic Spectrum issue from Sept. 1996?
I am wondering if there is another place on the
Net where more about the source of those quotes
can be found. And I'm surprised to be looking at
this information only now.
Etznab
Tian Yue
I see you're posting here lately. The irony kills me! I remember
vividly you sitting in my house, when I was a foolish High Initiate in
eckankar, saddled with the thankless job of editing an eckankar
newsletter, and I was handing over the job to you. You were full of
doubts and questions at the time, going around and around with the
issues of Darwin Gross vs Klemp and Twitchell, and you spoke right up
about without hiding your lack of being a 'true believer." At the
time, I was having my own doubts, and was actually close to the time
when I would gradually leave eckankar. You were so irreverent! You
smoked up a storm, played your rock music (you played drums, didn't
you?). I secretly got a kick out of making you the editor of the
newsletter, since I knew the local eckankar bosses would have a stroke
with some of the things you were suggesting be done with the
newsletter.
Lisa remembers you well, also, from her trip with you out to a seminar
in, where, San Diego?
So, as you can imagine, it really is a crazy thing to see you showing
up having become a Light and Sound guru of your own making! Wow! I
get a smile out of this every time I see your name. I really enjoyed
the irreverent, iconoclastic person that you were. I hope that hasn't
changed. Do your followers know about that side of your character?
Tian Yue
On Sep 27, 11:47 pm, Michael Turner <Michael112...@yahoo.ca> wrote:
Etznab
>
> read more »- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
What about the L.T.G. quotes? Does anybody know?
Etznab
Michael Turner
> Hi Michael,
>
> I see you're posting here lately. The irony kills me! I remember
> vividly you sitting in my house, when I was a foolish High Initiate in
> eckankar, saddled with the thankless job of editing an eckankar
> newsletter, and I was handing over the job to you. You were full of
> doubts and questions at the time, going around and around with the
> issues of Darwin Gross vs Klemp and Twitchell, and you spoke right up
> about without hiding your lack of being a 'true believer." At the
> time, I was having my own doubts, and was actually close to the time
> when I would gradually leave eckankar. You were so irreverent! You
> smoked up a storm, played your rock music (you played drums, didn't
> you?). I secretly got a kick out of making you the editor of the
> newsletter, since I knew the local eckankar bosses would have a stroke
> with some of the things you were suggesting be done with the
> newsletter.
>
> Lisa remembers you well, also, from her trip with you out to a seminar
> in, where, San Diego?
>
> So, as you can imagine, it really is a crazy thing to see you showing
> up having become a Light and Sound guru of your own making! Wow! I
> get a smile out of this every time I see your name. I really enjoyed
> the irreverent, iconoclastic person that you were. I hope that hasn't
> changed. Do your followers know about that side of your character?
>
> Tian Yue
Hey there! How's it going? And how's Lisa?
Yeah, you did give me a lovely gift with the Tucson newsletter, didn't
you. Kind of like the gifts cats leave on their owners pillows. <G>
Actually, I went through two HI reviewers before I parted ways with
the group (their heads kept exploding for some odd reason). But
that's a story best left for another time. In answer to your tacit
question, I hung out my shingle in late '93 and did formal teaching
from then until 2000 or thereabouts. Decided to take a break from
formal instruction after my son Benjamin was born and I became a
single dad, and have been doing that pretty much ever since.
Late last year we moved from Tucson up to Reno and, with the change in
climate and Benjamin entering first grade, I decided to go through my
boxes of tapes, discs, newsletters and books and see what was there.
Found I have about 150 hours of my own satsangs on cassette, not to
mention weekend seminars (on both cassette and video) I gave and all
sorts of published materials. It's funny how single parenthood can
occupy your attention. I forgot there was so much stuff! I'm still
cataloging all of it, and beginning to transfer my satsangs from
cassette to cd. May even upload some of them for listening.
One thing I've learned is that my perspective has changed a bit in the
14 years since I first started teaching, and some of the things I
wrote need some editing and updating. For instance, this thread's
piece on Paulji would probably benefit from me taking the time to read
that new bio that's been discussed here (the one Gail likes so
much).
Probably the other tacit question is, where do I go from here? Not
sure. The Current seems to still want to express ItSelf through me,
and is flowing again - stronger than ever. So as I go through my
files and dip my toes online, I'm looking for a way I can balance my
parental responsibilities with being an active, creative instrument
for Naam's expression. Then again, I guess that's always part of the
ongoing process, the flow of the river, isn't it.
Gotta run - work to do.
Much love in Eck,
Michael
Michael Turner
Hi Etznab.
I need to go back and look at my notes on that one. I wrote this back
in 1996, so a lot of stuff is stored away. What I can tell you right
off the bat is that I was fortunate to visit with David Lane in the
early 90's (1994, I think it was) and was able to, at that time, look
at a lot of his source material, including copies of magazines Paulji
published his writings in (including proto-versions of Flute of God)
back in the early 60's. I also know - I'm writing on the fly here -
that many of Paulji's letters to Gail coincided with the time he first
introduced her to Kirpal Singh when KirpalJi was touring the US in
1963 (and he refers to his master in the present tense). Beyond that,
I'll need to do some digging through files.
Thanks!
Michael
Tian Yue
Sounds like you're doing well. I still chuckle to myself at all the
hysterics some of my friends went through when your brochures showed
up around town in Tucson. Didn't the brochure have a line drawing of
you smoking a cigarette with a halo around your head (or something
like that?) ? Heh, heh. Believe it or not, I actually stuck up for you
at the time. Of course, few of them knew I'd drifted away from the
group. But they were all ready to hang you from the nearest yard arm.
As for me, Lisa and I went sailing for eight months on my 37' ketch,
down to Mexico and into the Sea of Cortez, all the while realizing
more and more it was time to leave eckankar. We went through some
horrible storms on the way, feeling as if our time on the planet was
near an end, so violent was the sea. But the trip was astounding.
I'd been studying Chinese medicine informally for years and years, so
decided to formalize my education. Went back to school for a good many
years in Santa Fe, NM. I've been practicing acupuncture and Chinese
medicine for years now. I'm now living in the Midwest, of all places.
Lisa's home town.
We're getting ready for a big move back out to the west coast. I miss
the ocean and the mountains, and the evergreens.
Aside from that, I'm think I'm really getting tired of all this
controversy about eckankar. I'm just dropping in to see what's
happening.
But I did want to set the record straight about what I see as the real
eckankar, the real motives of the founders, and tell about the
eckankar experience from the perspective of a longtime former member.
Anyway, nice to hear from you.
Kent
Hide quoted text -
>
Etznab
Michael,
Thanks for that, Michael.
Etznab
Michael Turner
>
>
> - Show quoted text -
Sounds like you're doing well, Kent. So glad to hear it!
So I had folks in Tucson in a kerfuffle? Oh my. I was just trying to
chart a middle path of Naam as best as I knew how, without being
hidebound by anybody's rhetoric or dogma.
To me, it's always been about the Light and Sound - always has been,
always will be. The point of the Master, as I see it, is primarily to
serve as a human point of expression for IT. Beyond that, it's a
matter of personal choice - and one's own creative inspiration - how
to express IT. One of the things I've been doing during my - for lack
of better word - sabattical, is taking the time to consider if overt
teaching and lessons are even necessary, and if so what those lessons
and that mode of teaching should be.
As Paul once (or more than once) noted, the entirety of the path can
be taught in a matter of minutes, or a few paragraphs. Harmonize your
attention with the return flow of Naam/Eck/Word, let go to IT and let
it lift you up and take you Home. Even more simply: Commune with the
Word. That's pretty much it right there. What else is there to say.
Beyond that, it is between soul, Word, Gurudev and God.
So, like I said, I'm feeling inspired to do something again, but I'm
not quite sure what that is. It's kind of like how I felt in the late
80's and early 90's - on the verge of something, but waiting and
allowing IT to express ItSelf in Its own time. When it's time, It
will let me know. In the meantime, if you (or anybody else here) ever
feels like chatting back and forth in e-mails, or on the phone, or
even via Yahoo IM, that would be great.
Oh, before I forget, I think the logo you're talking about is the same
one in my profile. My ex-wife - when we were first dating back in
1994 - sketched me kicking back on her couch one evening, and the
erased most of me except for my eyes looking over the top of my
glasses, nose and smile. No cig.
Have a great night!
Michael
Michael Turner
Anytime, ET. :)
Tian Yue
> It's strange that people express surprise that people they knew
> decades before are not exactly the same person they knew decades
> before except just older. Life can be about learning, developing and
> yes, growing spiritually.
>
> On Oct 1, 6:19 pm, Tian Yue <tian...@earthlink.net> wrote:
Indeed. But I didn't express surprise. Don't assume that everything I
might know or think about a situation or person is laid bare, or that
you know enough about people who post here to step into the middle of
a conversation based on circumstances you have no knowlege of.
As to what is strange, I would also include the tendency for people to
see what they want to see to justify their stereotypes.
As to Michael, I always genuinely get a smile when I remember him.
There are times when all the eckankar nonsense just doesn't matter.
When I last saw him, there were things going on regarding eckankar
that, when I look back on it now, are rather humorous. There were
certain "high" initiates who were involved that, remembering their
pomposity and self importance and their grave concerns over mundane
trivialities like eckankar newsletter guidelines, sparks off some
laughter.
I knew that when I turned over the newsletter to him he would find
himself in the middle of that absurd world, and I also knew that the
powers that be were in for a suprise.
Michael actually wanted to edit a real newsletter, with open
duscussion and freedom of speech, allowing more latitude to
expression, which could have actually resulted in something far more
stimulating and enjoyable, and perhaps even meaningful, than the
typical standard edition eckankar newsletter with stories about
people's pets wagging tails while looking at Klemps' photo (or
something equally inane).
Of course, that sort of latitude isn't allowed in eckankar. Newlsetter
guidelines don't permit too much freedom of speech, and are fraught
with inhibiting rules.
Tian Yue
> > Hi Michael,
>
> > I see you're posting here lately. The irony kills me! I remember
> > vividly you sitting in my house, when I was a foolish High Initiate in
> > eckankar, saddled with the thankless job of editing an eckankar
> > newsletter, and I was handing over the job to you. You were full of
> > doubts and questions at the time, going around and around with the
> > issues of Darwin Gross vs Klemp and Twitchell, and you spoke right up
> > about without hiding your lack of being a 'true believer." At the
> > time, I was having my own doubts, and was actually close to the time
> > when I would gradually leave eckankar. You were so irreverent! You
> > smoked up a storm, played your rock music (you played drums, didn't
> > you?). I secretly got a kick out of making you the editor of the
> > newsletter, since I knew the local eckankar bosses would have a stroke
> > with some of the things you were suggesting be done with the
> > newsletter.
>
> > Lisa remembers you well, also, from her trip with you out to a seminar
> > in, where, San Diego?
>
> > So, as you can imagine, it really is a crazy thing to see you showing
> > up having become a Light and Sound guru of your own making! Wow! I
> > get a smile out of this every time I see your name. I really enjoyed
> > the irreverent, iconoclastic person that you were. I hope that hasn't
> > changed. Do your followers know about that side of your character?
>
> > Tian Yue- Hide quoted text -
Tian Yue
> On Oct 3, 12:19 pm, Tian Yue <tian...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > On Oct 3, 8:17 am, Dave Barnes <davemariabar...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > > It's strange that people express surprise that people they knew
> > > decades before are not exactly the same person they knew decades
> > > before except just older. Life can be about learning, developing and
> > > yes, growing spiritually.
>
> > > On Oct 1, 6:19 pm, Tian Yue <tian...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > Indeed. But I didn't express surprise.
>
> these stories in the past on news groups before. What remains though
> is your looking at people you knew decades ago as being the same
> people just older. I find that strange. You've grown, changed, and
> developed and so have others.
You're asserting erroneous assumptions about my point of view, and
those assumptions aren't substantiated by you with any supporting
examples, so they're actually ad hominem. In short, this is a really
dumb little conversation we're having. No substance to this.
Tian Yue
> >Don't assume that everything I
> > might know or think about a situation or person is laid bare, or that
> > you know enough about people who post here to step into the middle of
> > a conversation based on circumstances you have no knowlege of.
>
> > As to what is strange, I would also include the tendency for people to
> > see what they want to see to justify their stereotypes.
>
> <Snip: lots of anti-Light and Sound path nonsense/intolerance>
Tian Yue
> On Oct 3, 12:57 pm, Dave Barnes <davemariabar...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Oct 3, 12:19 pm, Tian Yue <tian...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > > On Oct 3, 8:17 am, Dave Barnes <davemariabar...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > > > It's strange that people express surprise that people they knew
> > > > decades before are not exactly the same person they knew decades
> > > > before except just older. Life can be about learning, developing and
> > > > yes, growing spiritually.
>
> > > > On Oct 1, 6:19 pm, Tian Yue <tian...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > > Indeed. But I didn't express surprise.
>
> > I know as what you express is an on-going thing because you've told
> > these stories in the past on news groups before. What remains though
> > is your looking at people you knew decades ago as being the same
> > people just older. I find that strange. You've grown, changed, and
> > developed and so have others.
>
> You're asserting erroneous assumptions about my point of view, and
> those assumptions aren't substantiated by you with any supporting
> examples, so they're actually ad hominem. In short, this is a really
> dumb little conversation we're having. No substance to this.
>
> Tian Yue
After thinking a bit longer about your reply, Dave, it occurs to me
that you possibly have been thinking that I don't accept Michael's
claims of having become an eck master (or whatever he calls it).
You would be correct, if that's what is bothering you. The vast
majority of such claims are bogus. Since Twitchell's claim to
mastership has been thrust into serious doubt, and since much of what
PT asserted has been found to be outright fraud, it follows that all
who've followed in his "lineage" are equally lacking in authenticity.
All of the offshoots of eckankar (with eckanakar itself being an
offshoot) are thus based upon the same lies.
I'm not saying that Michael doesn't genuinely believe himself to be a
master, but the entire eckankar lineage, including all the offshoots,
is obviously fake in terms of the claims of having the extraordinary
ability to free souls from the wheel of reincarnation by linking them
to the sound current, which implies some sort of monopoly on life, as
if without the link-up soul is doomed to a life of deprivation from
God. Utter nonsense!
>
> > >Don't assume that everything I
> > > might know or think about a situation or person is laid bare, or that
> > > you know enough about people who post here to step into the middle of
> > > a conversation based on circumstances you have no knowlege of.
>
> > > As to what is strange, I would also include the tendency for people to
> > > see what they want to see to justify their stereotypes.
>
> > <Snip: lots of anti-Light and Sound path nonsense/intolerance>- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
Michael Turner
This is a very interesting point of discussion, re being freed from
the cycle of Karma and death and rebirth. Want to start a separate
thread?
Peace,
mt
Tian Yue
Not sure I can stomach rehashing all that, Michael. Start one if you
wish, but I'm not sure I can spend the time. I'm following
conversations on a number of various sites at the moment.
Etznab
> Sometimes people can see a few of the limitations that get imposed
> externally by other people, but often enough, usually because of ego,
> these same people cannot see the limitations that they attempt to
> impose on others. So you know a person decades ago and then feign
> surprise that he is not the same person just older that you knew.
> That's what I'm commenting on and that's what I find strange. Life can
> provide individuals with many wonderful opportunities for developing,
> learning, changing, and growth, including spiritual growth. But the
> individual first and always will have to overcome the limitation
> techniques that others rely on to attempt to limit the possibilities
> that potentially exist. Usually, this is done in order to allay their
> own inner personal insecurities. Some people just don't want others to
> succeed where they have had less than stellar results. They want
> everyone to have less than success because this enables them to put
> the blame on external factors rather than having to do the more
> difficult and sometimes painful work of looking inwardly to face
> themselves.
>
> And I've had similar experiences with the foibles of people, these
> inane "rule-makers" yet came away with a completely different point of
> view about the effectiveness of the Light and Sound spiritual
> practices for my inner growth. People's idiosyncrasies and anything
> else of an external nature have nothing to do with the inner spiritual
> path.
>
> On Oct 3, 4:20 pm, Tian Yue <tian...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > After thinking a bit longer about your reply, Dave, it occurs to me
> > that you possibly have been thinking that I don't accept Michael's
> > claims of having become an eck master (or whatever he calls it).
>
> > You would be correct, if that's what is bothering you. The vast
> > majority of such claims are bogus. Since Twitchell's claim to
> > mastership has been thrust into serious doubt, and since much of what
> > PT asserted has been found to be outright fraud, it follows that all
> > who've followed in his "lineage" are equally lacking in authenticity.
> > All of the offshoots of eckankar (with eckanakar itself being an
> > offshoot) are thus based upon the same lies.
>
> > I'm not saying that Michael doesn't genuinely believe himself to be a
> > master, but the entire eckankar lineage, including all the offshoots,
> > is obviously fake in terms of the claims of having the extraordinary
> > ability to free souls from the wheel of reincarnation by linking them
> > to the sound current, which implies some sort of monopoly on life, as
> > if without the link-up soul is doomed to a life of deprivation from
>
> - Show quoted text -
I thought that was an excellent post, David. Great insights, IMO.
Etznab
Tian Yue
others. That is, attempting to impose on me your limited understanding
of my point of view.
I will state, once again, that I didn't "feign surprise" at anything
said by Michael. If you want to be consistent with your own words, you
should realize that you shouldn't be imposing this on me, despite the
fact that it isn't true. Do you see this?
Do you know Michael? Do you know me? Were you present at the events
that I'm referring to? Unless you actually ARE Michael, and are using
a speudo, you're clueless
I'm not quite sure just what your beef is. Why don't you just spit out
what's bothering you?
Also, I never wrote that "light and sound exercises" don't work. I was
using those before I ever heard of eckankar. Eckankar didn't invent
those techniques. These have come from other groups, such as tantra
yoga, for example, that predate eckankar. In India, the techniques are
very common.
Tian Yue
On Oct 4, 7:22 am, Dave Barnes <davemariabar...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Sometimes people can see a few of the limitations that get imposed
> externally by other people, but often enough, usually because of ego,
> these same people cannot see the limitations that they attempt to
> impose on others. So you know a person decades ago and then feign
> surprise that he is not the same person just older that you knew.
> That's what I'm commenting on and that's what I find strange. Life can
> provide individuals with many wonderful opportunities for developing,
> learning, changing, and growth, including spiritual growth. But the
> individual first and always will have to overcome the limitation
> techniques that others rely on to attempt to limit the possibilities
> that potentially exist. Usually, this is done in order to allay their
> own inner personal insecurities. Some people just don't want others to
> succeed where they have had less than stellar results. They want
> everyone to have less than success because this enables them to put
> the blame on external factors rather than having to do the more
> difficult and sometimes painful work of looking inwardly to face
> themselves.
>
> And I've had similar experiences with the foibles of people, these
> inane "rule-makers" yet came away with a completely different point of
> view about the effectiveness of the Light and Sound spiritual
> practices for my inner growth. People's idiosyncrasies and anything
> else of an external nature have nothing to do with the inner spiritual
> path.
>
> On Oct 3, 4:20 pm, Tian Yue <tian...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > After thinking a bit longer about your reply, Dave, it occurs to me
> > that you possibly have been thinking that I don't accept Michael's
> > claims of having become an eck master (or whatever he calls it).
>
> > You would be correct, if that's what is bothering you. The vast
> > majority of such claims are bogus. Since Twitchell's claim to
> > mastership has been thrust into serious doubt, and since much of what
> > PT asserted has been found to be outright fraud, it follows that all
> > who've followed in his "lineage" are equally lacking in authenticity.
> > All of the offshoots of eckankar (with eckanakar itself being an
> > offshoot) are thus based upon the same lies.
>
> > I'm not saying that Michael doesn't genuinely believe himself to be a
> > master, but the entire eckankar lineage, including all the offshoots,
> > is obviously fake in terms of the claims of having the extraordinary
> > ability to free souls from the wheel of reincarnation by linking them
> > to the sound current, which implies some sort of monopoly on life, as
> > if without the link-up soul is doomed to a life of deprivation from
> > God. Utter nonsense!- Hide quoted text -
Tian Yue
On Oct 5, 12:35 pm, Dave Barnes <davemariabar...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I knew that there was only a very small chance Tian Yue would
> understand any of my three posts prior to this one, but it was worth
> my taking the time and effort to try.
Well, given your attitude, I'm not surprised you think I don't
understand your posts. I suppose I could claim the same about your
lack of understanding of mine. Your posts are understandable enough,
but I do perceive there is more that you left unsaid that would shed
light on your particular slant, and even that I think is becoming
rather clear.
Still, it all comes down to the written languange and how its used.
For example, you were unsure about what "10,000 things" means in
Daoism, and yet, just about any Chinese would have at least some idea
of the meaning. Its simply the gulf that exists between two
individuals that occurs because of languange, and assumptions people
make about their own way of expressing themselves
Thanks for the link to the daodejing site. I've visited many, so I'll
leave that to another time to visit. As it is, I have about eight
translations of the book, although I've kind of lost count.
I'm going to be busy over the weekend, so will propably not be around
to answer any posts 'till the weekend is over.
Tian Yue
>
> On Oct 4, 6:40 pm, Tian Yue <tian...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > Also, I never wrote that "light and sound exercises" don't work. I was
> > using those before I ever heard of eckankar. Eckankar didn't invent
> > those techniques. These have come from other groups, such as tantra
> > yoga, for example, that predate eckankar. In India, the techniques are
> > very common.
>
> It's great that you create with the Light and Sound. I was also
> inspired in the past by thru you via your expressed interest in Taoism
> to buy a translation of the Tao Te Ching.
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Lao-Tzu-Ching-About-Power/dp/1570623953/ref=sr_...
>
> I couldn't figure out what was meant by the many references to the
> "10,000 things." I thought about this for very long. Then one day I
> just understood. I don't have this particular translation of the Tao
> Te Ching as I give away my spiritual books every so often, but it's
> easy to understand, read, and appreciate. Highly recommended to those
> interested in the Tao.
> > > > claims of having become an eck master (or whatever he calls it).- Hide quoted text -
Ken
8 translations, wow! I guess that means you really know what
you're talking about!
--
Ken
Michael Turner
been overly critical of Sri Paul Twitchell, particularly in
questioning his legacy.
Scholarship aside, perhaps the main problem I have with him cutting
corners and cribbing information without attribution from other
writers, is that doing so - for many people - undermined his entire
legitimacy, and even that of the Shabda path in general. A lot of
folks got dissilusioned and questioned whether any of it is real.
Regardless of denomination or orientation in overall path of Surat
Shabda - there is one thing I know unequivocally. There is God.
There is the LightSong of Naam. And Naam takes us back to the heart
of God.
Much love in Naam,
Michael
Tian Yue
> On Oct 5, 8:33 pm, "Ken" <noth...@all.com> wrote:
>
> > 8 translations, wow! I guess that means you really know what
> > you're talking about!
>
> > --
>
> Yeah. :-) And what's interesting also is finding out what makes people
> who and what they are. For instance, the written word or books for me
> has just only a little importance. I skim them, read them a little or
> a lot, and then give them away. Other people value the written word or
> books so much - What is tangible like a book and what's written within
> the book becomes paramount. They might even have 8 translations of the
> same book on their shelves. But to me, a book is just a starting point
> for a whole lot of experiences. So it's the experience that counts for
> me and not so much the written word. Neither is better or worse
> necessarily, but it's fascinating to see the different ways that
> individuals approach things.
I just find myself chuckling at the comments here....
Anyone who tries to delve into Daoist philosophy to any degree quickly
finds that the English translations are sometimes poorly rendered,
despite the intellectual pedigrees of the various translators. Chinese
is very alien to Indo-European languages. It is very, very difficult
to translate well. The English translations vary widely in meaning,
reflecting the tranlsaters' particular interpretation. Some are very
scholarly, but fail to capture the true meaning.
It is common for people who read Daoist texts to gravitate more and
more to literal translations as they become more familar with the
works. But the literal translations often lack any of the original
poetic flavor, which may make them seem choppy and without lyricism.
And even literal translation vary widely, since chinese characters
often have multiple meanings.
This is the reason non-Chinese end up with lots of different
translations. Friends often will give me daodejing books for my
birthday, so these books tend to accumulate.
Its a lot of fun to compare them all...and its often surprising how
much they all differ.
Tian Yue
Rich
"Michael Turner" <Michae...@yahoo.ca> wrote
> One quick comment about a point made earlier. Some have said I have
> been overly critical of Sri Paul Twitchell, particularly in
> questioning his legacy.
>
> Scholarship aside, perhaps the main problem I have with him cutting
> corners and cribbing information without attribution from other
> writers, is that doing so - for many people - undermined his entire
> legitimacy, and even that of the Shabda path in general. A lot of
> folks got dissilusioned and questioned whether any of it is real.
I agree. Those that relegate their spiritual decisions to physical
appearances, emotional reactions to allegations, rather that their own inner
connection are the most susceptible.
No doubt you have things that undermined your entire legitimacy in some
peoples eyes.
Even just physically, if Paul hadn't used the more or less 200 paragraphs
discovered so far out of the 22,000+ he wrote, it wouldn't change the basic
teachings one bit. For me the teachings' legitimacy is in the reality of
what he conveyed which lead to finding out mySelf.
> Regardless of denomination or orientation in overall path of Surat
> Shabda - there is one thing I know unequivocally. There is God.
> There is the LightSong of Naam. And Naam takes us back to the heart
> of God.
>
> Much love in Naam,
>
> Michael
Who was the concept of Naam cribbed from originally? ;-)
It doesn't 'matter' to me. It is what IT IS.
` o
|
~/|
_/ |\
/ | \
-/ | \
_/____|___\_
Rich~~~~(__________/~~~~Sailing the CyberSea~~~~~
Etznab
> "Michael Turner" <Michael112...@yahoo.ca> wrote
I don't know if he was the original, but I discovered in my
research recently that Guru Nanak was very fond of Nam.
Etznab
Etznab
>
> - Show quoted text -
Tian Yue,
I feel similar about the poems of Rumi. It's not that I don't
suspect he was gifted, but all of the poetry I have read by
him was written in English and I doubt that it represents the
picture well - to me, at least.
It might be possible that I have so much respect for his
poetry (for some reason - maybe past life experience) that
reading it in degraded form is highly insulting - to me.
The thing is, if it's not clear enough for me today - if even
one word, one piece is out of place I will not have a chance
in this lifetime to respect it. I also find that his poetry goes
really deep and I don't wan't to be misled to that degree, or
to that depth.
For me, it's like choosing not to consider something if I
sense a lot of confusion. Better not to get involved unless
the reward is something worth striving for. But with Rumi's
poetry, I believe I would have to first learn the language he
spoke and then probaly get to know personally people in
this life who speal it too.
Only then do I sense it would be very possible to fully
appreciate it.
Etznab
Tian Yue
>
> - Show quoted text -
It could be worth learning at least some of the language. I've studied
chinese for exactly the reasons you've mentioned. Anyway, I've found
that with some knowledge of the language, and with access to a variety
of translations, including word for word literal translations in which
the various possible meanings are listed next to each word, it is
definitely possible to get a very good understanding of the original
meaning. Context is important, so getting a good sense of the whole of
a particular text is crucial.
Its basically fun. Imagine that....(heh, heh).
Also, its important to know something about the translator. Is the
translator primarily a language/cultural scholar who has no affinity
for the deeper aspects of a philosophy, or is it a person who has
studied the philosophy in depth? It makes a difference.
Some of the worst translations are those that try to create western
poetry out of something from a completely different cultural style.
They impose a different style on the original, create some pretty
poetry, but the esoteric meaning escapes them.
But with daoism, the problem in understanding it mostly comes from the
preconceptions people from other teachings try to impose on the
meaning, stemming from an over confidence that daoism is more or less
in line with their preconceived notions, which is often far from the
truth. Preconceptions have to be dropped if a person wants to really
understand something new.
Tian Yue
mabo...@gmail.com
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFS
> alt.meditation.shabda
>
> Hi Michael,
you have spoke very well on Sri Paul Twitchell and the Sant Mat tradition. But I just want to comment on your comments below:
"Given the popularity of dream interpretation and exploration these
> days (including some western Light and Sound groups), it might be
> tempting to think that Kirpal's objections to the veracity of Paul's
> nocturnal travels were excessively harsh. I know I did, at first.
> But as I shifted my focus from my Eckankar upbringing to its Sant Mat
> roots, the essence of the Sant Mat perspective became increasingly
> clear.
>
> The main thing to understand is that dreams are highly interpretive,
> and constitute a mishmash of the day's events (and meals), coupled
> with our memories, hopes, fantasies and apprehensions. Furthermore,
> and more important, they tend to be ego-enhancing - we become the
> super hero of our dream world, which often serves as a welcome respite
> from the drudgery of life".
It is important to mention here that this kind of critique clearly demonstrates oblivion of the dreamers littered throughout history who have actually seen events exactly as they happen before they actually manifest. How can anyone put such an experience under the cluster box of a culmination of the mish mash of daily events, meals, our hopes, fantasies and apprehensions. While the latter description does indeed describe what can happen in dreams, the position twicthell tried to elaborate on via his method which he called Eckankar is that dreams can become clearer and completely devoid of such aberrations mentioned above by consistent practice of the spiritual exercises which he taught.
Afterall the Tibetan, Jetsun Milarepa's Master (Marpa Lotsawa)saw it in a dream that Milarepa would come to him for spiritual cleansing at the exact time Milarepa was to arrive and that is exactly what happened. Why would any spiritual master of any sort, at any point in time discredit this method of interacting with the inner worlds due to whatever methods he chooses to practise and still manage to claim to be the God representative? How can he cater for all the different states of consciousness that apparently are all God's initiative?
Paul Twitchell even went on to emphasize that eventual control of out-of-body movement consciously becomes achievable as even described by Kirpal with persistent practice and this is littered all over the Eck Works.
You see on that note, the difference to me between Eckankar and the Sant Mat Tradition as promulgated by Sant Kirpal Singh is that Eckankar actually epitomizes the description of the nature of soul as truly omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent and attempts to guide soul in every step of its development according to Soul's measure of understanding or state of consciousness and in that way can reach out and hopefully move it to the next level.
Soul's nature is not fixed in time and as such should not be locked to a particular modus operandi. If it were locked to a particular set of disciplines only, then the converse is also true about the credibility of whatever experiences it has with the set of disciplines being propounded if the Soul is not really of the same level of consciousness as the adept. The only modus operandi for soul is continuous spiritual development and all it needs in this process is Love of the divine things and the bounty of the inner worlds could open up in such a way that it can readily appreciate. It then can master itself through that means.
It is true when Paul said "The aim and purpose of Eckankar is to take Soul via its own path back to God". This appears to have been the attitude and impetus behind Eckankar. Not rigidity of method.