"About" Rebazar Tarzs and Sudar Singh
Etznab
both of them. According to Paul, both of them [Sudar Singh & Rebazar
Tarzs] taked to Gail, his wife. Along with that, however, the history
Paul Twitchell wrote about his first masters suggests other people
knew about them too.
Hope I'm not put in a strait jacket for asking this, but: Is it
accurate history?
Let's look at how Paul Twitchell heard about/met Rebazar Tarzs in the
first place. And how he first came to learn about Eckankar.
"[....] Sudar Singh often spoke of Rebazar Tarzs, a Tibetan saint,
whom he said was reputed to be over five hundred years old, and was at
the time living in the foothills between Darjeeling and Gangtock
somewhere, but presently has a small abode in the Hindu Kush mountains
on the Afghanistan-Kashmir frontier, near Tibet. [....]"
- Introduction to Eckankar (1966)
"[....] My sole purpose was to find the elusive Tibetan lama, known as
Rebazar Tarzs, of whom I had heard much from the late Sudar Singh at
Allahabad. [....] It was a hot summer afternoon in 1951. [....]"
- Introduction to Eckankar (1966)
"[....] I began my study of ECKANKAR under the tutelage of sat Guru
Sudar Singh in Allahabad, India. Later I studied under Rebazar Tarzs.
Both were adepts in teaching ECKANKAR, the art of the Total
Awareness. ... ."
- Introduction to Eckankar (1966)
"[....] The ancient creed of ECKANKAR was first brought to my
attention by Rebazar Tarzs, and further expounded upon by that inner
circle of highly spiritual travelers known as the God-Eaters who live
in the spiritual city of Agam Des. [....]"
- Introduction to Eckankar (1966)
"[....] 'It was while traveling with Sudar Singh in the Nuri Sarup
that I met Rebazar Tarzs,' Paulji reminded me, 'and it was in the
company of Rebazar Tarzs that I returned to a study of the Far
Country. Later, with Gail and her spiritual guide, Dr. John Leland, I
came to know Rebazar Tarzs better, and I began to leave my physical
body at night to meet with him at his mud and brick hut in the
Himalayas. It was a series of twelve important dialogues with Rebazar
Tarzs which produced my manuscript The Far Country.'* [*Published in
1970.] [....]"
- IN MY SOUL I AM FREE, by Brad Steiger (Copyright 1968?), p. 121]
It appears that Sudar Singh had something to do with Paul Twitchell
learning about Rebazar Tarzs. Who was Sudar Singh?
"Sri Sudar Singh, who was a member of the famed Vairagi mystic order
of adepts, had his abode in the spiritual city of Agam Des in the
western Himalaya mountains. He was a master at instructing his chelas
by the dream state, his principal way of teaching. Outwardly he
appeared to be a smiling old guru in a deep maroon robe who would sit
in silence when meeting with his chelas at his ashram, speaking only
when questions were asked of him."
- All About ECK, Paul Twitchell
"[....] By the time I met my first teacher, Sudar Singh, of
Allahabad, India, at age fourteen, getting out of the body was as
natural as eating. [....]"
- ECKANKAR, The Key to Secret Worlds
". . . I found this to be true of Sudar Singh, the strange mystic of
Allahabad, in the summer of 1938, when I visited him with my step-
sister."
- ECKANKAR, The Key to Secret Worlds
"It was upon their return to Paris that Paul met Sudar Singh for the
first time. The Indian holy man was lecturing in France in an effort
to gain sincere disciples."
- In My Soul I Am Free, Brad Steiger, p. 51
"This year in India was not spent totally in an attitude of holy
learning. Paul had reached his sixteenth birthday, and he decided that
he needed a furlough from the ashram. He traveled to Bombay, put up in
a hotel, and then set out in search of a holy man who Sudar Singh had
said was extremely wise in the ways of God."
- In My Soul I Am Free, Brad Steiger, p. 53
"The next Master was Sudar Singh of Allahabad who spread ECK to Europe
and other places on the globe. He lived into his nineties before
passing away
."
- The Spiritual Notebook, by Paul Twitchell, 10th printing 1983, p.
195
"I recall once that Sudar Singh gave a large number of methods that
might be used to fulfill desires, of any nature. One student came back
to tell him that he used one of these techniques but it never worked.
In reply the Living ECK Master pointed out that the technique meant
nothing and that all was within himself to fulfill his desire. [....]"
Letters to Gail, Vol 1. p. 104
"An American once asked Sudar Singh what he should do about ants at a
picnic ... ."
Letters to Gail, Vol 1. p. 164
"[....] It was very interesting about Sudar Singh. He was rather a
tall, lean man. He had a very lean face at the time, and he had
started out as a Sikh in his life and changed later because he was in
his early twenties when he came back to ECKANKAR. And it was then that
he went into training there in his own country and became an ECK
Master. [....]"
- Difficulties of Becoming the Living ECK Master, Paul Twitchell
Is there truth in any of it? What has been said/written ABOUT Sudar
Singh and Rebazar Tarzs? Including that Paul Twitchell said Sudar
Singh was a married man and had a son that went to Oxford? If such
things are not true then why did Paul Twitchell mention them? Was it
all for fun?
Paul Twitchell was not the only person believed to "have fun" by not
being accurate. Or was the idea of Paul Twitchell "laughing to
himself" just an apologetic excuse for actions unbecoming a "God-
man"?
Michael Turner
Who is/was Dr. John Leland?
Michael Turner
Etznab
I don't know.
A Dr. John was mentioned in LTG3, p. 230 (December 20, 1964). Also
LTG3, p. 252. This appears to be the time period after Paul and Gail
moved from San Francisco to San Diego.
A version of the December 20th letter can be viewed here.
That was not exactly the same illustration as the 1990 book version of
LTG3. In the book version the word Eckankar - in first paragraph - is
non-existent. However, that online version of the letter had an
asterik next to the name Dr. John. At bottom of p. 192 it was
explained. It said: One of Gail's early spiritual guides
I know that (according to LTG) Gail was interested in Spiritualism at
one time. There was a church that she and Paul used to visit.
Something was mentioned about the Rev. Becker who founded that church
in 1924, near bottom of page here.
http://www.sfweekly.com/2002-03-20/news/happy-mediums/
So I don't know if even this Dr. John was a real person, a spirit
guide, a pseudonym for someone else or what? I'm as curious as you.
The website with LTG3 illustrations doesn't show the whole series. I
believe they show only a selection of letters. Those looking different
when compared to the 1990 book versions.
Early spiritual guide could mean anything. IMO. I think one needs to
ask Gail about this. While at it, maybe someone could ask Gail about
the times Sudar Singh and Rebazar Tarzs reportedly talked to her.
Or what exactly she said to Charlie Wallace [1980s?) about Paul making
things up.
There was a post here on a.r.e. about Charly Wallace, but I don't know
if he ever posted here.
Does anybody know who this person is? It seems he reportedly talked to
Gail about Eckankar and was at her and Darwin's wedding, etc.
OK. If Gail is not available, maybe we could ask Charlie about this
Dr. John. The thing is I don't know that Charlie is available either.
He seems (IMO) to have dropped off the radar a long time ago.
signon77
Where can man as soul find truth?
In Satsang recently I shared an experience with Soul Travel. In my
early years on the path of ECK I found two quotes, one by Paul and the
other by Harold. Oddly they seemed in opposition to each other. Then
in June or so I had an experience with an ECK Master that explained
the position to me.
Anyone looking for perfection in the outer works is looking in the
wrong direction for lasting spiritual growth, for he will never, ever,
find any spiritual path perfect in this way. It's impossible, for this
is the physical plane. As a chela in Satsang said: "The spoken word is
a blunt instrument". Harold Klemp has said repeatedly that the outer
works are imperfect. So where does the seeker in search of perfection
look? Towards the Light and Sound of God. Hence the saying that the
Outer Master is to lead to the Inner Master and the Inner Master leads
to God. That simple.
May the blessings be.
Rob