"Letters to Gail"
Etznab
Letters to Gail were among the first Eckankar
books that I read. However, for the past 20-odd
years, Volumes One & Two have been mostly
sitting on the shelf collecting dust.
Both of those volumes became like "old hat"
and I considered them like "beginner's books"
to the teachings of Eckankar and spirituality in
general.
Recently, I've found a treasure of information
about something I've been looking for during the
past three or more years. I've been looking for
more information about Paul Twitchell in order
to know him better.
Part of the reason involves his writings and
the subsequent evolution of what I might call
(for lack of better words) "Eckankar dogma".
Many years ago I concluded that in order to
better understand a person's writings that one
of the best assets to have is a knowledge of
the actual writer. IMO, much of the literal and
superficial appearance of an author's words I
can only speculate or guess at if I don't know
first what those words actually meant to the
writer.
So, after the "Death of an Ideal" era and the
writings of Ford Johnson and others, I felt this
urgent need for learning more about someone
whom I never met (that I recall). Paul Twitchell.
And I knew that his wife Gail was still alive.
His former wife, I should say. And to me, that
would be the one person who would probably
know Paul Twitchell best.
What I discovered today was that Gail did
offer me, and others, an opportunity to know
Paul Twitchell by sharing Letters to Gail. So
thank you (sincerly) Gail, for sharing them.
What had become like a "bottom step" to
the teachings of Eckankar, now that step -
the Letters to Gail - appear like "Gateways"
to the kind of insight I seemed to have put
aside.
I would like to quote from Letters to Gail,
Vol. One, but there isn't the space or the
time to give all that I would like. And even
then, it could not convey the whole story
as it might appear to me.
However, there is one quote that might
help to reinforce what I said about looking
at another person's writings. Why it is so
important to know for one's self about the
writer and to get a better understanding of
that. (I am not the only person devoting a
portion of time to this endeavor.)
It appears on page 15 of L.T.G. Vol. 1
in the 2nd-last paragraph of letter dated
12/09/62 (the 2nd letter). Paul Twitchell
had just illustrated so many axioms on
pages 13-14: (all words are in italics).
I won't list the axioms here, but the
two paragraphs above and below them.
On pp. 13-14:
"The axioms which follow, are my own
based on the study of ECKANKAR. I've
never given them to anyone else. These
form my basic beliefs on the spiritual life,
and you can take them as you desire.
Someday you will work out your own
basic beliefs on a similar pattern, that will
come entirely from your own experience
and thinking. They are: [....]"
(Paul listed 14 axioms. And at the end of
which he wrote the following paragraph):
"You may have any you want, or reject
them completely! They are not earthshaking,
although I would like to think so. However,
I do not know many people who can clearly
state what they believe without stating what
somebody else tells them. In other words,
ninety percent of all people borrow their
thinking from another source!"
One of the parts I found most insightful
about what Paul Twitchell said was:
"I do not know many people who can clearly
state what they believe without stating what
somebody else tells them. In other words,
ninety percent of all people borrow their
thinking from another source!"
That, and this one sentence about the
spiritual life from the very first letter dated
Dec. 6th, 1962
".... The spiritual life is a paradox for we
are already in it, generally without the
realization of this fact!" ...."
For myself, and in my own style and
way of writing, this last quote agrees in
many ways. That is, I have come to see
a similar conclusion.
Paradox:
PARA ["by the side of, alongside,
past, beyond."] + doxa ["opinion"]
Etznab
Sean
There's always a reason for the things we do, and most of the time we don't
see it coming! ;-)
Etznab
Sean,
I've been reading L.T.G. Vol. 1 and
recently finished the 9th letter.
Part of the reason is to look at the
number of times Rebazar Tarzs and
the word "Mahanta" appear. But more
than that I'm enjoying an opportunity
to reaquaint myself with Paul Twitchell.
I found another occurence for the name
Rebazar Tarzs (other than 1st mention in
1st letter). It's on page 33, 3rd paragraph,
in the 1983 version.
There was an occurence for the name
Sudar Singh, 7th letter, p. 28, 2nd paragraph.
I don't know whether this is the example
Doug mentioned where the name Sudar Singh
replaced Sawan Singh. I'm not even half way
through the 1st volume yet.
BTW, the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad is mentioned
in the 6th letter, p. 25, 3rd paragraph.
I'm finding this 1st volume an interesting
read as, this time around (partly), a lot of
my focus is on getting to know Paul better
and taking account of history during that
time. Also, the historical "genesis" of the
name Rebazar Tarzs, the word Mahanta
and Paul Twitchell's use of (meaning of)
words generally at that time in the early
1960s.
Most impressive I found were the many
examples about imagination and how im-
portant it is.
Here is some 1960s trivia for anybody
interested (Paul dated his 1st letter to
Gail December 6th, 1962):
*********
September 11th, 1962: Love me do and P.S.
I love you were recorded at the Abbey Road
studios by The Beatles.
"The Beverly Hillbillies" debuted on CBS in
September 1962.
October 22nd, 1962: "A Soviet offensive missle
buildup in Cuba was revealed Oct. 22 by Pres.
Kennedy, who ordered a naval and air quarantine
on shipment of offensive military equipment to the
island. He and Soviet Prem. Krushchev agreed Oct.
28 on formula to end the crisis. Kennedy announced
Nov. 2 that Soviet missle bases in Cuba were being
dismantled." [The World Almanac and Book of Facts,
2005, p. 550]
February 2nd, 1963: "A young rock band, then called
a group, had learned its craft in the cramped and sweaty
Cavern Club in Liverpool. Turned down by Decca at the
start of 1962, the Beatles went on towards the end of that
year to make a modest impression with their first single,
Love Me Do. In 1963, they took over the world. The Beatles
had started their first U.K. tour on February 2nd, 1963."
http:// beatles.sonicnet.com
May 17th, 1963: "Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Peter
Paul and Mary performed at the first Monterey Folk
Festival, a three day event, on the weekend of 17
May 1963, along with many other folk artists."
*********
The reason for the trivia is more an attempt to
"set the mood" of the time when Paul Twitchell
began writing Letters to Gail. Even looking at
one event from a particular era can spark the
memory of that time in history, IMO. Sort of
like remembering even one single piece to a
forgotten dream can bring more of the other
parts back to one's attention.
Vol. 1 covers the time span 12/06/62 through
05/04/63. That was quite a time in the recorded
history of the world considering the few events
that I mentioned. In my opinion.
More trivia for these years can be found @
http://mirrorh.com/timeline1960.html
Etznab
Sean
That's good etznab, seems to be the ticket.
thanks for the info .. and fwiw i did notice myself a few years ago the Oct
22nd cuban missle crisis date, and and did a double take on it !! .. Funny
how we respond to certain things in particular times. And yes, the
imaginative thrust is very persistent in Paul's approach .... ok, keep at
it, and enjoy. I do find it useful retracing some previous journey's like
via the books, and finding how much I have changed or am able to see what
wasn't there before "apparently". <smile>
take care
SEAN
PS glad the beatles are an item of interest for you too! ;-)
Just watched US vs John Lennon last week, a new doco ...... excellent,
highly recommended, good quality with music, and Yoko involvement is tops.
"Etznab" <etz...@aol.com> wrote in message
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