Dialogue in the Age of Criticism - Ch. Twelve - 2
KMerrymoon
written to David Lane's book, The Making of a Spiritual Movement. In this
section I review the second part of the final chapter in this book.
You can find past chapters at my web site, called Little Known Publications.
The URL is:
Doug Marman
*********************
A Meeting With Rebazar Tarzs:
Suddenly, the Tibetan ECK Master, Rebazar Tarzs, was standing before me in the
dim alley where I walked. His gaze was intense.
"Did you understand what the Living ECK Master was trying to show you with your
last experience?" he said, abruptly. "I don't think you do!"
The sudden appearance of this maroon robed adept sparked a deep emotion within
me, for he had been in my thoughts constantly all day. For some reason the
sound of his voice and images of his face had been just beneath the surface of
my thinking, as if about to emerge. And now here he was, with his black hair
and beard fading into the dark shadows of the twilight, and a peaceful glint in
his eyes.
"Do you mean the Soul Travel experience last night?" I asked.
He nodded.
"I thought Harold was letting me have a chance to see that Soul survives as the
individual. That the individual is the true state of Soul."
Rebazar Tarzs turned to see the curious face of a black and white cat peering
through an opening in the fence. The cat seemed caught between some inner
desire to approach this ECK Master and its natural instincts for survival
through safety. Rebazar Tarzs took a few steps and knelt down to scratch its
furry ears, and the cat purred.
As I felt the power of the ECK Master's presence move with his attention to the
cat, I began to wonder if indeed I had missed something very important from my
experiences. Finally, he turned to me and said:
"Now look, this Living ECK Master we have is a very subtle Master and not many
understand him. But I am going to be a bit more blunt when I say that he was
trying to move you to that state where you could see the whole of ECKANKAR. You
are close to catching it, and when you do, nothing will be able to shake it
from you.
"You might think that after all these years studying you would have caught this
secret, but remember not many will reach this point in this lifetime. Look at
all the masses of people on this planet. Look at movement after movement. They
continue to abuse and take advantage of the individual because they have not
understood.
"The one thing you should always remember is that all these movements, all
these groups, are battling for the individual. They have found the secret that
only Soul, the individual, is the central operating unit in the worlds of God.
Nothing can happen except through Soul. Nothing can exist without It. The ECK,
or reality, will only respond to Soul, and nothing else. This means that
whoever can capture Soul, like you might net the fish of the sea as the
Christians put it, then you will have the greatest power known.
"So why does man continually throw himself into groups and movements? He sees
himself as a Buddhist, Democrat, Communist or a thousand other designations,
but never as Soul, the individual. He feels the need to belong, so he searches
out a group consciousness. He dearly loves to live by rules and regulations, so
he joins an organization. Alone he feels helpless, so he takes part in some
action team with high aspirations to change the world. This is Soul's way of
looking for survival.
"But one day Soul outgrows these outer movements, and they lose their
fascination. Soul begins to ask questions like; Who am I? Where am I going? But
no one can answer these except the individual. Then Soul begins the long hard
road to extricate Itself and regain Its individuality. This is when the ECK
Masters step in to offer their assistance, and thus the path of ECKANKAR
appears when the time is ripe. Now do you see how this all ties together?"
"I think so," I answered. "But then how can there be an organization carrying
the name of ECKANKAR if it is an individual path? Isn't this a contradiction?"
"There is not much in this world that isn't a contradiction," he said. "When
the ECK, the life force, flows into this world it takes every form. It might be
a flower, a river, or a solar system. It might be a mirage in the desert or a
vision of God. The ECK flows into this world but never finds completion, or
perfection, so it is always changing. It is always dying in its old forms to be
born into the new. It might come together to produce a spiritual era, or it
might hide for ages behind the traditional teachings, known only to a few. The
ECK is all of life so don't try to fit it in some little box.
"The Living ECK Master might use an organization if his mission dictates it, or
he might work with a few close ones as a team. He is free to use whatever means
he can. But the minute his followers begin to feel they are above others, the
minute they begin to talk in "shoulds" or "should-nots," or limit in any way a
person's individual path of Truth - then they can become more of a hindrance
than a help. He might try to lift them beyond these areas, but he cannot force
them, and if the situation grows bad enough he might just leave everything
behind and walk the lonely hills by himself, searching for those who truly seek
the light of God.
"Now don't shake your head because this has happened in the past and will
happen again. This is indeed what makes for a contradiction. Thus, unless the
seeker looks beneath the surface of what he sees, he may never glimpse the true
teachings of ECKANKAR. He might miss what the Master is trying to say.
"Okay. Now I want to go back to this subject of the ways Soul searches for
survival. If It cannot find survival through individuality, then Soul might
find it in fame or infamy. In other words, if Soul can preserve Its image or
name in the memories of others then sometimes It feels It has survival. Or It
might find survival vicariously through Its own offspring, such as the father
or mother whose whole interest are the lives of their children.
"It might take up some job that It feels is important in the running of some
organization. This can be Its mission, you see? Or It might find survival in
the feeling that It is one of the few who knows some secret, ages old. This is
how the Mystery Schools have preserved themselves. They claim to be a
brotherhood that has survived from the ancient days of civilization by passing
down certain secrets. These secrets may not bring immortality, but the
individual finds survival by feeling a part of this brotherhood.
"The point is that when Soul has a purpose or a goal, then It has survival. But
when Soul accepts the dreams of others It loses something vital. Once the
individual begins to act out someone else's goal, or some purpose established
for It by others, then the interest and affection It has for what It is doing
becomes weakened. Do too much of this and Soul can lose the very source of
inspiration and ideas that will lead It out of Its troubles and into the higher
spiritual worlds.
"So you see, the true freedom of Soul to act upon Its wishes is the very origin
of your power to succeed. The greater your goal, the greater your power to
reach it. And out of this freedom and power comes the deepest love for every
act you perform. These are the three aspects as I have said before: Freedom,
Power and Love.
"Now, those who have said that harmony should come first, and freedom second,
are wrong. Without freedom, harmony is an act or show; but with freedom,
harmony is the greatest expression of the divine law. This is what the
movements of today have overlooked. They have hidden the secret that Soul is
the central operating unit of life. This is why the individual is such a
trampled on unit in our modern world.
"So, if you wish to have freedom within the worlds of God, to become the
spiritual traveler yourself, then you must first learn to control your own
will. An undisciplined will is your worst enemy. Next, you must control your
imagination; let nothing limit it, nor conform it. Last, you must begin to make
contact with the spiritual power itself. You must learn to live in the ECK and
through it. The ECK Masters are always near those who are bold and
adventuresome.
"This is some of what you should have gotten from the experience the Living ECK
Master gave you!"
"I had no idea," I said.
The Tibetan nodded his head and pointed his finger at me. "There is always more
to ECK than meets the eyes," he said, and let out a hearty laugh that was
infectious, it was so full of life.
*****************************
I wrote this story in the mid-80's, and please remember this is a story. Some
might try to claim that such writing only serves to build up the mythology of
the ECK Masters. Let's be perfectly honest about this.
I didn't know this information beforehand. Where did it come from? What was
this source of awareness I had tapped into?
I could have written an article as if these we "my" ideas. That would have been
a lie in my mind, although one that our ego-culture would find acceptable.
I discovered the source that had been guiding my whole life. I was now aware of
Those who opened up these inner teachings, and this new connection flooded my
consciousness with a whole new reality of where this wisdom came from.
Through this story I could share but a small portion of what I learned. That is
all I've ever been able to share. So, how could I honestly portray them as my
ideas? Wasnt the true source of this knowledge even more important than the
information itself? What could be more truthful than writing this as a story
that captured the sense of discovery and gave credit to the real Beings who can
bring this experience to others?
My own answer to these questions came during the very act of writing, which
flowed from my pen and opened up my understanding even further as I wrote. Even
my choice of words was guided, while I sat before my paper, pen in hand.
As I said before, let's be perfectly honest about this. The reality and truth
of this story can be found in the experience of it. Look no further than that.
That is, after all, the proper way to read poetry.
The time period of this story reminds me of when I met with Harold, late at
night in the parking lot of the local community center. I never spoke about
these meetings to anyone (except my wife) for many years until Harold himself
began mentioning them to others.
I have seen others use their association with the Master as some form of rank,
or as a way to gain outer recognition. After Rebazar Tarzs' dialogue, more than
ever, I could never walk that path. It seems too dangerous a path to walk for
someone interested in the true path of ECKANKAR. For the same reason, when my
story above, A Meeting With Rebazar Tarzs, was published in an ECKANKAR
publication, I chose to have it printed under the pseudonym of Dan Stryder.
I have also reluctantly shared some of my experiences with Harold and Darwin in
this book, since they are personal memories, but I felt they served a larger
purpose than my own. And as I've been writing these chapters, I've come to
realize that Harold himself had, even in the mid-80's set me on a path that
would lead to this book.
For example, Harold offered me a few projects when I asked to help him. I loved
taking on little tasks that might assist in some way. One of the jobs he
offered was to take some transcribed talks that he gave me from Paul and his
own lectures that I could edit for later publication. One of those talks
happened to be the talk that I quoted in an early chapter of this book, called
Personality And The Message of ECK, by Paul. Two of the talks were Harold's own
talks about Paul, which I used in Chapter Ten. Until I was writing this book I
didn't realize the pattern of the talks that Harold gave me.
And, as I mentioned before, Harold also spoke with me about his discoveries
with Paul's early life while he was uncovering them, and the many books Paul
had used as sources for his own writing. Harold also shared the difficulties
that arose between himself and Darwin during those times.
Looking back, it was almost as if I was being prepared to write this book. I
probably should have seen this sooner. However, there was another encounter I
had with Harold that sent me off into a deeper exploration of the hidden side
of this whole story. It began to unravel for me a thread that would change
forever how I saw this teaching of ECKANKAR....
To be continued next week.
Michael
Trolls... sorry, detractors?
My goodness... What is a.r.e. coming to. It is getting so that you can't
make a post anymore and not expect derision and abuse. I feel for you Doug,
all this effort, and no cat-a-wauling from the peanut gallery <G>
I know exactly how all of this can be, as you write about having an
experience that as you actually record it, opens up to an entirely new
vista. There is a core element, something that happens, and it stimulates
some pathway into a greater understanding of consciousness.
What I find truly fascinating is how folk like David Lane can decry this
sort of writing as "lies" and "Imagination, not reality" when, in simple
truth, it is pretty much what he does himself with his constant conjectures
about the reality of Paul Twitchell. He takes some core element, and
embellishes it with imagination.
The only problem I have here is that David decries this in Paul, but
apparently can't see the same thing happening with himself... which is, of
course, perfectly fine.
As a note, at Age Four I realised this is a place where lies are the linga
franka of communication. People don't realise it. it is not specifically
intentional, but our entire culture is so imbued with the morality of guilt
and shame that the only way people manage to get above this morrass of fear
is to "make up" stories about themselves and their way of living, etc...
It is endemic. It is also the language that is understood. Campbell rightly
focussed on the fact that MYTH is the culture of words that creates freedom
and instructs the individual better than almost any other form of
dialogue... But it works because it is based in truth, and the truth becomes
self evident as the understanding unfolds.
I walked down Venice Beach not so long ago, looking at the muck called a
horizon, and the ECK Vidya opened up for me. I saw all the people walking
there genuinely cast into the role of beggars of life, even though they were
these magnificent Souls under the rags.
It was so clear that they had constructed a life of lies which was not the
glue that held together the fractured elements of fear and doubt and
uncertainty. I felt as if I could go up, and show each person every lie they
ever lived, but even as I realised this, I also saw that they would hate me
for this... Their world was based on the lie, and to take it away would be
to ruin their lives as they stood.
However, I am a little wise int he ways of the ECK now-a-days and I also
realised that i am being shown this for a reason. I went home to Australia,
and I found that even telling this story created a HUGE negative reaction...
people accused me of being full of anger... suppressing emotions... you name
it... EVERYTHING I saw in them, they accused me of.
Then I further came to understand just how many lies were the glue of MY
existence... Subtle little lies. Pieces of memory, pieces of fear, pieces of
need, areas where a lie got you attention... It was truly an Australian
Quilt ... The fabric of experience all stitched together with the lies.
I now understand that the freedom to be myself came from many lifetimes of
resolving the lies, and that the Consequence to the Lie told and believed by
society had osmosed into me. Like the perfect cucumber in a jar of
pickles... I had become a pickle.
Then I saw how the Masters had quietly been in the background, with patience
and compassion, slowly ticking off each lie as I came to face it, and
replacing the stitch of fear with a moment of love and compassion. They have
allowed the same fabric, the same experience, but by "translating" the
stitches into a language SOUL could understand, the reconnection with the
divine slowly came about... And is still coming about.
I see now that we are all on the journey of becoming.
Your writing as Dan Stryder was one of the MAJOR influences in bringing
about this understanding, and now that I am above the Myth, I can see it
even more clearly, and see more truth in it than ever before...
A good Dutch friend (Who one day might wake up and realises she wants to be
in Australia) said it very well... She said "Whatever people do... Lie cheat
steal or love... It is because some part of them is telling them this is the
best way to survive..."
Wonderful Post Sri Doug...
Love
Michael
"KMerrymoon" <kmerr...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010323233221...@ng-fq1.aol.com...
brian Fletcher
> However, I am a little wise int he ways of the ECK now-a-days and I also
> realised that i am being shown this for a reason. I went home to
Australia,
> and I found that even telling this story created a HUGE negative
reaction...
> people accused me of being full of anger... suppressing emotions... you
name
> it... EVERYTHING I saw in them, they accused me of.
When you compare our experiences, (I have had very similar top above), it is
much easier to see the wisdom of the ways of the masters, because we are
learning, first hand, what it feels like.
Loving unconditionally takes on a whole new meaning, and how well the law of
Kermit (It ISN"T easy being green) fits perfectly, when you have experienced
the lack of that understanding.
> Then I further came to understand just how many lies were the glue of MY
> existence... Subtle little lies. Pieces of memory, pieces of fear, pieces
of
> need, areas where a lie got you attention... It was truly an Australian
> Quilt ... The fabric of experience all stitched together with the lies.
There is an unnecessary semantic "sting" in that word....no, not Australian
sillius soddus, but lies.
All illusions are lies in effect, and all of ther lower worlds are
illusiory. And thats the TRUTH ;-))).
> I now understand that the freedom to be myself came from many lifetimes of
> resolving the lies, and that the Consequence to the Lie told and believed
by
> society had osmosed into me. Like the perfect cucumber in a jar of
> pickles... I had become a pickle.
When I'm asked, as a dinner guest, "anything you don't eat"...you guessed it
....pickles. Now I know why....
>
> Then I saw how the Masters had quietly been in the background, with
patience
> and compassion, slowly ticking off each lie as I came to face it, and
> replacing the stitch of fear with a moment of love and compassion. They
have
> allowed the same fabric, the same experience, but by "translating" the
> stitches into a language SOUL could understand, the reconnection with the
> divine slowly came about... And is still coming about.
>
> I see now that we are all on the journey of becoming.
>
> Your writing as Dan Stryder was one of the MAJOR influences in bringing
> about this understanding, and now that I am above the Myth, I can see it
> even more clearly, and see more truth in it than ever before...
>
> A good Dutch friend (Who one day might wake up and realises she wants to
be
> in Australia) said it very well... She said "Whatever people do... Lie
cheat
> steal or love... It is because some part of them is telling them this is
the
> best way to survive..."
When she is IN Australia, she will wake up knowing she is home...(but don't
tell her about the cost of Edam;-)))
>Wonderful Post Sri Doug...
>
> Love
>
> Michael
So was yours Michael.
SoulWords
post:> .........when Soul accepts the dreams of others It loses
something vital. Once the
>individual begins to act out someone else's goal, or some purpose established
>for It by others, then the interest and affection It has for what It is doing
>becomes weakened
I wrote a song along this line, and see now how it illustrates this state of
Soul's lostness:
CHOR: "I'm livng somebody else's dream
somebody else's movie
somebody else's characters, images, scenery
Somebody else's dream, somebody else's music
Somebody else's life is where I seem to be."
As noted in another post, when we know that that some aspect of the Mahanta is
inside us- not separate,outside, etc.
many of us have found by direct experience- not wishful thinking, which must be
given up along the way sooner or later- we start ridding ourselves of somebody
else's dreams.
Love, David
KMerrymoon
Great stories.....er, should I say great lies?... <G>
Thanks for this.
Doug.
Michael
"brian Fletcher" <bri...@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
news:3abd5a8f$0$63...@echo-01.iinet.net.au...
>
> When she is IN Australia, she will wake up knowing she is home...(but
don't
> tell her about the cost of Edam;-)))
>
And that ain't NOTHING to the cost of Eden...
As a firend once said...
We are not fallen... We were PUSHED!
Or as Eeeor (sp?) said in The House at Pooh Corner (I think) "Coughy or
bouncey... It's all the same at the bottom of the river"
<G>
Love
Michael
Galuuk
Cool stuff. As soon as I started reading your account about meeting and
listening to Rebezar, I said to myself, "I've read this story before."
I knew it was a long time ago, but I had no recollection as to who the author
was. I was drawn to the story at that time. It was another one of those "I've
thought of this stuff before but was never able to articulate it so precisely"
moments.
Your explanation of the "subtleness" of Harold's spiritual presence rings so
true. Although I was fortunate enough to have a memorable experience with him
a year or so before he became the Living Eck Master, I didn't have a full blown
memorable experience until nearly 10 years after he became the Living Eck
Master.
But what an experience it was. It came in one of those lucid dream
experiences. In the dream I was sitting at a rectangular wooden table directly
across from Harold. It was at a Sat Sang class that I was teaching.
I said to him, "I'm really glad you're here."
He looked at me and in a very non-chalant kind of way he took me out of my
dream body and we rode back in time. He showed me every instance where I had
been acting as an arahata, whether it was a Sat Sang, intro talk, or just a
casual conversation with a friend. There were literally hundreds of instances.
We looked at each one in detail. In every last one he was present. He was
present in a very gentle, loving way.
When we returned to the Sat Sang class of my dream he looked at me and gave me
one of those telepathic messages.
"Always know that I am with you. I may not come with much fanfare, but always
remember, 'I am with you'."
The impact was staggering. In a way he was showing me he had confidence in my
ability to explain and describe Eckankar and at the same time he demonstrated
his ability to be wherever he needs to be on a totally unlimited basis. I've
never, ever had a doubt since about the ever present presence of the Mahanta.
Joey
At the end of information there is knowledge.....
At the end of knowledge there is Wisdom.....
At the end of Wisdom there is Love.....
Henosis Sage
Doug Marman
*********************
24/03/2001
A Meeting With Rebazar Tarzs:
Suddenly, the Tibetan ECK Master, Rebazar Tarzs, was standing before me in the
dim alley where I walked. His gaze was intense.
"But when Soul accepts the dreams of others It loses something vital.
Once the individual begins to act out someone else's goal, or some
purpose established for It by others, then the interest and affection
It has for what It is doing becomes weakened."
"Do too much of this and Soul can lose the very source of inspiration
and ideas that will lead It out of Its troubles and into the higher
spiritual worlds."
Originally written by Marman in the mid-1980s.
The same time he began his "religious freedom campaign" against all things
David Lane and the Truth.
So much golden tongued wisdom, so few ears that can hear. ;-)
MY Fav quote from above is this:
"I didn't know this information beforehand.
Where did it come from?
What was this source of awareness I had tapped into?"
I was now aware of Those who opened up these inner teachings,
and this new connection flooded my consciousness with a whole
new reality of where this wisdom came from."
Doug says he had "discovered the source" that had been guiding his whole life.
Did he? Really?
*twinkle*
Henosis Sage
Oh Doug .... Shine On You Crazy Diamond
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk0V_GGa2XM
Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
You were caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom, blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter, come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Well you wore out your welcome with random precision, rode on the steel breeze.
Come on you raver, you seer of visions, come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!