Eckankar Quotes Continued - The Key to Eckankar vs. Joel S. Goldsmith

[Etznab]

These examples are for educational purposes and for a study to illustrate striking similarities between two different authors, their books and sources. A source mentioned for the Eckankar versions suggest a 500-year-old Tibetan Lama (said to be over 500 years old, at least) by the name of Rebazar Tarzs. Another reason for illustrating these quotes is for a study about the alleged sayings of Rebazar Tarzs and how they are in many ways similar to the writings of other authors. In this particular case, Joel S. Goldsmith. All quotes can be cross checked for accuracy and viewed in context by locating the source documents. This would be the best method, IMO, and more likely free of any typos, changes in continuity, or format.


[...]

"God is Love. God is Life. God is Spirit. God is All. That is true whether we are saints or sinners. It is true whether We are young or old, Jew, Gentile, Oriental, or Occidental, regardless of creed or color. There is no way in which God can be left Out of ITS own universe, nor can we leave ourselves out of it.

"God is! There is always God. This God is infinite in nature, eternal, universal, impersonal, impartial, and omnipresent. But how do we avail ourselves of that which is the SUGMAD? How do we bring what we know about God into our individual experience? We must know and practice the principle of the heavenly kingdom until we become proficient in its application. It must be in our God-experience. God is. God is here and God is now. But God is available only in proportion to our realization and willingness to accept the discipline that is necessary for the attainment of that selfhood we call God-Realization."

[...]

Based on: The Key to ECKANKAR, by Paul Twitchell, Copyright 1968, Fourth Printing - 1985, pp. 39-40

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[...]

"God is love; God is life; God is Spirit; God is all. That is true whether we are saints or sinners; it is true whether we are young or old, Jew or Gentile, Oriental or Occidental, black, yellow, or white. There are no exceptions to God; God is no respector of persons. There is no way in which God can be left out of Its own universe, but we can leave ourselves out of it.

"God is; there is a God - never doubt that. This God is infinite in nature, eternal, universal, impersonal, impartial, and omnipresent. But how do we avail ourselves of that which God is? How do we bring this that we know about God into our individual experience? [...] We apply ourselves more diligently to practicing the principle until we become proficient in its application. So it must be in our God-experience. God is. and God is here, and God is now, but God is available only in proportion to our realization and willingness to accept the discipline that is necessary for the attainment of that mind which was also in Christ Jesus."

[...]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/218780789/82916572-Practicing-the-Presence-of-God-Joel-S-Goldsmith-1

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[...]

"We must say to ourselves, to God, 'Show us what we must do in order to avail ourselves of this principle, this life, this love, and to live the life of Soul.' When we have reached this state of readiness, we have begun to travel the path which leads to spiritual consciousness.

"Spiritual consciousness is attained through the activity of truth in consciousness. Dwelling on scriptural quotations or statements of truth helps to spiritualize thought. The more truth we read and hear, the more truth is active in our consciousness. We learn to abide in the world by putting truth into ourselves. This is the first step on the way to God.     

"The second step cannot be taken unless the first step has been mastered, that is, knowing the letter of truth. All the years we spend in reading truth, attending services, lectures, and classes are fruitful in leading us to that point where inspiration flows from within our own being. This inspiration, however, usually comes only after a thorough grounding in the letter of truth.    

"Yaubl Sacabi told me long ago, 'Let my spirit dwell in you. And so shall the SUGMAD be exalted so that you will bear the harvest of good deeds.'

[...]

Based on: The Key to ECKANKAR, by Paul Twitchell, Copyright 1968, Fourth Printing - 1985, p. 40

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God is good. God's part is done. Thank you, God, that this principle is and has been available throughout all time. Now show me what I must do in order to avail myself of this principle, this love, this life, this immortal body." When we have reached that state of readiness, we have begun traveling the road which leads to spiritual consciousness.    

Spiritual consciousness is attained through the activity of truth in consciousness. Dwelling on scriptural quotations or statements of truth helps to spiritualize thought. The more truth that we read and hear, the more active is truth in our consciousness. Thus we learn to abide in the Word. This is the first step on the Way.    

The second, and more important step, is to be able to receive truth from within, to be receptive and responsive to the truth that wells up in us. Then we do not think, read, or hear truth with the mind: We are becoming aware of the impartation of the Word of God from within because the inner ear and the inner eye have been developed through our knowing the letter of truth and dwelling on it.    

[...]    

The second step, which leads to a state of consciousness where we are receptive and responsive to the still small voice, cannot be taken, however, unless the first step has been mastered, that is, knowing the letter of truth. All the years that a person has spent in reading truth, hearing truth, thinking truth, attending church services, lectures, or classes are fruitful in leading him to that point where inspiration flows from within his own being. This inspiration, however, usually comes only after a thorough grounding in the letter of truth.    

Jesus tells us to let "my words abide in you. ... Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit."To live in that truth, to abide in that Word, is to bear fruit richly, that is, to live harmoniously, spiritual lives.

[...]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/218780789/82916572-Practicing-the-Presence-of-God-Joel-S-Goldsmith-1

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[...]

"To live in this truth, to abide in the Word, is to bear the harvest of all things in the richest manner: that is, to live harmoniously in the spiritual senses. But if we forget to live in the Word, to abide in It, and let It live in us, we become as the branch of a tree that is cut off and withers away.    
"How can we live in the Word if we do not know It? We must know the Truth. We must learn what the correct letter of truth is. Let us have a principle with which to work, and let us stand on this principle, until the moment comes when we feel that spiritual awareness within us is realized. Then we shall know that we have attained the spirit of truth, the consciousness of truth, which is the Word of the SUGMAD and is power. Anyone with a sufficient desire for a realization of God can achieve that realization - the grace of God will guarantee it.    

"It is possible to know all the truth found in the letter of truth and still be the branch that withers away, unless we live so completely in the Word and let this Word live in us so that the Very Spirit dwells in us-the Spirit of God in man. No man is devoid of It, but most of us are as unaware of It as we are of the blood coursing through our veins. God is with us, God's presence fills all space, the Spirit of God dwells in us. But how many have felt that presence? It is talked about, prayed for, theorized over, and sermonized about; but It is not experienced! It is the conscious awareness, the actual feeling or realization of the Presence, which is necessary.    

"In most religious teachings, we are told that God is everywhere, but this is not true in the sense of prevalence. If the Spirit of God were everywhere, all persons would be free, healthy, wealthy, independent, joyous, and harmonious. The Spirit of God is present only where It is Realized. This is why we are all trying to become channels for Spirit." [...]

Based on: The Key to ECKANKAR, by Paul Twitchell, Copyright 1968, Fourth Printing - 1985, pp. 40-41

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[...] To live in that truth, to abide in that Word, is to bear fruit richly, that is, to live harmoniously, spiritual lives. But if we forget to live in the Word, to abide in it, and let it abide in us, we become as branches that are cut off and wither. How can we abide in this Word if we do not know it? We must know the truth. We must learn what the correct letter of truth is. Let us have a specific principle with which to work and let us stand on that principle, until the moment comes when we feel that spiritual awareness within us, which is realization. Then we shall know that we have attained the spirit of truth, the consciousness of truth, which is the Word of God and is power. Anyone with a sufficient desire for a realization of God will guarantee it.     

It is possible to know all the truth found in the letter of truth and still be a branch that withereth, until we so abide in the Word and let this Word abide in us that the very Spirit of God.  There is a Spirit in man. There actually is a Spirit - the Spirit of God in man. No man is devoid of it, but most of us are as unaware of it as we are of the blood coursing through our bodies. God is with us. God's presence fills all space; the Spirit of God dwells in us. But how many people have felt that Presence? It is talked about, prayed about, theorized about, and sermonized about; but It is not experienced. It is the conscious awareness, the actual feeling or realization of the Presence which is necessary.    

[...]    

In most religious teachings, we are told that the Spirit God is everywhere, but that is not true.If the Spirit of the Lord were everywhere, everybody would be free, healthy, wealthy, independent, joyous, and harmonious. No. the Spirit of the Lord is present only where it is realized.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/218780789/82916572-Practicing-the-Presence-of-God-Joel-S-Goldsmith-1

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[...]

"Unless we feel the actual presence of God, then as far as we are concerned, we do not have the realization of this Spirit. It is like electricity (which is everywhere, just as the Spirit of God is), but electricity is of little use or value to anyone unless it is connected in some way for a particular use. So it is with the Spirit of God. It is everywhere in an absolute, spiritual sense, but It is only effective in our experience to the extent to which It is realized.    

"Anyone following the path of ECKANKAR cannot go through a day satisfied that he has read some truth in the morning or that he is going to hear some truth in the afternoon or evening. There must be a conscious realization of truth going on all the time. This does not mean he is going to neglect his human duties and activities. It means that he is going to train himself to have some area in his consciousness always active in truth. Whether we look at the forms of nature as trees, flowers, or oceans, or whether we are meeting people, we find some measure of God in each experience. We train ourselves to behold the presence and activity of God in everything around us and live within the Word.    

"So it is important to learn all that we can about the correct letter of truth, to understand every principle and then to practice these principles until we go from an intellectual knowledge to an inner awareness of them. We build our foundation on specific principles. Some of these principles are found in all scriptures, but mainly in the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, the Way of the Eternal.    

"The deeper we go into this work, the more necessary it is that we know every one of these principles. They are the foundation of our understanding, and they must become so much a part of us that when we are faced with a problem we do not have to consciously think of them.    

"Someday I will give these principles to you for publication. An understanding of the principles of spiritual living - that is, a knowledge of the correct letter of truth - is necessary. That is the foundation upon which we build, so that we understand where we are going and why, and what our relationship is to God. It is necessary that we know these things so that we do not stumble in a blind faith that at some time or another may desert us. We need to know the correct letter of truth so that we do not find ourselves in a state of mental chaos, relying on one thing today and another tomorrow, never coming to an understanding of God - the nature and character of God, the nature of God's law, and the nature of God's being.    

"It is possible for anyone to change the trend of his life, not by hearing or reading truth, but by making it an active part of his consciousness in daily experience, until it becomes a habit every moment of the day, instead of an occasional thought. Let God operate in the consciousness morning, noon, and night until the actual awareness comes gradually. Then we make the transition from being hearers of the Word to being doers of the Word. Then we shall be living in the world and shall gather in the harvest of Souls." [...]

Based on: The Key to ECKANKAR, by Paul Twitchell, Copyright 1968, Fourth Printing - 1985, pp. 41-42

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Unless we feel the actual presence of God, then, as far as we are concerned, we do not have this Spirit. Again, it is a case of rolling up the window shades, or it is like saying that electricity is everywhere. That is true. Electricity is everywhere just as the Spirit of God is everywhere.

Electricity, however, will be of no value to us, unless it is connected in some way for our particular use. So it is with this Spirit of God. It is everywhere, in an absolute, spiritual sense, but It is only effective in our experience to the extent to which It is realized.     

The student of spiritual wisdom cannot go through his day, satisfied that he has read some truth in the morning, or that he is going to hear some truth in the afternoon or evening. There must be a conscious activity of truth going on all the time. That does not mean that we neglect our human duties and activities; it means that we train ourselves to have some area of consciousness always active in truth. Whether we look out at forms of nature such as trees, flowers, or oceans, or whether we are meeting people, we find some measure of God in each experience. We train ourselves to behold the presence and activity of God in everything around us and to abide in the Word.    

[...]    

It is important to learn all that we can about the correct letter of truth, to understand every principle, and then to practice these principles until we go from an intellectual knowledge to an inner awareness of them. We build our foundation on specific principles. Some of these principles are found in scripture: Christian, Hebrew, and Oriental. Some of them are not found in any written form, but nevertheless, they are known to all the mystics of the world. The further we go in this work, the more necessary it is that we know every one of these principles. They are the foundation of our understanding and they must become so much a part of us that when we are faced with a problem, we do not have to think consciously of any of them.  

[...]    

An understanding of the principles of spiritual living, that is, a knowledge of the correct letter of truth, is necessary. That is the foundation upon which we build, so that we understand where we are going and why, and what our relationship to God and our fellowman is. It is necessary that we know these things so that we do not stumble into a blind faith that at some time or another may desert us. We need to know the correct letter of truth in order that we do not find ourselves in a state of mental chaos, relying on one thing today and on another tomorrow, never coming to an understanding of that which is. A spiritual life cannot be built without an understanding of God - the nature and character of God, the nature of God's law, and the nature of God's being.    

[...]    

It is possible for anyone to change the trend of his life, not by hearing or reading truth, but by making it an active part of his consciousness in daily experience, until it becomes a habit every moment of the day, instead of an occasional thought. Let these principles operate in the consciousness morning, noon, and night, until gradually the actual awareness comes. Then we make the transition from being hearers of the Word to being doers of the Word. Then we shall be abiding in the Word and shall bear fruit richly. [... .]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/218780789/82916572-Practicing-the-Presence-of-God-Joel-S-Goldsmith-1

***

41391720 - The Key to Edckankar vs. Practicing The Presence - Goldsmith

[Etznab]

What are the chances that Paul Twitchell copied from Goldsmith's writings? In my opinion, and based on numerous examples, the chances are pretty darn good.

It is not like copious examples of copying don't exist. See: Who wrote what?

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups&hl=en#!searchin/alt.religion.eckankar/Looking$20at$20all$20of$20this$20in$20a$20larger$20context$20|sort:date/alt.religion.eckankar/YCBtY6jPUp0/aCSRcYUJjwcJ

In short, substantial evidence suggests that a good percentage of the Eckankar writings were "borrowed", or "compiled" from the talks and writings of other people. For context though, "Eckankar" presents many of these other people's creations (in varied ways) as having stemmed from Eck Masters and does not give credit to the original talks, or books.

Not only does the foregoing (IMHO) look true, but this has been a continuing practice for many years.

Part of the reason for writing about this concerns the number of examples for copied, or "borrowed" material and the number of years it has been known about.

The numbers have been increasing. Both the number of discovered examples and the number of years the plagiarism topic has been around.

Question: "With all the resources available to "Eckankar Inc.", has there yet been an impartial investigation into the writings and mythos of Paul Twitchell? Has there been a complete and thorough investigation by "Eckankar"?

One could argue there was an investigation by Harold Klemp and Doug Marman in the early 1980s; at least.

So how did that go? Some excerpts:

- begin quote -

Behind the Scenes with Paul Twitchell
By Sri Harold Klemp

Paul Twitchell showed himself to be the master compiler of the scattered wisdom that he brought together in the path we know as ECKANKAR.

When the ancient mysteries have gone so far afield that only distorted fragments remain in the public mind, then the Order of Vairagi Adepts sends forth a chosen one from among its band to restore truth, such as it is, in the material domain.

Paul had an uncanny knack for depicting the human condition through the writings left by other authors. But he took their efforts a step further. He recast the seed ideas so they fit into a grander, more compelling spiritual framework. He artfully presented the subject of the power of imagination as Soul's peculiar talent for survival in every universe of creation. [... .]

- end quote -

http://www.eckankar.org/Masters/Peddar/behindscenes.html

- begin quote -

[...]

Master Compiler

The high teachings of ECK had been scattered to the four corners of the world. The different masters each had parts and pieces of it, but they attached little requirements, or strings, to it: You must be a vegetarian, or you have to meditate so many hours a day if you want to really be a true follower on the path to God. And this was wrong for our day and age. It was geared for another culture.

Paul gathered up the whole teaching and took the best. Though it may be a strange thing to say, in this sense I see him as a master compiler. He gathered the golden teachings that were scattered around the world and made them readily available to us. So now we don't have to feel that we must spend ten or fifteen years in an ashram in India, sitting around in the dust with the flies, or locked in a walled-up little cell to keep our attention from the outside world, in order to live the spiritual life. [... .]

- end quote -

http://www.eckankar.org/Masters/Peddar/writings.html

Note: the last 1/2 dozen sentences on that page are not an exact transcription of the original talk. See the following link.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups&hl=en#!searchin/alt.religion.eckankar/source$20manuscripts$20do$20something$20about$20three$20versions/alt.religion.eckankar/8_wBxuhcsJg/ehjUgrTGwzQJ

- begin quote -

[...]

Research on Paul's Life

Researching history--even the life of a past Living ECK Master--can be hard work. I do whatever is necessary to clarify a particular aspect of the spiritual principles, to make it more understandable for those of you who want a lifetime filled with experience. [... .]

- end quote -

http://www.eckankar.org/Masters/Peddar/hisSearch.html

- begin quote -

What about claims that the modern-day founder of Eckankar, Paul Twitchell, borrowed freely from other authors in writing his Eckankar books?

The golden threads of the ECK teachings had been scattered around the world down through the ages. Some were in books and manuscripts no longer remembered or known by the general public.

Remote writings, little-known truths, and the most accurate parts of what had been given in the past were gathered up by Paul Twitchell--honed, refined, and focused so the public could benefit directly from the pure ECK teachings today.

He was a master compiler. Because of his work and his writings, the ageless teachings of the Light and Sound are now at your fingertips.

Yet Paul's works are only a fraction of the many books of Eckankar. Sri Harold Klemp, the current Mahanta, the Living ECK Master, has authored over seventy-five books on the teachings since he became the spiritual leader of Eckankar in 1981. His writings are the most current expression of Eckankar.

For more about Paul Twitchell and the history of Eckankar, visit The Legacy of Paul Twitchell and the Paul Twitchell Archive.

- end quote -

http://www.eckankar.org/FAQ/index.html#paultwitchell

For further context about the way things appear today, there are questions and answers on the FAQ page of the official Eckankar website.

Concerning examples of copied material, etc., the Eck Master Paul Twitchell appeared to credit "mostly" Rebazar Tarzs. One can read about this Eck Master on the website and also look at the FAQ regarding the existence of certain Eck Masters.

- begin quote -

Do the ECK Masters really exist?

The ECK Masters are real.

People from all over the world and from all walks of life have had personal experiences with the ECK Masters years before Paul Twitchell brought them to the public eye.

Many people who have never heard of Eckankar recognize ECK Masters from their dreams and other encounters.

Here on the Eckankar Web site, you can read some of these stories and see pictures of some of these ECK Masters.

Better yet, meet them for yourself. That's the real proof for any spiritual seeker.

The book Those Wonderful ECK Masters (link opens in a new window) gives spiritual exercises to help you receive personal guidance from an ECK Master.

- end quote -

http://www.eckankar.org/FAQ/index.html#eckmasters

[Etznab]

A better question could be "What were the findings? What were the findings of any investigations?"

It might seem that "findings" were released by Harold Klemp, beginning in the 1980s. One can read about Paul Twitchell being some form of "master compiler of scattered wisdom". Example excerpt:

"Paul Twitchell showed himself to be the master compiler of the scattered wisdom that he brought together in the path we know as ECKANKAR."

http://www.eckankar.org/Masters/Peddar/behindscenes.html

In the same talk was mentioned "writings left by other authors" and "he recast the seed ideas; not to mention the word "artfully". Example:

"Paul had an uncanny knack for depicting the human condition through the writings left by other authors. But he took their efforts a step further. He recast the seed ideas so they fit into a grander, more compelling spiritual framework. He artfully presented the subject of the power of imagination as Soul's peculiar talent for survival in every universe of creation."

http://www.eckankar.org/Masters/Peddar/behindscenes.html

How many writings left by others were "depicted" intact, or with no change to the sentence structure, paragraph and grammar? I did not find that part given specific mention.

On to another point, What about that "more compelling spiritual framework" mentioned by Harold Klemp? Does it include citing and crediting NOT the authors and the names of the author's books, but Eck Masters instead? Perhaps those admissions by Harold were but a veiled, or indirect attempt to finally credit the original authors for their works? I;m not sure. Maybe. Maybe not.

NOTE: THAT WAS IN THE 1980s WHEN ALL OF THIS WAS MENTIONED. LONG BEFORE THE A.R.E. DEBATES AND DOUG MARMAN"S BOOKS. However - and here, I think, is a very interesting point - there WAS talk about this subject (and much, much more) ALREADY written. I am specifically referring to material discovered and then illustrated by David Lane. Example:

"19. In 1982 I [David Lane] moved to Del Mar, California. Brian Walsh moved there shortly after me. In 1983 he wanted to publish a legitimate paperback version of the book. He put up 3000 dollars and started 'Del Mar Press' - we both agreed to share the work and eventually start a journal (which we did), called 'Understanding Cults.' 20. 1000 copies of the Making of a Spiritual Movement were published and the book sold steadily for two years, eventually exhausting its initial print run. (By the way, Brian gave 100+ copies for free to an interested Eckist in Lagos, Nigeria)."

http://www.beyond-the-illusion.com/files/Occult/Misc/eckankar.txt

(When exactly was David's book released? I have a "note" about April 1983, but I have not confirmed a day; or if that month is even the correct one. If someone can illustrate proof about the exact day of release, I think that could be helpful here.)

The earliest copyright (at bottom of page) for the Eckankar quote examples just mentioned was 1984. So notice the timing for the release of David Lane's book and Harold Klemp's revelations. One could speculate then who really came first as a "Paul Twitchell apologist", Doug Marman or Harold Klemp. I believe Harold was the one who came out publicly with information BEFORE Doug Marman came out with his.

It is important to remember this was the 1980s. Here is more of what Harold shared. Example excerpt:

Master Compiler

"[...] The high teachings of ECK had been scattered to the four corners of the world. [...] Paul gathered up the whole teaching and took the best. Though it may be a strange thing to say, in this sense I see him as a master compiler. He gathered the golden teachings that were scattered around the world and made them readily available to us. [... .]

- end quote -

http://www.eckankar.org/Masters/Peddar/writings.html

I believe that was from a talk on April 21, 1984. My impression of it includes the idea of "scattered teachings" that Paul Twitchell "gathered up" In fact, the words "gathered" and "scattered" were mentioned twice in that excerpt. They were mentioned along with the words "compiler" (if you include the title on the web page). Compiled was mentioned twice.

So what was the earliest source(s) for those excerpts? This will be required for context.

(1) The Writing of Paul Twitchell (April 1984)
(2) Behind the Scenes with Paul Twitchell (? 1984)

Is that the correct sequence? I'm not sure. One can look at Harold's Mahanta Transcripts book series, perhaps, for a chronological review of his thinking and the ways that he presented both Paul Twitchell and Eckankar; the various words used, etc.

The excerpt including "Research on Paul's Life" (I believe) was October 1985.
Example:

"Researching history - even the life of a past Living ECK Master--can be hard work. I do whatever is necessary to clarify a particular aspect of the spiritual principles, to make it more understandable for those of you who want a lifetime filled with experience."

http://www.eckankar.org/Masters/Peddar/hisSearch.html

Again, it was 1984. And yet, almost two decades later, one can find Doug Marman writing the following.

"[....] If Harold was trying to convince ECKists, as David suggests, that Paul's words never came from the writings of others, then why would Harold have talked about the five stages following the death of an ideal? Why would he have spoken about the need to accept that Paul was not a god? Why would he have called Paul a master compiler? Why would Harold say that he would have to do something about the sources of Paul's writings someday? [....] While David accuses Harold of recoiling from telling the truth, in fact I saw the exact opposite. Harold forthrightly researched and shared the information he found as soon as he became aware of it. Harold explained it in his own way, from his own viewpoint, and perhaps it was not as critical as David would like, yet Harold continued on with a series of talks and articles over the next few years. So, once again, the idea of a cover-up disappears like sand through our fingers after we see the facts. [....]"

Based on: Doug Marman's Dialogue in the Age of Criticism, Chap. 10   

Another quote by Doug - later, and from another source - includes the following.

"[...] As for the Astral library dream, this is unfortunate that it has become misunderstood in this way. I [Doug Marman] cover this in my book as well. I know that some could say that I am just offering another interpretation, but how do I know my interpretation is the correct one? The reason I feel confident is because Harold talked with me about the whole issue of Paul's plagiarism shortly before he had that dream and gave those talks or started writing about it. He was quite straightforward and told me that even though it might be hard to swallow he was discovering a growing list. I know Harold was not happy with what he had learned and felt that Paul had left him a mess to clean up. This is exactly what he says at the end of his Astral Library dream as well. [... .]"

[Based on: January 2004 Doug Marman T.S. post - Response to Usually Skeptical: More Questions to Doug Marman]

http://www.thetruth-seeker.com/dispBB.aspx?st=152&page=179#m144

What this whole page of comments so far shows, IMHO, is that Harold Klemp first came out publicly to address the "writings" of Paul Twitchell (and similarity with other authors, books and writings) and a number of other specific things AFTER David Lane had completed his book (an early version); in which he wrote about a number of the very same subjects.

So is it true then, as some people argue, that plagiarism is now old news and hardly makes a difference for many people?

It was in the 1980s when I first joined Eckankar. It was during the latter half and well after Harold gave his early talks about Paul. I don't recall much talk about plagiarism back then. About the number of books that Paul copied from. If I had it would have changed the way I looked at Eckankar and the "dialogues" between Paul Twitchell and Rebazar Tarzs, etc. Iow, it seems to me, the subject of plagiarism was way played down back then. At least, that was the atmosphere I recall. If the topic was even mentioned at all, it was minimized. I could say the same thing for the 1990s and 2000s decades. It was not something people very much talked about openly. And yet, Harold Klemp did reiterate much of the same material from the 1980s about Paul. I remember seeing this years later in the Eckankar quarterly publications.

In sum, it does not look (to me) like "Eckankar", "Eckists" and others haven't openly testified already about the facts concerning use and manipulation of other author's writings. What it does look like (to me), however, is that not all people agree about what exactly it means.

What exactly does it mean? What do the facts indicate and point to? This is a part of the reason for illustrating and adding on to this thread.

[Etznab]

On Thursday, June 19, 2014 at 7:52:08 AM UTC-5, Etznab wrote:

... truth in the morning ... truth in the afternoon or evening. ... behold the presence ...

Practicing The Presence - Goldsmith version ... Quoting ...

"The student of spiritual wisdom cannot go through his day, satisfied that he has read some truth in the morning, or that he is going to hear some truth in the afternoon or evening. There must be a conscious activity of truth going on all the time. That does not mean that we neglect our human duties and activities; it means that we train ourselves to have some area of consciousness always active in truth. Whether we look out at forms of nature such as trees, flowers, or oceans, or whether we are meeting people, we find some measure of God in each experience. We train ourselves to behold the presence and activity of God in everything around us and to abide in the Word."

***

Eckankar version ...

"Anyone following the path of ECKANKAR cannot go through a day satisfied that he has read some truth in the morning or that he is going to hear some truth in the afternoon or evening. There must be a conscious realization of truth going on all the time. This does not mean he is going to neglect his human duties and activities. It means that he is going to train himself to have some area in his consciousness always active in truth. Whether we look at the forms of nature as trees, flowers, or oceans, or whether we are meeting people, we find some measure of God in each experience. We train ourselves to behold the presence and activity of God in everything around us and live within the Word."

Deja vu ...

[Etznab]

Really liked this quote by Goldsmith.

[Etznab]

On Thursday, June 19, 2014 at 7:52:08 AM UTC-5, Etznab wrote:

So it is fair to say then that Twitchell evidently plagiarized Goldsmith for some of his The Key to Eckankar.