IMO there is a good possibility Paul Twitchell and Eckankar made up many things that were not literally true and that no one (not even members) have to accept any fictions, pseudo history and religion. In fact, I would argue that Eckists are serving Eckankar well to clarify truth about what was made up in the past and what might be made up in the future. That is, if "truth" is a part of Eckankar religion and outright lies are frowned upon.
On the other hand, if a religion (any religion) engages in running a propaganda campaign to the extent of censoring truth and personally attacking those who love the truth I would have to say that practice probably doesn't bode well for any religion in the long run.
There are many tools that can be used today to study and explore the writings and the reported sayings of Eck Masters. And if Paul made up Rebazar Tarzs and others to use them as a literary device then I would vote to let that truth be known. Doug seems to know about it and has admitted as much. And from what Doug has said, a "growing list" was already discovered by Harold Klemp back in the 1980s.
Look at this. How many spin-off groups to Eckankar are there now (there's a post on a.r.e. with links someplace) that all use some of the same Eck Master names and take liberty to change the history at will? Is this all literal truth? Or is this people competing to have the most bells and whistles?
I've seen so many websites with grand claims of here a master, there a master, everywhere a spiritual master. I see the glitzy graphics and drawings and I have to say, So what? I see graphics every day in the cartoon section of the newspaper! And yeah, I really like some of the cartoons, the cartoon characters and the graphics. I wouldn't count on Ziggy, however, to give me an accurate account of world history because he is a graphic on paper and not a real being. Does that mean Ziggy can't meet me in a dream and show me things that are true if that form was used by the subconscious, etc? I think the image could be used and I also think the images of Eck Masters could be used to. It doesn't mean to me, however, that any Eck Masters animated by copied and plagiarized words of other writers were, or are real living beings.
How much text appears identical in these two books?
"[...] One further word of warning must be given here. Even if you see visions inside, beware of them. If you meet individuals -- men, angels, even someone appearing as God or claiming to be God, or any saint -- beware that you are not deceived. If you were a disciple of a real Master, you could not be deceived. You would have a definite and infallible method of testing each vision or appearance to prove if they are genuine as claimed. But if you have not this armament, you are almost sure to be misled. [... .]"
http://www.archive.org/stream/ThePathOfTheMasters/ThePathOfTheMasters_djvu.txt
"[...] A further word of warning has to be given here. Even if the seeker sees visions inside, he must beware of them. If he meets individuals, men, angels, even someone appearing as the Supreme Deity, or claiming to be IT or Jesus or a saint, beware that he is not deceived. If the seeker is a disciple of a real spiritual traveler, he cannot be deceived.
"He would have a definite infallible method of testing each vision, or appearance, to prove if they were genuine, as claimed. But should he not have this armament, he could almost be assured that he was being misled. [... .]"
https://archive.org/stream/farcountry017342mbp/farcountry017342mbp_djvu.txt
So when someone suggests that was the Eck Master Rebazar Tarzs I have to pause and say: Yeah, but there's a greater chance that was Paul Twitchell copying, paraphrasing and plagiarizing a book (something he had quite the history of doing) and making up a pseudo character like a fiction writer might do.
Now does Kinpa, or Rob, or J.R., or anybody have a problem that I wrote this post? Does anything in it disturb them? If so then try to participate in a discussion board and state your views. Become part of a discussion and feel free to join the research.
If, on the other hand, people want to act like trolls and cyber bullies by attacking participants personally then don't be surprised to be ignored.
How many people here have considered the possibility that Rebazar Tarzs and other Eck masters could very well be fictions? Could very well have been fictions from the very beginning? and that people (over half a dozen groups and growing now) have animated them by their imaginations? If this be the case then isn't it a foolish and futile attempt to forego death of an ideal? Isn't it foolish and futile to get angry and imagine other people shitting their pants? Shitting blood? Having fire ants crawl on people's privates? I mean, that is really evidence of a sick and twisted behavior the person who says such things is it not? How about telling people what their Eckankar membership card says when the information said was a lie? These types of actions of attacking people by making up lies is a pathetic attempt of a desperate mind seeking to bargain about, or deny the truth presented to them. It, denial and bargaining (along with anger) are all stages in the death of an ideal. So I think some people just might want to look at the evidence and consider just because Harold Klemp, or the Eckankar organization don't frankly admit any fictions were created it doesn't prove that fictions were not created. Case in point. Go here (as just one example)
"[...] One further word of warning must be given here. Even if you see visions inside, beware of them. If you meet individuals -- men, angels, even someone appearing as God or claiming to be God, or any saint -- beware that you are not deceived. If you were a disciple of a real Master, you could not be deceived. You would have a definite and infallible method of testing each vision or appearance to prove if they are genuine as claimed. But if you have not this armament, you are almost sure to be misled. [... .]"
http://www.archive.org/stream/ThePathOfTheMasters/ThePathOfTheMasters_djvu.txt
"[...] A further word of warning has to be given here. Even if the seeker sees visions inside, he must beware of them. If he meets individuals, men, angels, even someone appearing as the Supreme Deity, or claiming to be IT or Jesus or a saint, beware that he is not deceived. If the seeker is a disciple of a real spiritual traveler, he cannot be deceived.
"He would have a definite infallible method of testing each vision, or appearance, to prove if they were genuine, as claimed. But should he not have this armament, he could almost be assured that he was being misled. [... .]"
https://archive.org/stream/farcountry017342mbp/farcountry017342mbp_djvu.txt
and ask yourself if a 500+-year-old Tibetan Master by the name of Rebazar Tarzs really said those things to Paul Twitchell, or if Paul copied them out of a book (like a past president of Eckankar said he did) because others said it better than he could.
Was "that" Rebazar Tarzs? This is a question I have been asking and offering up for discussion. And if it was Paul copying from library books and not Rebazar Tarzs then what does it prove about "that" (the one portrayed in the book) Rebazar Tarzs?
Stories abound, and I have not invested total belief in all of them, but sometimes it is good to follow leads and see if anything more. For example, when the plagiarism evidence became more widely known: Did people actually go to Gail and ask her about the truth? Did Gail really ever say that Paul made anything up?
I am looking at the real evidence that anybody can see. It doesn't require imagination. All one has to do is look at the similarity of texts and the order of so many paragraphs in the books. This is what I woke up to and saw over a decade ago and I'm not gonna take a back seat to any Eckankar apologists and / or spin meisters not wanting to look at this, but if they act like trolls and cyber bullies I will call them that. Then I'll continue to find and illustrate examples of all these "golden teachings" scattered to the far corners of the earth that Paul Twitchell compiled. The reason is to look at the history and development and to learn about the sources of information. Fictions (IMO) will always remain secondary in this pursuit because fictional characters don't have an opinion and don't have a voice to speak when questioned.
It doesn't take a lot of imagination to realize why a religion would not want to admit ignorance about newly discovered truths if in the process they have to suffer death of an ideal, or death of what so many people were taught to believe in as real. It just plain doesn't look good because people could ask: Why didn't you know about these things? And then why didn't you tell us the plain truth?
I didn't write the Eckankar books. Didn't introduce so many Eck Masters and tell histories about them. neither did I copy, paraphrase and plagiarize New Age writings and animate them by characters said to be hundreds of years old, etc. I didn't do it and I won't take responsibility for doing it. Neither will I try to cover it up because I'm afraid of how things might change. Maybe this is for the better. Change. Who can argue that?