Spiritually Speaking...Tell Me What You Know About These Various Religions...?

Question

Eckankar,
Higher Consciousness Society, and...
The Way Of Truth?

As most of you know, I do not follow or practice any set religion, theology, or doctrine...but I am curious, as to these.

Yes, I have looked them up, but wanted to hear about them in "simpler" english.

Please, I am not asking your opinion about them, just some facts on them.

Thanks in advance and Blessings!

Answer 1

Your question contained the phrase: "I am curious."

You need further clarification, is it not so?

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These are not religions that you are concerned about, these are known as philosophies. They are a point of view. They are contained within the spectrum known as the intellect.

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I have followed some of your answers and some of your questions.

You have a curious nature. You are yearning for the truth, is it not so?



The truth can be only found within the heart of one known as a human being. That is the abode known as the truth. That is the depository where the truth is stored, till you are ready for it to be exposed.



There are only four true religions, just like there are four directions, four elements, four seasons, four arch angels.

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There are limbs off of the tree.

There are branches off of the limbs.

There are twigs off of the branches.

There are leaves off of the twigs.

"They make up what is known, as a whole tree."

The whole tree is what we are searching for, is it not so?



Follow your heart, for that is where the truth dwells!

"Peace be always with you."



*footnote - Dearest Peace, may "That" which you are looking for, hasten and find "You"!

Answer 2

i can not add anything to the first answer about eckankar. i can speak of higher consciousness though. the higher your consciousness, the higher your vibrational frequency. the higher, the more in tune one would be with the higher dimensions of light. the more light filled we are, the more spiritual we become. the more we see the good in others, the more we sense, and the more light we have, the more we can transmit to others. the more we transmit to others, the more awakened they will become. the more awakened everyone becomes, the more love and peace we have on our planet. blessings!!!!!

Answer 3

{ Origins }



Founded in San Diego, California By Paul Twitchell (1908-1971) in 1965,. Proclaims itself the "Religion of the Light and Sound of God" and " the Ancient Science of Soul Travel." Current headquarters in Chanhassen, Minnesota.



{ Key Belief }



God is a formless essence consisting of light and sound, called the Sugmad ( said to be :neither masculine nor feminine" and "the source of all life"). The light and sound flow out of the Sugmad and return to it in a current called the Eck. Christianity is acknowledged as "an alternate path" to "a degree of enlightenment."The biblical concept of the Trinity is not recognized by Eckankar. Twitchell taught that the Devil "is the Jehovah of the Jewish faith and the Father of the Christian teachings....Therefore we really see Jesus as a son of Kal Niranjan...."----that is, the Devil. (Elsewhere the group teaches that Jesus was " the ECK Master in Judea.") " Holy Spirit" is used as another name for the "Eck" current. Enlightenment, or union with the Sugmad, is attained by tuning in to the Eck current through "soul travel" and following it as it returns to its source. After death one is reincarnated, repeatedly, until one returns to the Sugmad.

Answer 4

All the ones you mention have one thing in common: Increase the light to remove the darkness.



Monks, Mystics, and Yogis have been doing it for centuries and that has been the essence and starting point for all the great religions. But unfortunately, the followers distort the teachings to make the distortion of religion we see these days.



So you are correct to stay away from religion. And you are also correct to look into increasing the light, since that brings real progress in life. More on my bio.

Answer 5

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They believe that Sugmad is a sacred name of God; God is perceived as neither male nor female.



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They believe an ECK Current connects every person with the Heart of Sugmad. It flows from the Creator to the lower levels of existence and then returns to God. It is often called the holy spirit. ECK manifests itself in two forms:



1.



an "Inner Sound", the "Voice of god calling us home". The Sound may be present as a sound of nature or as music.

2.



an "Inner Light which is a beacon to light our way". During spiritual exercises, the light sometimes materializes as "brightness or colors on your inner visual screen".



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Eckankar believes in the duality of the soul and body. The soul is the inner, most sacred part of an individual. It is eternal, without beginning or end. It lives only in the present. One's soul can exist and travel separately from the body and even from the mind.



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A person is capable of exploring other planes of existence, through Soul Travel. Unlike "Astral Projection" which is taught by other spiritual traditions, Soul Travel is not limited to the Astral Plane; it allows you to go further and explore any of the god worlds.



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Eckankar has a concept of Karma which is somewhat similar to that found in Hinduism. Through attachment to the five passions (anger, greed, lust, undue attachment to the physical world and vanity) one's bad karma accumulates. This requires a person to be reincarnated at death, in order have an opportunity to work off the debt of karma in their next life. The goal of Eckists is to pay off all of this accumulated debt and achieve Self-Realization in their present life. Once this state is reached, at death one need not return and spend another lifetime on earth. One is freed from the endless cycles of reincarnation.



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Eckankar is regarded by its followers as the best (but not the only) path to God-realization. Christianity is recognized as an alternate path that can aid a follower to achieve a degree of enlightenment. Christians, and others, may join Eckankar without renouncing their existing religion.

Answer 6

A good book on the subject has a chapter about what it calls 'The Mindbenders: Therapy Cults'. You will find some facts that might help clarify what, exactly, those groups are trying to do. Reference below.



Eckankar falls within the esoteric tradition - hidden, or secret, knowledge that is to be initiated to those who work their way up.

Answer 7

Eckankar is a new religious movement that focuses on spiritual exercises enabling practitioners to experience what its followers call "the Light and Sound of God."



According to the Eckankar glossary, the term Eckankar means "Co-Worker with God". It is likely drawn from the Sikh term, Ik Onkar. Since 1985 Eckankar is described as “The Religion of the Light and Sound of God”. Prior to 1985 Eckankar changed the descriptor following its name several times.



Eckankar headquarters are in Chanhassen, Minnesota (southwest of Minneapolis). At this site there are the Eckankar Temple, an outdoor chapel, an administrative building, and the ECK Spiritual Campus



One of the basic tenets is that soul (awareness or consciousness) can leave the body in full consciousness and travel freely in other planes of reality. Eckankar emphasizes personal spiritual experiences as the most natural way back to God. [2] These are attained via "soul travel", shifting the awareness from the body to the inner planes of existence.



Certain mantras are used to facilitate spiritual growth. One important spiritual exercise of Eckankar is the singing or chanting of hu. The Hu has been used in the Sufi and other traditions, and is viewed as a “love song to God.” It is pronounced like the word “Hue” in a long drawn out breath and is sung for about 20 minutes. Eckists sing it alone or in groups for spiritual upliftment. This practice is claimed to allow the student to step back from the overwhelming input of the physical senses and emotions and regain soul’s spiritual viewpoint.



Dreams are regarded as an important teaching tool and members often keep a dream journal to facilitate study. [3] According to followers of Eckankar, dream travel often serves as the gateway to soul travel[4] or the shifting of one’s consciousness to ever-higher states of being.



Eckankar teaches that "spiritual liberation" in one’s lifetime is available to all and that it is possible to achieve self-realization (the realization of oneself as soul) and God-realization (the realization of oneself as a spark of God) in one’s lifetime. The membership card for Eckankar states: “The aim and purpose of Eckankar has always been to take soul by its own path back to its divine source.”



The emphasis has shifted in current times away from out of body experiences to expansion of awareness through experiencing God’s love in everyday matters. The final spiritual goal of all Eckists is to become conscious co-workers with God

Answer 8

As with anything else in life, till you experience it for yourself, it is not real... Things said about these practices and the depths of the mind over reality they can expose you to are something that must be experienced to be believed... just as most Christians forget the passage where Christ said he did no miracle that we could not do ourselves in the name of GOD!





ME!



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