ascetic practices, or dress codes which would differentiate them from their neighbors.
Many people who have come into
Eckankar have done so because their
questions about life were not being
answered by orthodox and traditional
teachings.
Defining Eckankar
To aid your understanding of
Eckankar, a few definitions are in
9
order. We use certain words to define
spiritual principles, either because they are more descriptive or because they do not carry the same connotation or stereo-type as some more commonly used words.
ECK — (EHK) The Divine, or Holy, Spirit; the Audible Life Stream; the essence of God which supports and sustains all life; the Life Force.
Eckankar — (EHK-ahn-kahr) Religion of the Light and Sound of God. Also means Co-worker with God.
Light and Sound of God — The Holy Spirit. The two aspects through which
God appears in the lower worlds. The
Holy Spirit can appear to us as Light, which is a reflection of the atoms of God moving in space, or as Sound, which is the Audible Life Current that carries Soul back home to God. The Spiritual
Exercises of ECK show people how to
look and listen within themselves for
these qualities of Divine Spirit for
upliftment and guidance.
10
Mahanta — (mah-HAHN-tah) The inner form of the Living ECK Master who
guides the spiritual student on the inner planes. An expression of the Spirit of God that is always with you.
Soul — The True Self. The inner, most sacred part of each person. As a spark of God, Soul can see, know, and perceive all things.
Soul Travel — A natural way to expand the consciousness, to experience the
higher viewpoint of yourself as Soul
through spiritual exercises.
Sugmad — (SOOG-mahd) A sacred name for God, the source of all life. It is neither masculine nor feminine.
This book will give you a brief overview of the religion of Eckankar. The teachings are actually quite simple and do not require any formal training or academic rigor. In fact, the basic beliefs of Eckankar could easily be summarized as follows:
• Soul is eternal and is the individual’s 11
true identity.
• Soul exists because God loves It.
• Soul is on a journey of Self- and God-Realization.
• You can actively explore the spiritual worlds through Soul Travel, dreams,
and other spiritual techniques.
• Spiritual unfoldment can be acceler-ated by conscious contact with the ECK, Divine Spirit.
• This contact can be made by the use of the Spiritual Exercises of ECK and by
the guidance of the Living ECK Master.
• The Mahanta, the Living ECK Master is the spiritual leader of Eckankar.
• Spiritual experience and liberation in this lifetime is available to all.
12
2
Soul Travel
oul Travel is an individual expe-
Srience, a realization of survival. It is an inner experience through which comes beauty and love of all life. It cannot be experienced in rituals and ceremonies, nor bottled in creeds.
The Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad
Book One
You Are Soul
The traditional concept of Soul is that you have one, but It is distant from your everyday life and becomes important only when your physical body ceases to exist.
The ECKist believes, however, that each person is Soul and that Soul is the es-sential and permanent center of our being.
13
It can never be lost.
The pressures of the modern world
make it easy to forget who we are. Our physical senses and emotions become
overwhelmed, and we lose Soul’s spiri-
tual view. Regaining this view is called Soul Travel. And Soul Travel is accom-plished by practicing the Spiritual Exercises of ECK on a daily basis.
Many people experience Soul Travel
as an expansion of awareness and
knowingness: an inner nudge to call a
friend, or seeing beyond your current
difficulties to a deeper meaning. Others may have dramatic experiences full of
spiritual majesty. In Eckankar, you learn to prove spiritual truths yourself through personal experience.
A Classic Soul Travel Experience
“A single pinpoint of
Many people who have come into
Eckankar have done so because their
questions about life were not being
answered by orthodox and traditional
teachings.
Defining Eckankar
To aid your understanding of
Eckankar, a few definitions are in
9
order. We use certain words to define
spiritual principles, either because they are more descriptive or because they do not carry the same connotation or stereo-type as some more commonly used words.
ECK — (EHK) The Divine, or Holy, Spirit; the Audible Life Stream; the essence of God which supports and sustains all life; the Life Force.
Eckankar — (EHK-ahn-kahr) Religion of the Light and Sound of God. Also means Co-worker with God.
Light and Sound of God — The Holy Spirit. The two aspects through which
God appears in the lower worlds. The
Holy Spirit can appear to us as Light, which is a reflection of the atoms of God moving in space, or as Sound, which is the Audible Life Current that carries Soul back home to God. The Spiritual
Exercises of ECK show people how to
look and listen within themselves for
these qualities of Divine Spirit for
upliftment and guidance.
10
Mahanta — (mah-HAHN-tah) The inner form of the Living ECK Master who
guides the spiritual student on the inner planes. An expression of the Spirit of God that is always with you.
Soul — The True Self. The inner, most sacred part of each person. As a spark of God, Soul can see, know, and perceive all things.
Soul Travel — A natural way to expand the consciousness, to experience the
higher viewpoint of yourself as Soul
through spiritual exercises.
Sugmad — (SOOG-mahd) A sacred name for God, the source of all life. It is neither masculine nor feminine.
This book will give you a brief overview of the religion of Eckankar. The teachings are actually quite simple and do not require any formal training or academic rigor. In fact, the basic beliefs of Eckankar could easily be summarized as follows:
• Soul is eternal and is the individual’s 11
true identity.
• Soul exists because God loves It.
• Soul is on a journey of Self- and God-Realization.
• You can actively explore the spiritual worlds through Soul Travel, dreams,
and other spiritual techniques.
• Spiritual unfoldment can be acceler-ated by conscious contact with the ECK, Divine Spirit.
• This contact can be made by the use of the Spiritual Exercises of ECK and by
the guidance of the Living ECK Master.
• The Mahanta, the Living ECK Master is the spiritual leader of Eckankar.
• Spiritual experience and liberation in this lifetime is available to all.
12
2
Soul Travel
oul Travel is an individual expe-
Srience, a realization of survival. It is an inner experience through which comes beauty and love of all life. It cannot be experienced in rituals and ceremonies, nor bottled in creeds.
The Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad
Book One
You Are Soul
The traditional concept of Soul is that you have one, but It is distant from your everyday life and becomes important only when your physical body ceases to exist.
The ECKist believes, however, that each person is Soul and that Soul is the es-sential and permanent center of our being.
13
It can never be lost.
The pressures of the modern world
make it easy to forget who we are. Our physical senses and emotions become
overwhelmed, and we lose Soul’s spiri-
tual view. Regaining this view is called Soul Travel. And Soul Travel is accom-plished by practicing the Spiritual Exercises of ECK on a daily basis.
Many people experience Soul Travel
as an expansion of awareness and
knowingness: an inner nudge to call a
friend, or seeing beyond your current
difficulties to a deeper meaning. Others may have dramatic experiences full of
spiritual majesty. In Eckankar, you learn to prove spiritual truths yourself through personal experience.
A Classic Soul Travel Experience
“A single pinpoint of
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