ECKists believe this practice allows the student to step back from the overwhelming input of the physical senses and emotions and regain Soul's spiritually higher viewpoint. : 59 ECKists believe that singing HU draws one closer in state of consciousness to the Divine Being and that it can expand awareness, help one experience divine love, heal broken hearts, offer solace in times of grief, and bring peace and calm. It is pronounced like the English word "hue" (or "hyoo") in a long, drawn-out breath and is sung for about half an hour. One important spiritual exercise of Eckankar is the singing or chanting of HU, and is viewed in Eckankar as a "love song to God". : 187Ĭertain mantras or chants are used to facilitate spiritual growth. These are attained via Soul Travel: shifting the awareness from the body to the inner planes of existence.
One of the basic tenets is that Soul (the true self) may be experienced separate from the physical body and, in full consciousness, travel freely in "other planes of reality." Eckankar emphasizes personal spiritual experiences as the most natural way back to God. Gordon Melton finds significant differences between Radha Soami/Sant Mat teachings and Eckankar. It derived from the Radha Soami, also known as Sant Mat movement (not to be confused with the medieval Sant Mat), but denies connection. Some scholars believe that Eckankar draws in part from the Sikh and Hindu religions. The extent of the influence of these teachings on Klemp is difficult to determine. He later pursued private study into different paths such as the Rosicrucians and Edgar Cayce. Harold Klemp attended a Lutheran preministerial high school and college. Gross (spiritual name: Dap Ren) succeeded him until October 22, 1981, when Klemp (spiritual name: Wah Z, pronounced Wah Zee) became the spiritual leader. Twitchell (spiritual name: Peddar Zaskq) was the movement's spiritual leader until his death in late 1971. The leader functions as both an inner and outer guide for each member's individual spiritual progress. Some leaders, Twitchell and Klemp, for example, also hold the title "Mahanta", which refers to the inner aspect of the teacher. The leader of Eckankar is known as “the Living ECK Master”. In 1986, Harold Klemp moved the base of operations to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under the leadership of Darwin Gross, the organization was moved to Menlo Park, California, in 1975. : 55Įckankar's headquarters were originally in Las Vegas, Nevada. ECK is another word for the Holy Spirit, also known as the Audible Life Current, Life Force, or Light and Sound of God. According to the Eckankar glossary, the term Eckankar means Co-Worker with God.