leaf
2005-05-26 19:01:06 UTC
When I received the sixth initiation, I had essentially already decided
toleave eckankar. I was still hanging on out of some slight
uncertainty, and also had decided to maintain my membership due to the
fact that my partner still remained loyal to eckankar. A year or two
had passed while I was in this state of serious doubt and skepticism,
when the pink slip for the sixth initiation came. I was surprised to
say the least. Yet I wasn't too surprised. This confirmed what I
already suspected: Initiations are not overseen or approved by a
mahanta or some omniscient being, but by a computer, with the
assistance of initiate reports, and recommendations by the local Resa
and other local high initiates. I remained in eckankar for years after
this, until the day my mate felt as I did, and we both resigned.
Lest there are those in eckankar who don't yet know this, lists are
periodically sent out with names generated by a computer to the state
Resa (regional eck spiritual aid), who confers with local high
initiates/clergy/initiators/eck spiritual aids to either recommend or
not, an initiation (Klemp himself wrote of the computers producing the
initiation lists a while back as I recall). Around the time I left
eckankar, most eckists were automatically placed on the list every four
or five years or so. If for some reason an eckist was denied, they
would usually show up again on the next year's list. Local h.i's in my
area (including myself) would routinely talk over the names on the list
via the telephone, and give their recommendations to the Resa according
to each chela's loyalty and degree of outer service to the org. Those
who were especially "troublesome" could be denied the initiation. The
Resa emphasized loyalty as the most important trait. The results from
the RESA are sent back to Minneapolis HQ where, most likely, assistants
appointed by Harold approve or deny the initiation based on the time
served as a dues paying member, the RESA recommendations, and very
likely, initiate reports. Some, including myself, have observed that
initiate reports (especially those which are positive or are written in
praise of the org) play a role in the initiation approval process.
Despite this, few people were denied an initiation if they were on the
list. Eckankar has a very liberal policy toward initiations. I noticed
that those who followed the disciplines well fared no better or worse
than those who didn't. I noticed people who smoked, drank or never did
their exercises stood just as great a chance of receiving the fifth
initiation as anyone <G>. More than anything, the initiations were
awarded based on time as a member. The rate at which initiations were
received could be accelerated or delayed based on the chelas
relationship with local H.I's and, especially, the state RESA, who has
a great deal of influence in such matters from my experience. And one
thing is clear: Those who do not substantially conform to the
expectations of the group are the ones most likely to be denied an
initiation. Despite this, the H.I.'s or RESA's in different areas may
vary in their tolerance levels, which accounts for the stories heard
about individuals who never received initiations in one local suddenly
begin to receive them after moving to another area. Also, I've
witnessed initiations being approved after three or four H.I's gave
their unsolicited recommendations to Spiritual Services on behalf of
certain chelas who were thought of as exceptionally deserving.
I once had a friend who was extremely devoted to eckankar, who had
lived in a remote area during most of her time as a member, and didn't
realize eckankar's policy that time served as a dues paying member
counted toward initiation. As a result, she didn't receive initiations
for years do to the fact that she kept forgetting to renew her
membership, thinking such things to be of the material worlds! She had
no idea such trivialities mattered to the omniscient mahanta! This
woman had a life membership (at one time you could pay a large one time
fee, $2,000, for a membership for life) but was still required to
notify eckankar of her intent to renew annually, though no additional
fee was required. She didn't think such formalities were all that
important, and as a result, due to a less than exemplary membership
record, received no initiations beyond the second, despite years of
devotion to eckankar. One often may hear eckists parroting that such
outer initiations matter little, yet privately, most eckists seem to
feel very strongly about the initiations they are awarded.
This isn't spoken of very much out in the open in eckankar, but people
such as the woman in the example can become quite disillusioned and
depressed over not keeping up with their peers, feeling left behind,
unwanted, and forgotten by the Mahanta. They see others who are
seemingly less deserving receiving initiations, whereas they, despite
being very devoted to eckankar and the associated disciplines, seem to
fall hopelessly behind. Due to eckankar's policy that one not ever
request initiations, many suffer in silence, sensing justifiably that
something isn't quite right, yet fear to even ask about the possibility
of an error. In many cases, even when they do ask, they face a stony
silence from the org, or are told they are being "tested" spiritually,
when all that is needed is a quick check of the record. This is one of
the way's such a system can inflict undue pain upon its members, and is
one reason I am taking the time to write about this in detail.
Think about the numbers involved in the initiation approval process. If
there are, as claimed, 50,000 members in the org, and each is
considered for an initiation every five years or so, then that would
average 10,000 per year, or 833 per month, or about 40 per day
(excluding weekends), or about one initiation to be approved every 10
to 15 minutes in an average eight hour day. Klemp would have to work
full time on initiations every day for the rest of his life to spend 10
to 15 minutes every five years on the "individual" member. He is said
to check the inner akashic and soul records to make such a choice.
Remember that this would have to be done to merely *consider* a person
for initiation, that is, to give each chela the individual attention
and consideration that is due, whether or not the chela is actually
approved for initiation.
Klemp would have to live out of the body most of his life to accomplish
such a feat. He would have no time for seminars, writing his constant
supply of books, writing his speeches, eating, drinking, sleeping,
going to meetings, running the corporation, etc.
blessing of them in the eckankar offices to fool the membership. He
simply doesn't have the time. Remember this key point: It's a fact that
someone would have to act on the physical plane to approve the
initiations and send out pink slips. No matter how you slice it, this
person (or more likely, persons) is not the living eck master.
Thus, the initiations are entirely bogus. They represent nothing more
than organizational status. Observe the behavior of the online clergy.
These are not enlightened beings. They are ordinary people caught up in
the throes of everyday life, like most people are in the rest of the
world.
Food for thought...
Kent
toleave eckankar. I was still hanging on out of some slight
uncertainty, and also had decided to maintain my membership due to the
fact that my partner still remained loyal to eckankar. A year or two
had passed while I was in this state of serious doubt and skepticism,
when the pink slip for the sixth initiation came. I was surprised to
say the least. Yet I wasn't too surprised. This confirmed what I
already suspected: Initiations are not overseen or approved by a
mahanta or some omniscient being, but by a computer, with the
assistance of initiate reports, and recommendations by the local Resa
and other local high initiates. I remained in eckankar for years after
this, until the day my mate felt as I did, and we both resigned.
Lest there are those in eckankar who don't yet know this, lists are
periodically sent out with names generated by a computer to the state
Resa (regional eck spiritual aid), who confers with local high
initiates/clergy/initiators/eck spiritual aids to either recommend or
not, an initiation (Klemp himself wrote of the computers producing the
initiation lists a while back as I recall). Around the time I left
eckankar, most eckists were automatically placed on the list every four
or five years or so. If for some reason an eckist was denied, they
would usually show up again on the next year's list. Local h.i's in my
area (including myself) would routinely talk over the names on the list
via the telephone, and give their recommendations to the Resa according
to each chela's loyalty and degree of outer service to the org. Those
who were especially "troublesome" could be denied the initiation. The
Resa emphasized loyalty as the most important trait. The results from
the RESA are sent back to Minneapolis HQ where, most likely, assistants
appointed by Harold approve or deny the initiation based on the time
served as a dues paying member, the RESA recommendations, and very
likely, initiate reports. Some, including myself, have observed that
initiate reports (especially those which are positive or are written in
praise of the org) play a role in the initiation approval process.
Despite this, few people were denied an initiation if they were on the
list. Eckankar has a very liberal policy toward initiations. I noticed
that those who followed the disciplines well fared no better or worse
than those who didn't. I noticed people who smoked, drank or never did
their exercises stood just as great a chance of receiving the fifth
initiation as anyone <G>. More than anything, the initiations were
awarded based on time as a member. The rate at which initiations were
received could be accelerated or delayed based on the chelas
relationship with local H.I's and, especially, the state RESA, who has
a great deal of influence in such matters from my experience. And one
thing is clear: Those who do not substantially conform to the
expectations of the group are the ones most likely to be denied an
initiation. Despite this, the H.I.'s or RESA's in different areas may
vary in their tolerance levels, which accounts for the stories heard
about individuals who never received initiations in one local suddenly
begin to receive them after moving to another area. Also, I've
witnessed initiations being approved after three or four H.I's gave
their unsolicited recommendations to Spiritual Services on behalf of
certain chelas who were thought of as exceptionally deserving.
I once had a friend who was extremely devoted to eckankar, who had
lived in a remote area during most of her time as a member, and didn't
realize eckankar's policy that time served as a dues paying member
counted toward initiation. As a result, she didn't receive initiations
for years do to the fact that she kept forgetting to renew her
membership, thinking such things to be of the material worlds! She had
no idea such trivialities mattered to the omniscient mahanta! This
woman had a life membership (at one time you could pay a large one time
fee, $2,000, for a membership for life) but was still required to
notify eckankar of her intent to renew annually, though no additional
fee was required. She didn't think such formalities were all that
important, and as a result, due to a less than exemplary membership
record, received no initiations beyond the second, despite years of
devotion to eckankar. One often may hear eckists parroting that such
outer initiations matter little, yet privately, most eckists seem to
feel very strongly about the initiations they are awarded.
This isn't spoken of very much out in the open in eckankar, but people
such as the woman in the example can become quite disillusioned and
depressed over not keeping up with their peers, feeling left behind,
unwanted, and forgotten by the Mahanta. They see others who are
seemingly less deserving receiving initiations, whereas they, despite
being very devoted to eckankar and the associated disciplines, seem to
fall hopelessly behind. Due to eckankar's policy that one not ever
request initiations, many suffer in silence, sensing justifiably that
something isn't quite right, yet fear to even ask about the possibility
of an error. In many cases, even when they do ask, they face a stony
silence from the org, or are told they are being "tested" spiritually,
when all that is needed is a quick check of the record. This is one of
the way's such a system can inflict undue pain upon its members, and is
one reason I am taking the time to write about this in detail.
Think about the numbers involved in the initiation approval process. If
there are, as claimed, 50,000 members in the org, and each is
considered for an initiation every five years or so, then that would
average 10,000 per year, or 833 per month, or about 40 per day
(excluding weekends), or about one initiation to be approved every 10
to 15 minutes in an average eight hour day. Klemp would have to work
full time on initiations every day for the rest of his life to spend 10
to 15 minutes every five years on the "individual" member. He is said
to check the inner akashic and soul records to make such a choice.
Remember that this would have to be done to merely *consider* a person
for initiation, that is, to give each chela the individual attention
and consideration that is due, whether or not the chela is actually
approved for initiation.
Klemp would have to live out of the body most of his life to accomplish
such a feat. He would have no time for seminars, writing his constant
supply of books, writing his speeches, eating, drinking, sleeping,
going to meetings, running the corporation, etc.
From this I deduce that Klemp has, for the most part, nothing to do
with the initiations, other than, perhaps, performing a perfunctoryblessing of them in the eckankar offices to fool the membership. He
simply doesn't have the time. Remember this key point: It's a fact that
someone would have to act on the physical plane to approve the
initiations and send out pink slips. No matter how you slice it, this
person (or more likely, persons) is not the living eck master.
Thus, the initiations are entirely bogus. They represent nothing more
than organizational status. Observe the behavior of the online clergy.
These are not enlightened beings. They are ordinary people caught up in
the throes of everyday life, like most people are in the rest of the
world.
Food for thought...
Kent