Klemp says in How to Survive Spiritually in Our Times ,“Your ECK initiation can open the window of heaven.
Your state of consciousness means nothing more than your state of acceptance.”
Each of us enters the path of Eckankar with a different state of consciousness.
Our own level of unfoldment depends on our experience in this life and in previous incarnations. Some have studied the ECK teachings in past lives and therefore take to the path quite easily. For others it may be their first contact with the teachings of Light and Sound, and
95
they may feel more comfortable proceeding slowly.
The Initiation Process
Beyond the First Initiation, which
occurs in the dream state, initiations in ECK are given both physically and
spiritually. The Living ECK Master
authorizes each initiation. A letter is sent to the ECKist, which is an invitation to receive the initiation. The ECKist then makes an appointment with an ECK
Initiator.
The initiation takes less than an hour to complete, and includes instruction and contemplation. In some initiations, a new spiritual word is given, to be sung during spiritual exercises.
Initiation Pace
and Frequency Vary
The pace of spiritual progress varies
from person to person. A number of years 96
normally pass between ECK initiations
to ensure that each person has built
strong spiritual foundations at each level.
Some may experience their next ini-
tiation inwardly six months or more
before they receive the outer invitation from the Master. For others, the significance of the initiation may not be fully understood for months after the initiation.
Each Initiation Corresponds
to a Different Plane of Existence
Each initiation corresponds to a spe-
cific plane. The Second Initiation is related to the Astral Plane, the Third to the Causal Plane, the Fourth to the Mental Plane, and so on. The Fifth Initiation is especially significant, because it corresponds to the Soul Plane. This is the
beginning of the pure spiritual worlds, above space and time. At the Fifth Plane, the usual laws of karma and reincarnation no longer hold sway.
97
Consciousness Has to
Be Earned Moment to Moment
Of course, obtaining the Fifth Initia-
tion in Eckankar does not guarantee
spiritual balance or understanding. Consciousness always has to be earned mo-
ment to moment. Regardless of spiritual stature, a person can become confused, experience a spiritual setback, and have to start on the path again. The road
becomes narrower as we move into the
higher worlds. With greater spiritual
freedom comes greater responsibility and accountability.
The Rules Change
from Plane to Plane
The initiations of ECK can have a
dramatic effect on our spiritual lives. If, as a Second Initiate, we become accustomed to operating on the Astral Plane, we may expect the rules and systems
learned there to work for us everywhere.
Many who take the Third Initiation are 98
puzzled to find that the Causal Plane
operates in a different manner. They must learn the new rules. This process consti-tutes part of our spiritual growth.
The Real Initiation Occurs Inside
Only the Mahanta, the Living ECK
Master can link up Soul with the ECK
through initiation. The outer initiation is simple and easy. As with many experiences in Eckankar, the real event occurs inside each of us. The outer initiation is a physical acknowledgment of the inner spiritual event. It is the inner event which makes all the difference.
Initiations Are Private and Sacred
The clergy of Eckankar are from the
ranks of the Higher Initiates, those in the Fifth Circle or above. And teachers of Eckankar classes must have received at least their Second Initiation. Yet these are not distinctions which one ECKist
uses to compare himself to another, or to 99
gain status in the community. The initiations of ECK are private and sacred.
Each Initiation Is an
Invitation from the Living ECK
Master to Take the Next Step on
the Way Home to God
The Living ECK
Your state of consciousness means nothing more than your state of acceptance.”
Each of us enters the path of Eckankar with a different state of consciousness.
Our own level of unfoldment depends on our experience in this life and in previous incarnations. Some have studied the ECK teachings in past lives and therefore take to the path quite easily. For others it may be their first contact with the teachings of Light and Sound, and
95
they may feel more comfortable proceeding slowly.
The Initiation Process
Beyond the First Initiation, which
occurs in the dream state, initiations in ECK are given both physically and
spiritually. The Living ECK Master
authorizes each initiation. A letter is sent to the ECKist, which is an invitation to receive the initiation. The ECKist then makes an appointment with an ECK
Initiator.
The initiation takes less than an hour to complete, and includes instruction and contemplation. In some initiations, a new spiritual word is given, to be sung during spiritual exercises.
Initiation Pace
and Frequency Vary
The pace of spiritual progress varies
from person to person. A number of years 96
normally pass between ECK initiations
to ensure that each person has built
strong spiritual foundations at each level.
Some may experience their next ini-
tiation inwardly six months or more
before they receive the outer invitation from the Master. For others, the significance of the initiation may not be fully understood for months after the initiation.
Each Initiation Corresponds
to a Different Plane of Existence
Each initiation corresponds to a spe-
cific plane. The Second Initiation is related to the Astral Plane, the Third to the Causal Plane, the Fourth to the Mental Plane, and so on. The Fifth Initiation is especially significant, because it corresponds to the Soul Plane. This is the
beginning of the pure spiritual worlds, above space and time. At the Fifth Plane, the usual laws of karma and reincarnation no longer hold sway.
97
Consciousness Has to
Be Earned Moment to Moment
Of course, obtaining the Fifth Initia-
tion in Eckankar does not guarantee
spiritual balance or understanding. Consciousness always has to be earned mo-
ment to moment. Regardless of spiritual stature, a person can become confused, experience a spiritual setback, and have to start on the path again. The road
becomes narrower as we move into the
higher worlds. With greater spiritual
freedom comes greater responsibility and accountability.
The Rules Change
from Plane to Plane
The initiations of ECK can have a
dramatic effect on our spiritual lives. If, as a Second Initiate, we become accustomed to operating on the Astral Plane, we may expect the rules and systems
learned there to work for us everywhere.
Many who take the Third Initiation are 98
puzzled to find that the Causal Plane
operates in a different manner. They must learn the new rules. This process consti-tutes part of our spiritual growth.
The Real Initiation Occurs Inside
Only the Mahanta, the Living ECK
Master can link up Soul with the ECK
through initiation. The outer initiation is simple and easy. As with many experiences in Eckankar, the real event occurs inside each of us. The outer initiation is a physical acknowledgment of the inner spiritual event. It is the inner event which makes all the difference.
Initiations Are Private and Sacred
The clergy of Eckankar are from the
ranks of the Higher Initiates, those in the Fifth Circle or above. And teachers of Eckankar classes must have received at least their Second Initiation. Yet these are not distinctions which one ECKist
uses to compare himself to another, or to 99
gain status in the community. The initiations of ECK are private and sacred.
Each Initiation Is an
Invitation from the Living ECK
Master to Take the Next Step on
the Way Home to God
The Living ECK
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