DEAR NAIRALANDERS, RELIGION SECTION

after years of arguments and counter-arguments in this section i started wondering why people come to this section at all. i feel that anyone who comes here without any intention of learning is simply wasting his or her time here.

that said, i have decided to take the bull by the horns and delve into practical spirituality. to me practical spirituality is all about taking the best of each religion and putting it into practice in your life in order to make yourself a better person who is able to love all life without bias and prejudice brought about by religious differences.

one of the most powerful spiritual practices i have come across since my spiritual adventure started are the contemplative exercises which involves the singing of a holy name of God or other spiritually charged words while contemplating on a spiritual quote and listening to the subtle inner voice of the Holy Spirit.

this basics opens a whole new vista of opportunity for spiritual growth for all souls despite their religious leaning.

from Christianity comes powerful spiritually charged words like JESUS, CHRIST, JEHOVAH with its different variations like Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah El-shaddai etc.

from Islam comes ALLAH, ALLAH HU AKBAR, and the 99 names of ALLAH.

from Hinduism comes Krishna

and from ECKANKAR comes SUGMAD, ECK,etc.

and finally you have the word, HU, which is GOD's name that does not belong to any religion. HU is the sound of all sounds and it is soul's Love song to God.

these Holy names and spiritually charged words are to be sung as a love song with the eyes closed and attention placed on the spiritual eye between the 2 eyebrows. that is where the divine journey of soul begins. this exercises can be done for 15 to 20 minutes at a time in the morning and night.

you are very free to experiment and try various variations and you can report your experiences here.

every body from all religions are encouraged to post their own practical spiritual practices that can help us becomes more God-like and also what they experienced from any technique they tried.

this thread is going to be our spiritual laboratory and i encourage every body to feel free to express themselves.

as part of this practical spiritual thread i will also be posting creative spiritual exercises that anyone can use for further spiritual growth. if you have one feel free to post it for the benefit of others.
below is a spiritual exercise you can try for this week

Journey on an Ocean of Light

Tonight when you go to bed, close your eyes and locate the Spiritual Eye. It is at a point right above and between the eyebrows. Now very gently look for the Light, which can come in a number of different ways.

At first you may see just a general glow of light that you think is merely your imagination. It might appear as little blue spots of light or as a ray of light. Or it could look like a beam of light coming through an open window from the sunshine outside. The white light may also show up in any number of ways.

As you look for the Light, chant your secret word or HU, a name for God which has a power greater than the word God for many people. Watch as this Light turns into an ocean of light. Then, as you see It turn into an ocean, look for a little boat that's coming to shore very near where you are standing. At the helm is the Mahanta or one of the ECK Masters, who will invite you into the boat. Don't be afraid; just get in.

When you get to this point, allow any experience to follow that may. Set no limitations on it. You may end up in a video arcade, or you may end up near or inside a Temple of Golden Wisdom. Or you may have an experience of the Light and Sound of God coming directly into Soul.

Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

Mahanta, I Love You
This spiritual exercise can be done while
falling asleep, silently chanting HU or
your personal word.
Start with a simple postulate, something
very open and easy such as, "Mahanta, I
love you." Then quietly, in the
background of the mind, begin to sing
HU. Just let it run on spiritual automatic.
But automatic doesn't mean letting it turn
into a meaningless mental repetition.
Rather, in a very real sense, you remain
conscious that the HU is rolling within
you.
If you wake up in the middle of the
night, you can spiritualize your
consciousness by briefly putting your
attention on the Mahanta, even for a
second or two.
Know that you do this because you love
God. You love the divine part within
yourself. In this gentle, unpushy way,
you become the lover of all life.
—Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

benodic:

as part of this practical spiritual thread i will also be posting creative spiritual exercises that anyone can use for further spiritual growth. if you have one feel free to post it for the benefit of others.
below is a spiritual exercise you can try for this week

Journey on an Ocean of Light

Tonight when you go to bed, close your eyes and locate the Spiritual Eye. It is at a point right above and between the eyebrows. Now very gently look for the Light, which can come in a number of different ways.

At first you may see just a general glow of light that you think is merely your imagination. It might appear as little blue spots of light or as a ray of light. Or it could look like a beam of light coming through an open window from the sunshine outside. The white light may also show up in any number of ways.

As you look for the Light, chant your secret word or HU, a name for God which has a power greater than the word God for many people. Watch as this Light turns into an ocean of light. Then, as you see It turn into an ocean, look for a little boat that's coming to shore very near where you are standing. At the helm is the Mahanta or one of the ECK Masters, who will invite you into the boat. Don't be afraid; just get in.

When you get to this point, allow any experience to follow that may. Set no limitations on it. You may end up in a video arcade, or you may end up near or inside a Temple of Golden Wisdom. Or you may have an experience of the Light and Sound of God coming directly into Soul.

Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

Have you ever been on any of these journeys?

@ Deep Sight

benodic:
as part of this practical spiritual thread
i will also be posting creative spiritual
exercises that anyone can use for
further spiritual growth. if you have
one feel free to post it for the benefit
of others.
below is a spiritual exercise you can
try for this week
Journey on an Ocean of Light
Tonight when you go to bed, close
your eyes and locate the Spiritual Eye.
It is at a point right above and
between the eyebrows. Now very
gently look for the Light, which can
come in a number of different ways.
At first you may see just a general
glow of light that you think is merely
your imagination. It might appear as
little blue spots of light or as a ray of
light. Or it could look like a beam of
light coming through an open
window from the sunshine outside.
The white light may also show up in
any number of ways.
As you look for the Light, chant your
secret word or HU, a name for God
which has a power greater than the
word God for many people. Watch as
this Light turns into an ocean of light.
Then, as you see It turn into an ocean,
look for a little boat that's coming to
shore very near where you are
standing. At the helm is the Mahanta
or one of the ECK Masters, who will
invite you into the boat. Don't be
afraid; just get in.
When you get to this point, allow any
experience to follow that may. Set no
limitations on it. You may end up in a
video arcade, or you may end up near
or inside a Temple of Golden Wisdom.
Or you may have an experience of the
Light and Sound of God coming
directly into Soul.
Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

Have you ever been on any of these
journeys?

yes.

Okay, that's interesting to know. Can you please comment on this. Is the physical image of man not a mirror of his spiritual image. If that holds true, what is this about the spirit having one eye only in the centre of the head. Sorry to sound childish, but it sounds spooky and kinda somehow.

Additionally, can you please explain the concept and notion of who or what the living Eck Master is, and other masters. I ask this because I am deeply suspicious of any religions that present me with any "masters" that are not God.

@ Deep Sight

Okay, that's interesting to know. Can you please comment on this. Is the physical image of man not a mirror of his spiritual image. If that holds true, what is this about the spirit having one eye only in the centre of the head. Sorry to sound childish, but it sounds spooky and kinda somehow.

the eye you are referring to is not actually an eye per se but is actually a doorway through which Soul can leave the physical body. soul in itself of course is formless.

Additionally, can you please explain the concept and notion of who or what the living Eck Master is, and other masters. I ask this because I am deeply suspicious of any religions that present me with any "masters" that are not God.

The Living ECK Master is the Spiritual Leader of ECKANKAR who presently is Sri Harold Klemp. A Living ECK Master is an Individual who has fully embodied the Divine Love Of God and has accepted the role of helping fellow souls in achieving the same feat that he achieved. the unique thing about him is that he is alive here and now in flesh and blood and is able to function both in the outer as the Living ECK Master and in the inner as the Mahanta, the Inner Master. he continues functioning in that capacity until his time is up and he hands over to the next person in line. Other masters ,some who are past Living ECK Masters themselves all work with the Current Living ECK Master and their mission is simply to take ready souls back home to God. To show ready souls how to walk the same hallowed path that they themselves once walked.

it is okay to be suspicious of any master of course and what i always say is that it is very important to learn how to go within to meet your spiritual master. all the past masters are all active in the inner planes and with the right spiritual disciplines and determination you can meet any one of them and get the truth directly from them.

as soul you also have the privilege of having direct contact with the Holy Spirit which i had earlier explained can manifest as light or sound. that is the reason i started this thread in the first place. putting into practice some of these techniques i outlined in this thread can lead you on a more well defined journey of personal experience and proving the truth for your self.

Watching Yourself Fall Asleep

Every night before retiring, relax on the bed. Watch the process of going to sleep. Keep your attention on the point between the eyebrows, the Spiritual Eye.

As your body relaxes and your mind settles down, that change in viewpoint takes place which we call sleep. Maintain the attitude of awareness. You will note your body getting quiet and your thoughts settling down. Hearing is often the last to leave the human consciousness. You will be detached on the borderline state, as though in a dream.

Then you will come into another state of beingness. This is characterized by a clarity of mental vision. It is not an unconscious state like a mental fog, but a level of awareness beyond the limits of normal human expression.

This viewpoint may last a moment or for several hours. With practice it may last through the whole night.

To hold on to this lucidity, you need to maintain a delicate balance between not becoming too emotional and not forgetting that you are dreaming.

What has happened? As the body rests, you awaken in the Atma Sarup, the Soul body. You find yourself in eternity, overcoming death. This is the freedom which is spoken about so often in Eckankar.

—Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

Seminar Dreams

Sometimes you will find yourself working on the inner planes in settings very much as we find at an Eckankar seminar. Maybe you are acting as an usher, working in the higher worlds.

You are carrying out some act of service to the ECK out of love. You act out of love for that Sound and Light of God which has filled you.

To attend an Eckankar seminar inwardly, do this: Before sleep go into contemplation and visualize whatever you can about the seminar, using the description you've read in the preregistration brochure. Put yourself on the inner planes and say, "I am seeing myself with my friends at the ECK seminar. I'm seeing myself in the audience listening to the Master."

If you wish to consciously serve in this way, give yourself a silent command before sleep. Then let the matter rest in the hands of Divine Spirit.

—Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

Using Light for Healing

In your spiritual exercises there are two things you can use for healing. One is the orange light, and the other is the blue light. You may wish to experiment with them. Some people are successful in this kind of healing, and others are better off seeing a doctor. It depends on you.

The orange light is mostly for the physical body. Go into contemplation in your usual way, whether you sit up or lie down. Using the imaginative power, which is the God force or the seeing power of Soul, shut your eyes and visualize the Audible Life Stream. This is the pure white Light of God, a composite of all the colors.

Now visualize a ray coming off of It. It's very much like using a prism to see the spectrum of colors.

The ray you see is orange, which applies to physical health. With your eyes closed, visualize this orange stream coming through you. Just let it flow to the area in your body that is diseased, afflicted, or injured. You can do this for twenty minutes.

This is a healing technique. But you do it only for yourself; don't go out and blast orange light at other people.

The blue light is another way of healing, but it is for the inner bodies—the Astral, Causal, Mental, and Etheric. These are the bodies of the psychic worlds below the Soul Plane.

Here again, you use a technique similar to that of the orange light. And I'll repeat this: Do it only for yourself, never for another person.

Close your eyes, and visualize the blue light coming into the heart center. This light is known as the Blue Light of the Mahanta. The Mahanta Consciousness is the highest state of consciousness known to man. The blue light is for the calming and healing of the inner man—your emotions and your mind. Along with this technique, get plenty of physical rest.

The blue light is not something that is created out of the ethers from some source alien to yourself. It comes from your own God Worlds, and you are now becoming aware of it.

Let this healing Light of God come in and work on the area you feel needs help. Or just let It flow into the Spiritual Eye. As It washes and cleanses the impurities, It will start to uplift you from the materialism and karma that you have created for yourself through ignorance of God's laws.

A true spiritual healing first heals the spiritual condition that caused the symptoms to appear in the physical body. You have to understand that when you use the orange light, it may not bring a miraculous healing, such as the reshaping of limbs, or anything like this. But it may lead you to a better doctor.

—Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

subtle, the way you put Jesus and Jehovah in front before delving into the 'main' thing. There's only one way to God, it's Jesus, you guessed right. Away with experiences that cannot save you from sin, guilt and satan the enemy.

@ Image123

shocked subtle, the way you put Jesus and Jehovah in front before delving into the 'main' thing. There's only one way to God, it's Jesus, you guessed right. Away with experiences that cannot save you from sin, guilt and satan the enemy.

if that makes you happy, very fine with me. this thread was opened as a spiritual laboratory for all souls despite their religious believes or inclination. it is not a place for arguments to prove who is right or who is wrong or who is superior to the others. there are more than enough threads opened for that.

looking back over my journey in search of spiritual freedom i know that i have benefited from all the paths and religions i was privileged to study and i know within their core lies powerful practices that can help soul achieve spiritual liberation and if people focus more on the spiritual aspects of their religion and forget about the social aspects and the ego that comes with it, there will be a tremendous change in the way people see others and their religion.

the spiritual masters are not quarreling amongst themselves, they are quietly going about their duties for God helping souls who are ready to experience the God head just as they themselves did. it is only the followers with poor understanding of what spirituality is really all about that go about raising dust, making noise and some even killing others in the name of God.

learn how to go to the temple within with the spiritual exercises. meet your spiritual master in the inner planes where truth is plainly revealed and find out from the source what is the truth and how you can be a better channel for love in this life. then share your experience with others as a means of encouraging others.

^ i already met my Master and the Truth, thanks but no thanks for your offer. i'm not here to quarrel with you, just to inform you to leave Christ out of this or wholly embrace Him. It's Jesus only or nothing else. He's a pretty jealous God but He does gives salvation from sin and satan.

@ image 123

you are speaking from the level of knowledge to which you are privy for now. Just like your name is image 123, does not mean you can not have image 12345 and so on.

You can only grasp what your state of consciousness can allow you to grasp at a point in time until your consciousness expands further.
Just maintain your stand like i said before and allow others to learn from whatever channel they can.
No religion has a monopoly of truth. all are just presenting parts of it according to their level of consciousness. If you are then ready to accept a part as a whole then it is very fine with me. Stay with it and let others be.

benodic:
@ image 123

you are speaking from the level of knowledge to which you are privy for now. Just like your name is image 123, does not mean you can not have image 12345 and so on.

You can only grasp what your state of consciousness can allow you to grasp at a point in time until your consciousness expands further.
Just maintain your stand like i said before and allow others to learn from whatever channel they can.
No religion has a monopoly of truth. all are just presenting parts of it according to their level of consciousness. If you are then ready to accept a part as a whole then it is very fine with me. Stay with it and let others be.

i can say exactly these same words to you and it makes perfect sense. Have you received forgiveness of sins?

wishing all Christians all over the world a happy Easter celebration.

Practical Spirituality is fine but indeed within lie many paradoxes. The image and personality of the Mahanta in relation to his humanly nature and the nature of his appiontment Can be justified?

@mkmyers45

Practical Spirituality is fine but indeed
within lie many paradoxes. The image
and personality of the Mahanta in
relation to his humanly nature and the
nature of his appiontment Can be
justified?

it is only in the practicality of spirituality that you will be able to resolve all paradoxes not in theories.
Paradoxes exist only in the mind and practical spirituality aims to open the spiritual eye which enables soul to clearly see truth for itself.
The difficulty you may have in understanding who and what the Mahanta stands for and how a living Human Being can attain such heights may stem from not fully understanding who and what we are and our heritage as soul.

The only reason why we were sent here is to learn love. That and nothing else. The Mahanta, the Living ECK Master is he who has been able to learn this lesson and stands as a living example that man can become divine if he strives to be.
By this he becomes a vehicle for God's love and his mission is to show souls how to also open themselves to God's love and become ready channels for God's love too.

benodic: @mkmyers45



it is only in the practicality of spirituality that you will be able to resolve all paradoxes not in theories.
Paradoxes exist only in the mind and practical spirituality aims to open the spiritual eye which enables soul to clearly see truth for itself.
The difficulty you may have in understanding who and what the Mahanta stands for and how a living Human Being can attain such heights may stem from not fully understanding who and what we are and our heritage as soul.

The only reason why we were sent here is to learn love. That and nothing else. The Mahanta, the Living ECK Master is he who has been able to learn this lesson and stands as a living example that man can become divine if he strives to be.
By this he becomes a vehicle for God's love and his mission is to show souls how to also open themselves to God's love and become ready channels for God's love too.

And who is this God you are talking about, and what is his name?
I need to know!

And who is this God you are talking about, and what is his name?
I need to know!

The God who is the creator of all souls and from whom issues forth its creative essence which is the Holy Spirit that pervades all existence and all creation and in whom we live move and have our being. The God who in reality really is nameless as names only strives to limit it as it is limitless. The God that has only one quality and one quality alone and that is love and love alone. and its name that it gave to itself which belongs to no religion and to no language, which is actually the sound spiritual travelers who have journeyed into the heart of God, heard in the ocean of love and mercy, and which reverberates through all creation is the word HU.

old age.

The Mountain of Light

Try this if you feel you are in need of spiritual protection. Shut your eyes at bedtime, and see yourself standing before a gigantic mountain of light. From the mountain flows the most enchanting melody of the Audible Life Stream.

Now visualize yourself walking up the sidewalk to the huge door that guards the entrance into the side of the mountain. The door's mighty construction can withstand a thermonuclear blast.

Pull the door shut behind you. Notice how easily it swings, despite its great height and massive construction. With the door shut and you safely inside the shelter, lock the door securely. Snap the padlock, set the dead bolt, and drop the bar into place. Then turn around and walk directly into the worlds of Light and Sound behind you.

In extreme cases, it is perfectly all right to create several outer chambers inside the entrance. Each chamber is likewise protected by an enormous door; all are secured against the night.

Be aware of one thing: the door of protection is made from the ECK Itself. Nothing can get through it!

I can help you—but only if you listen. Nothing can hurt you spiritually, unless you yourself allow it.

—Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

^
how will these save anyone? People need forgiveness of sin, power to live above sin, grace to love God and fellow men, eternal life. This is practical spirituality, not falling into trance that offer no help from the guilt of sin and the shameful adamic nature of the flesh.

Image123: ^
how will these save anyone? People need forgiveness of sin, power to live above sin, grace to love God and fellow men, eternal life. This is practical spirituality, not falling into trance that offer no help from the guilt of sin and the shameful adamic nature of the flesh.

Word!

The Sound Room

Go into contemplation and find yourself on the inner planes with Wah Z, the Inner Master. He takes you to a room in a beautiful Temple of Golden Wisdom. He says, "This is the sound room. Would you like a sound healing?" You say, "Sure."

He tells you to climb on the big stone table in the center of the room. As you lie there, the Sound currents of ECK begin massaging your inner bodies. This relaxes you, and the transformation begins. After a little while you feel the Sound Current raise you off the table toward the ceiling. You pass through a small opening into higher states, where the Sound Current is much more refined.

Feel your troubles or pain gradually leave you until they are all gone. Then come out of contemplation.

When the healing occurs, it brings balance to the inner bodies. It may take some time to filter to the physical, and your life tomorrow might not be easier than it was today. But at least now you know about the sound room at the Temple of Golden Wisdom and can ask to go there whenever you need to.

—Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

A Way to Build Self-Confidence

If you should have your real strength of character marred by a lack of self-confidence, use this technique to build yourself up again.

First find the spots in your aura or personal atmosphere that are self-conscious, shy, timid, or overly sensitive. These tend to attract people who impose upon your weakness. With a mental command, ask those people to move out of your way. Mentally demand respectful attention.

Next build up the opposite qualities of mind and character to replace these self-conscious qualities. Fill yourself with positive courage so that the positive force you generate can actually be felt when you pass through a room.

Adopt the mental attitude and personal atmosphere of a person with great confidence. Always be direct and positive in your approach to all things. Put all your spiritual force behind your smile, your replies, and your thoughts.

—Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

Spiritual Strength in Hard Times

Through the hard times and the happy times, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, you need only place your attention on the Mahanta to know that the Master is with you. This spiritual exercise of putting your attention on the Mahanta will help you develop a surety of strength as you become Higher Initiates and eventually ECK Masters. You will have what you need to go anywhere in life, anywhere on earth, and anywhere in the planes of God.

Then sing HU, a special name for God. When you sing HU, you agree to let Divine Spirit do what is best for you. Singing HU does not guarantee a healing, but it does arrange for the conditions that are best for spiritual unfoldment.

—Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

Defense against Black Magic

The forces of black magic are powerful in Africa. ECKists there ask me, How can we become strong so that no force of Kal, the negative power, can harm us?

First, do not look for trouble or anger anyone who has these powers. But if the powers of darkness are thrown against you, put your full attention on the Mahanta and sing, or chant, HU. See a shining light around you through which no evil can penetrate, and know that the Mahanta in the form of a Blue Light stands by your side.

Study what The Shariyat says about how to overcome the dark forces. It is important to understand what in your emotions has opened the door for this power to attack.

Always remember that the ECK is stronger than any force in the lower worlds. Only one who surrounds himself with Its presence, and knows that the Mahanta is with him, will be safe.

—Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK

Declaration

You will find this declaration useful as a protection:

I declare myself a vehicle for the Sugmad.

Wait a brief moment while you feel the stream of Sugmad enter your being. It is a certain distinctive force.

I declare myself a vehicle for the Sugmad and the ECK.

And then wait a moment until this flow of ECK fills Soul. You'll feel an entirely different current come through.

I declare myself a vehicle for the Sugmad, the ECK, and the Mahanta.

Again, still another energy comes through, this one happy and light, like a little lamb dancing along on musical feet.

This is the consciousness that can help you relate to people, in an everyday way, a connection to the high principles of ECK and the Sugmad.

Then go forth to meet your day with confidence, because the Mahanta is always with you.

—Sri Harold Klemp
The Spiritual Exercises of ECK