A New Spiritual Path ? – The Rise and Fall of “Sri” Michael Owens as the 974^th Living Eck Master

Introduction

This writing responds to numerous e-mails received at www.thetruth-seeker.com and www.higherconsciousnesssociety.org from seekers asking about Michael Owens and others who have created a new spiritual path called The Way of Truth. Owens had proclaimed himself the 974 Living Eck Master in spite of the fact that Harold Klemp continues to legally hold this position created by Paul Twitchell in 1965. This paper exposes the true nature of this new path that perpetuates the Eckankar deception and fabrication detailed in Confessions of a God Seeker.

In addition to perpetuating the bogus history and mythology of Eckankar, The Way of Truth has been legally challenged by Eckankar and forbidden from using any of its legally protected words or terms or from proclaiming that he (Owens) has taken over the position of the Living Eck Master.  Facing this rejection, Owens, like Paul Twitchell, has named his own line of masters (supposedly the same as the Eckankar line but by another name) and a new title (new for the same reasons). He now calls himself the “Bentel” and asks that others believe his new invention and follow him into yet another spiritual entrapment. This paper presents material that will enable the seeker to understand how this new spiritual path, just like its precursor, Eckankar, came into existence through a combination of fabrication and the misinterpretation of self-generated and self-serving inner experiences.

Interestingly, Owens' prohibition against proclaiming himself the 974^th Living Eck Master did not carry with it a requirement or a pledge that he also disavow the title. Indeed, he has never done so but merely sidestepped the legal mandate by inventing yet another title while permitting his followers to believe that he is the de facto 974^th Living Eck Master even though Harold Klemp retains the legal title. This act now makes Michael Owens the third person to simultaneously claim to be the current de facto Living Eck Master (a circumstance that must have Paul’s host of Variagi masters reeling.) 

In 1981, Darwin Gross relinquished the title of Living Eck Master to Harold Klemp. However, in 1984, Darwin claimed that Harold had been removed from this position by Rebazar Tarzs and Yaubl Sacabi. He went on to point out, in an open letter to Eckankar’s membership in the same year that :

“…He (Harold Klemp) was given a spiritual responsibility, which he has lost. He no longer holds the Rod of Eck Power….”  “These excerpts [sic] from letters come from Eckists around the world: Very quietly, this was what was spoken from the Eck. ‘Harold has been removed.’  I asked by whom? ‘Yaubl Sacabi’ Who is the replacement, I asked? ‘Darwin Gross.’” (See: Confessions p. 239)

Darwin was also required, through Eckankar’s legal maneuverings, to “cease and desist” from any usage of the title “Living Eck Master” or any other legally protected Eckankar word. While Darwin complied with these legal mandates, he has never disavowed his alleged reinstallation as the Living Eck Master.  He has continued, much like Owens, with a different title but still known to his followers as the “real deal” de facto Living Eck Master, even though Harold retains the keys to the castle and legal rights to all associated titles. So, it would appear that we have three simultaneous pretenders to the throne of Living Eck Master all claiming authenticity from the same group of masters  even though the two putative de facto masters had to do a fancy bit of renaming and explaining. If this is not enough to pull back the curtain on yet another chapter of outright spiritual deception or, at the very least, self deception, then it might be helpful to understand how this phenomenon recurs.

How Religious Splinter Groups Develop

The publication of Confessions exposed the deceit, fabrication and lies rampant in the Religion of Eckankar. The resulting confusion and spiritual dislocation that many experienced opened the door to others who lure seekers into yet another entrapping master/chela co-dependency.

Disputes within the ranks of Eckankar have resulted in the creation of at least three other groups that have either built upon the lies that Paul Twitchell originated or have created their own mythologies building on Paul’s invention. They have exploited the vulnerabilities of those who are looking for spiritual guidance from someone to whom they can look for love, devotion and the assurance that they know the way to God Realization. Mythologies, fables and stories are always easier to sell to the true believer than a postulate that would place the responsibility for their spiritual unfoldment squarely on their shoulders. Why carry the burden alone (even if it means faster and more direct spiritual growth) when there is someone who claims to have the answers and a willingness to take on my burdens and supervise and sanction my spiritual growth (by giving initiations). Some of these spin-offs have exploited the weaknesses of those who seek the prestige of positions or the fool’s gold of initiations to bolster their spiritual self-esteem or to secure their social standing.

The most notable examples of this have been the spin-offs of J.R. Hinkins and his much maligned M.S.I.A. as well as the group calling itself A.T.O.M that was created by Darwin Gross following his much-publicized legal conflict with Harold Klemp and Eckankar. Both groups built on the fabrication and deceit inherent in the Eckankar teachings much as Michael Owens is now doing.  While an attractive palliative, it only traps the seeker in a deeper deception even as they also convey certain spiritual truths. The potential for the creation of such splinter groups is rife within Eckankar because its mythology supports and even encourages every male seeker to wonder, at some point, whether he is one of the thirty or more potential Living Eck Masters in training. This is the mythology that Eckankar spiritual leaders have told their followers. Little wonder then, that Harold Klemp frequently denigrates his own devotees with the label “mini-masters” to describe those who evidence, in their letters to him, that they have received some inner signal that they are now or are soon to be “the man.”

The Dilemma: A Ceiling on Spiritual Development

This is the inherent dilemma in teachings such as Eckankar. Many followers do progress spiritually. Indeed, many become quite proficient in “soul travel” and report startling, even spectacular experiences with various “masters” in the inner worlds. In some instances, a seeker may be told that he is to be the next spiritual leader of Eckankar or some other line of masters. This is what happened in the case of Harold Klemp, which he related in several of his books, that convinced him that he was to succeed Darwin Gross as the next Living Eck Master.

In the teachings of Eckankar, Paul created no place for an aspiring and spiritually evolved soul to ascend, except to the higher 7^th and 8^th initiations, which are reserved for older Eckists, regardless of their actual spiritual attainment. In short, initiations are devises of reward and control regardless of the false mysticism that surrounds them.

Thus, Eckankar does not allow others to become “masters” during the reign of a Living Eck Master. This ensures that the LEM will always be seen as spiritually superior and elevated regardless of the actual merits of that claim. The actions of and the insipid content of the messages of the last two “Eckankar Masters” (see Confessions Chapter 10) clearly reveals the speciousness of their claims. But not permitting anyone else to ascend to mastership within the doctrine and structure of Eckankar is also the reason that Harold, and consequently Eckankar, were so quick to discount Graham Forsyth’s journal as well as the proclaimed mastership of Michael Owens.  Harold was accustomed to receiving these representations from various “mini-masters” and apparently routinely dismissed them. This is revealed in Confessions where the responses from Harold Klemp to Graham and the other high initiates involved in sending the journal to him are presented. He considered these experiences the work of the negative force -- the Kal.  Harold was “King of the Hill” and would acknowledge no spiritual elevation i.e. initiations, other than those he tightly controlled and dispensed.

Communication With Beings In Other Dimensions

For those who have succeeded in slipping the bounds of the physical dimension and consciously traveling into the inner worlds, described in the sacred literature of many faiths, the experience is breath-taking. The traveler can visit inner plane cities and converse with denizens on the other side. This is not the same as psychic communication where the individual serves as a channel to communicate the words of the departed. Instead this is a full consciousness experience much like conversing with someone on the physical plane. Often, the wisdom and insight that one encounters is enlightening and enlarging. However, the seeker must never surrender his or her judgment and right discrimination. As in the physical plane, there are those in the inner worlds who know and those who do not know. Spiritual knowledge and wisdom is not the inevitable birthright of those who teach from the inner planes even though travelers from the physical plane are often inclined to think so.

There is as much variability in knowledge, wisdom and experience in those who teach and pontificate in or from the inner worlds as there is in the spiritual teachers in the physical world. Yet, most people consider anything coming from an entity whose residence is a “higher plane”, to be superior in truth, if not the direct word of God. However, any review of the content of channeled material, often from the same inner sources, demonstrates how superficial, conflicting and simplistic some of this material can be. Thus, seekers must always be alert and willing to challenge and question what they hear and experience, even as they learn and progress spiritually.

Just as there are beings that have the seekers interest at heart and are willing to teach what they know, incomplete though it inevitably is, there are also beings that indulge in creating confusion and chaos in the lives of seekers by playing on their egos.  They often create inner scenes and experiences that confirm or confer some special spiritual status consciously or subconsciously sought by the traveler. Those who succumb to these temptations often have developed exceptional abilities at inner travel or the capacity to channel the views of entities from other dimensions, regardless of the veracity or depth of wisdom they channel.  However, the vulnerabilities of some seekers can make them easy prey to inner “guides” who would use them as channels for their own purposes or to establish dependencies that are enhanced by reinforcing their feelings of spiritual pre-eminence. This is often the kind of experience that results in the individual proclaiming himself “God Made Flesh” or some equivalent title or position like a Mahanta, the God Man or a “Bentel” master. These encounters and the messages they communicate are personal to that individual.  They are used to teach and strengthen the spiritual self-confidence of the seeker or, as is sometimes the case, to mislead the seeker. Indeed, Graham Forsyth’s journal presented in Confessions, is replete with proclamations of his spiritual superiority and promises of his -- soon to be-- elevated spiritual status. But these were actually spiritual confidence boosters, self or other generated encouragements designed to help the individual overcome the disbelief that often accompanies the realization or the suggestion of spiritual light and power that each of us possess. For, in truth, every soul has this potential as God-soul. It often takes powerful inner encouragement, if not a touch of spiritual superciliousness, to help the seeker in his or her journey to recognize the awesome truth embodied in the paradigm, I AM, GOD IS, WE ARE ONE.

Therefore, an inner experience proclaiming the divinity of an individual is certainly true, as far as it goes.  But, the seeker makes a mistake when he or she assumes that this message pertains exclusively to them and is not true of others who are also divine sparks of God. This misunderstanding often results in individuals placing themselves on a spiritual pedestal vis-à-vis others and is the necessary prerequisite for the creation of a new master/chela co-dependency.

This is what almost happened in the case of Graham Forsyth, whose spiritual journal describing his inner travels is presented in Confessions. Various “Eck masters” he encountered on his inner journeys told him that he was to receive the “Rod of Eck Power”. Harold’s rejection of his journal prevented this from ever happening. Graham’s inner experiences proclaiming his elevation to the fourteenth initiation and his soon-to-be role as the next Living Eck Master were based in Eckankar mythology, which at the time he believed. He was later to learn that these experiences, particularly as they pertained to him, were for his benefit and did not represent transcendent truth applicable to everyone. These experiences were real ─to him─ but were nonetheless created by his higher self to teach him certain spiritual principles.  These lessons would eventually lead to his escape from the Eckankar mythology and, because of Klemp’s reaction to it, the eventual exposure of Eckankar itself. Thus, the higher self, sometimes working with other entities or their images, will present inner experiences consistent with the individual’s belief in a particular paradigm, to bolster the individual’s spiritual self-confidence and to prepare the way for the next step in the growth of spiritual consciousness.

It is to the dubious credit of Paul Twitchell that he created such a rich mythology.  For, in spite of the extensive revelations of deception and fabrication of the doctrine and dogma of Eckankar, including the created position of Mahanta, the Living Eck Master, the Variagi Masters and the entire bogus history, there are those who would still believe in and propagate these myths as truth.  This is based solely on their belief in inner experiences and the supposition that the “truth” that inner experiences purport to show takes precedence over the truth that is on the ground and in front of them. Surrendering common sense and the more gullible acceptance of virtually anything propounded from the “inner” is the first step to losing one’s true inner and outer guidance. Recognizing the role of each plane and trusting our inner truth meter is the only way to balance inner experience with outer reality, taking what we sense as truth from each as we move to higher consciousness.

Consequently, all inner experiences must be scrutinized and construed with an understanding of their ephemeral nature (whether dreams or awake) and how they cannot always be literally interpreted to apply to themselves or to others in the physical plane. Some would even rely on inner experiences to verify an outer fact even when it directly conflicts with the evidence that is right in front of their face. Such practices deny the role that physical reality is intended to play in the development of right discrimination –the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood.  Outer facts and truth must be respected and right discrimination fine-tuned on this plane in order for the seeker to have any chance of withstanding the imagery and the manipulation of perceived reality they will encounter in the inner worlds.

The Self-Proclaimed 974^th Living Eck Master

With this as background, we return to the more recent phenomenon of Michael Owens who proclaimed himself the new 974^th Living Eck Master. According to him, he received the “Rod of Eck Power” in the Valley of Timer, ousting Harold Klemp from this position and presumably taking control of Eckankar. Michael penned his own version of Book IV of the Shariyat Ki Sugmad replete with experiences with Eck masters, some formerly known and some new.

Michael Owens’ belief in his own experiences is not questioned any more than those of Graham Forsyth, James Davis, Wilson Esangbedo or any other inner traveler’s experiences are questioned. Because of the numerous inner experiences that I have had over the years, with those I believed to be Eck masters and others, I know first hand the importance and belief that the individual, as the spiritual traveler, places in his or her inner experiences. However, what many do not realize is the ability of the higher self to work with any thought form placed in the inner worlds. Thoughts and images are alive in the inner worlds just as they are the precursors of all outer manifestations in the physical world. Yet in the inner worlds, they take on their own life and express themselves as living conscious beings capable of unfoldment and expression. Fiction writers often speak of this as they create characters in their novels with whom they have conversations.  At times, authors even disagree with their characters, especially about what they would do or say in a certain situation. This is how the worlds and characters of Star Wars, Star Trek and The Lord of the Rings came into existence first in the inner worlds of their creators. After a point, the creative process ceases to be one of “inventing” and becomes one of “describing” the world, the experiences and the characters that spring from the thoughts, images and feelings that we originate.  

This is how personalities like Rebazar Tarzs and other “Eck masters” come alive and speak to believers. Once an image is established in the individual’s inner space, the seed is planted that takes on a life of its own. At the very least, the image becomes a useful channel through which spiritual lessons can be communicated. This is why followers are urged to keep the pictures of their master close at hand for it reinforces the potential for inner experiences with that image. This is also how many report experiences with Yoda and Obi-Won Kenobi in one of the fastest growing spiritual “paths” in Europe, Australia and even in America, the Jedi (see:  http://www.explorefaith.org/news/05_17_05.html).  It is also the mechanism that enables millions to have inner experiences and even outer encounters with Jesus and the Virgin Mary despite the fact that there is simply no historical or other record (other than the + 100 year versions of hearsay, pious fraud, and pseudepigraphy that were the basis for the new testament, now treated as the “gospel” truth (see Confessions p. 285). Thus, the experiences that many, including me, have had with Eck Masters are the experiences with imagined (thus real in the inner worlds) or real disembodied entities calling themselves  or allowing themselves  to be called Rebazar Tarzs,  Yaubl Sacabi or other names new to those having the inner experience.

So, do these “masters” actually inhabit the inner planes? Yes they do! Do they follow the same laws and have the same “reality” and objectivity that we experience and attribute to persons in the physical world? No they don’t. And this is where the problem arises. We are apt to attribute the same authenticity to inner experiences that we do to outer experiences even though we know from our own dream encounters that they are not to be given the same degree of trust or reliability as these outer experiences.  Yet, when we have experiences that we call waking dreams we are prone to apply the same reasoning and attribution that we apply in the physical. Indeed there are some that would rely entirely on the inner experiences and dismiss any contradictory physical level evidence or experience.

These dimensions are quite different. And, they are different for very good reason. In the physical world, we experience a slower movement from thought to manifestation. Along with this is a corresponding “paper trail” that all physical experiences inevitably generate.  They are designed to help us perfect right discrimination –to discern truth from non-truth. This in-turn is designed to prepare us for the less-certain, more immediate and less reliable experiences that await us in the inner dimensions. Gradually, we are led to see through the outer fascia of experiences to the more transcendent meaning that all experiences are designed to teach. Applying the rules of the physical world to the interpretation of inner experiences is like applying the laws that define the action solids to the behavior of gases.

But the history and mythology with which Twitchell surrounded the names of his Variagi Masters does them a great disservice. While they do come to possess an inner reality unique to each person that uses their images, there is no corresponding outer history to validate his tale of their physical existence. When this is known and appreciated for the truth that it represents the individual can still experience their inner reality but only as the created inner images that they are, like Yoda and Obi-Won Kenobi.  These are all useful devices that help move the seeker along in their spiritual unfoldment. But they are only devices, which the truth seeker realizes must some day be abandoned for the recognition of a higher truth.

This is also how those who have had encounters with spiritual beings prior to coming to Eckankar, or other paths, make an association which enhances their belief in its mythology and its masters. Upon seeing the artist renditions of Eckankar’s smaller band of organizationally acknowledged Eck masters, many followers proclaim that a particular picture depicts the very image that came to them years if not decades earlier. While no one doubts their encounter with beings during an earlier period of their lives, there is more than a reasonable doubt that the images they are presented in the Eckankar drawings are the ones they actually saw. Eyewitness studies virtually all confirm the fleeting and unreliable nature of recollections of events and people even after just witnessing an event or seeing a person moments before. When the imprecision of recalled events and persons is combined with the true believer’s desire to make a connection between an earlier transforming experience and a group of composite drawings representing masters ─who also look awfully much like the drawings of ascended masters of another popular path─ all of the conditions for a self-fulfilling association between the past and the present are extant. When enhanced by the mythology of Paul Twitchell, they come alive to the true believer and speak, teach and reflect the characteristics that Paul’s mythology attributed to them. But mythology and inner experiences cannot alter the “facts on the ground.” In the case of Rebazar Tarzs, for example, there was and is no physical evidence of his life on this plane in spite of the history over many centuries and up to and including the present, which Paul attributes to him.

Michael Owens’ experiences that led to his proclaiming himself the 974^th Living Eck Master are much like those of Forsyth and Davis in the detail with which these “masters” reinforce the Eckankar mythology. Indeed, Owens’ claim to mastership and spiritual pre-eminence reads much like Graham’s in his elevation to an exalted status as the superior spiritual being. Here is a quote from the Shariyat IV by Michael Owens (aka, Dan Rin)

“There are five primary Masters that teach within this line of unfoldment. The first and greatest, and the head of all others within this hierarchy of love and unfoldment, is Milarepa. He is the one that guides [of] all others within this universe’s planes, for he does possess the greatest wisdom of all that may be known, except for Dan Rin.”

This book appears to virtually ignore Michael’s predecessors --Twitchell, Gross and Klemp-- even as their existence is acknowledged by designating himself the 974 LEM. The structure of the inner worlds described in his book also does not reflect the Eckankar doctrine and dogma as laid out by Twitchell. It even speaks of a 37^th plane (which sounds awfully like the Hylozoic cosmology presented in Confessions that goes to 49 planes.) Owens’s book, which was published in 2004, reflects many other concepts expressed in Confessions that go way beyond Eckankar doctrine and mythology and suggest the integration of his own expanded awareness, voiced through the words of Eck Master(s). Rebazar Tarzs is also largely absent from this book as are some of the other masters whose origins were exposed as fabricated.

Doing Double Duty: A Helping Hand For Jesus

An interesting side note is Owens’s “channeling” of another book during this same period (2003 Copyright) in which, writing under the pseudonym of “The Scribe,” he purports to have channeled the words of Jesus and his Twelve Apostles. While a fascinating work, it is one of at least three channeled books purporting to contain the words of Jesus and/or some of his apostles; especially the channeled works that make up A Course in Miracles, and The Disappearance of the Universe.  When comparing these three works, there are rather apparent conflicts in facts and mode of expression, even as they all purport to come from the same channeled entities, Jesus and/or his disciples. These differences stand as stark physical evidence of the fact that inner experiences and even channeled material cannot be taken at face value and require scrutiny and right discrimination to determine both their provenance and their veracity.

We Can Tell When You’re Ready: Climbing the Ladder of Initiations

Despite the revelations in Confessions --that Michael claims to have read-- that initiations are a false and manipulative mechanism of spiritual control and a determinant of status within a spiritual organization, Michael’s novel approach is to recruit followers by reportedly promising higher initiation levels than Eckankar. Claiming to have received the 14^th initiation himself, the same level that Graham reported he had received, he has apparently been quite generous in granting his immediate lieutenants the 10^th initiation or better. So strong has been the fool’s gold of initiations that followers have fallen for this artifice and succumbed to its beguiling lure.  Michael writes:

“This we know as the power of initiation, which other Living Masters of other paths sometimes have. In The Way of Truth Eternal, Book IV  [his version of the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad Book IV] there is a paragraph which emphasizes that mastery can be achieved in a little over two years. It is not related to your length of time on the path in this lifetime, what you have done in service, how many discourses you have read, or what your outer initiation happens to be. I cannot tell you, exactly what the relative factors are. What I can tell you is that your initiations will depend on the sum of all that you are spiritually, it's that simple. As soon as we notice, in our inner vision, your readiness for the next initiation cycle, it will be provided. ….”[emphasis added]

Leaping Over Truth: The Techniques of Avoidance

Michael and his co-organizers, several former RESAs, have provided no answers to explain the pattern of pathological lying on which the doctrine of Eckankar ─and therefore the doctrine of his new path-- is based.  Confessions clearly shows --and Harold Klemp, in large measure, acknowledges in his books-- this pattern of lying and fabrication.  Rather than addressing the lies and fabrication on which the entire doctrine and dogma of Eckankar, and in turn his group, The Way of Truth, is based, Owens blithely ignores the fabrication and deception with the following statement:

“There are many ’facts’ assembled by Paul Twitchell that were, indeed, fabrications. We have no desire to justify them. David Lane and Ford Johnson have done an excellent job of uncovering a number of rather serious mistakes Paul made when he brought these teachings out. Plus, Paul had, as Ford ably points out, a considerable overinvestment in ego. He was given considerable latitude and he used it.

That notwithstanding, with the creation of this Universe, as it happens, there have been 973 Living Spiritual Masters. I am the 974th person to function in this role. But, there have been and are, many individuals operating with the Bentel [Mahanta] consciousness in this Universe and in the Universes of many other Sugmads at the 14th Initiate level.”

“It is not our job to prove our spiritual merit and warrant to you.”

Michael virtually acknowledges the facts presented in Confessions regarding Paul Twitchell and Eckankar presumably including:

·         Countless distortions and outright lies about Paul’s own personal history,

·         The invention of the Eck Masters and the fabrication of their names or the adoption of other masters from other paths who in fact had nothing to do with Eckankar,

·         Creation of a myth of 973  prior masters (in fact there have only been three, Twitchell, Gross and Klemp)

·         The assertion by Twitchell’s second wife Gail that he “made up the whole thing”

·         The appearance for the first time after 1965 of the names of many of Paul’s masters having substituted their names for the names of real live spiritual teachers under whom Twitchell studied or read about,

·         The invention of the title of Mahanta as a usurpation of the higher self, God-soul that is the true inner master working with each person,

·         The farce of the conflict between the two eck masters, Gross and Klemp, and now a third, each claiming that the other was an imposter but both holding to the lie that protected the fraud associated with the title of Mahanta, the Living Eck Master,

·         That Twitchell as a pathological liar and one of the most distinguished plagiarists of his or any generation,

·         The entrapping and often debilitating curses that plague that teaching making seekers fearful of leaving lest the wrath of God descend upon them,

·         The double talk included in the Shariyat taking both sides of virtually all spiritual issues adding to the deception of new comers and established Eckists alike.

·         The trickery of words that would equate eck, eckankar, mahanta and living eck master as meaning the same thing thus merging them all together perpetuating confusion and brainwashing that is self-effectuating,

·         Etc.

After acknowledging flaws in the mythology of Eckankar, Owens leaps over them in a single bound with the word “notwithstanding” and proceeds to treat as valid the entire bogus history of Eckankar by designating himself the 974^th Living Eck Master, adding yet another level of mythology to the already crowded shelves of Eckankar mendacity.

Michael’s book reads with the convincing tones of Graham’s journal and Davis’s Rosetta Stone of God, both of which provide temporary validation of the Mahanta and Variagi Masters. In the absence of reading Confessions, it is somewhat understandable how some former Eckankar stalwarts could be influenced with the offer of an elevation to the 10^th initiation or higher.  Seekers who are more concerned with status and position than with truth are apt to be swayed by such a enticing offer. But, unless these followers have also leaped over the “facts on the ground” that constitute the truth about Eckankar and its progeny, one must ask, have they; accepted yet another layer of myth?, succumbed to the attraction of position and status?, responded to a clever collage representing the best of Eckankar’s mythology and the higher truths revealed in Confessions?, or been misguided by a genuine, albeit, mistaken belief in yet another master?  Their reasons are their own, for certainly each person is free to choose his or her own spiritual course. But to ignore the facts is to foster self delusion and to perpetuate the Eckankar mythology of entrapment and dependence.

The Rise and Fall of the 974^th Living Eck Master

As stated earlier, Michael had originally proclaimed himself the 974^th Living Eck Master in the line of Variagi Masters. However, this elevation did not last very long. Michael soon received a letter from Eckankar’s attorneys to the effect that not withstanding his self-proclaimed elevation to the “exalted” position of Mahanta, the Living Eck Master, the franchise is owned by Eckankar and Harold Klemp. No one else is allowed to claim descent from this line of “Eck Masters.”  Recognizing that he could not take over the throne from Harold, Michael apparently abandoned his claim to be the Living Eck Master in the line of Variagi Masters and did a side step, presumable ignoring his anointment from Sugmad and the order of Variagi masters to reemerge, this time, as the “latest in the long line of ‘Bentels’, Living Spiritual Masters (not known by that name).” He writes:

As the Living Spiritual Master, the Bentel, my job is to help you with all that and to help you achieve a level of spiritual living that you may never have dreamed possible…

“And the way that will work is that my higher self, which the Detached Order chose to call the Bentel, has been given the power to acknowledge that you have removed impediments to your Godhood. In so doing, more spiritual power is granted to you. Essentially, you are relocated to a point closer to the Godhead.”

So, unable to openly and candidly claim decent from the original line of fabricated Vairagi masters, the current version of which was created by Twitchell and is owned by Eckankar, Michael has been forced to rename Eckankar’s line of masters while continuing to claim that he is the latest in its line. But, how could this obfuscation be truth when only months earlier he openly claimed to be the 974^th Living Eck Master? Seeing no disingenuity in such contrivances, he has attempted to sidestep Eckankar. Like Paul, Darwin and Harold, Michael has attempted his feat of magic in full view of the world, creating in the space of several months, a newly named band of masters along with a new name for himself. In this regard, he has certainly demonstrated adroitness with the truth that appears to be one of the hallmarks of the Eck Masters. He now cleverly calls them the “Detached Masters” instead of Vairagi masters ─which means detached─ while protesting that the name he is now using is not the name by which they are actually known.  Completing the magic, he now calls himself the “Bentel” instead of Mahanta. He perpetuates what is now the double myth ─if not the outright misrepresentation─ that he is the 974^th in this line of masters.

What is equally remarkable in the above quotation is that Michael recognizes the “higher self” (a term emphasized in Confessions and equated with God-soul) within him and the inner guidance that it provides as the true inner master. Yet, he would deny or try to substitute the direction of his higher self for the guidance and direction that only comes from God-soul, the true spiritual center of everyone. For, why else would he proclaim himself the agent for recognizing and bestowing initiations on others and claiming that his higher self will lead them to “a point closer to the Godhead.” As indicated, each person is possessed of an identical inner capability, i.e., a higher self, and requires no substitution or usurpation of this role in order to communicate with and ultimately realize his or her oneness with ALL THAT IS.  

Whether Eckankar will allow Michael and his followers to proceed with this rather blatant attempt to affect a silent take over of Eckankar’s position and standing, sullied though it is, remains to be seen. But for those caught up in the Eckankar paradigm of prevarication and deception, Michael adds yet another amazing, almost unbelievable chapter in the ongoing tale of what people will do when the whole truth doesn’t seem to matter.

Physical Reality Still Matters

It must be apparent that on the physical plane, inner claims of mastership do not hold up against trademark, copyright and other physical plane laws. It is difficult to translate self-serving inner experiences into the “stuff” that is respected and honored in the physical world. So, Eckankar owns the original invention, warts and all, and stands at the gate guarding it from pretenders to the Eckankar pinnacle, such as Michael. Self-generated inner experiences, proclaiming a new elevated spiritual status and title, without informing and receiving agreement from the incumbent of his ouster, simply will not work. The laws of the physical are controlling on the physical even though the outer manifested reality is shaped by and originates from the inner. On the physical, an outer fact trumps an inner conflicting reality, even though the inner vision may portend a future physical reality.

The Easy Way Out: Usurping the Higher Self

For those looking for a master or the mysticism of an Eckankar, Radhasoami or some other path heavily endowed with inner mythology, and not too bothered with veracity, there are many paths from which to choose.  For those who need close support and guidance and for whom truth is not nearly as important as having a “caring master”, “mahanta” or “bentel” who dubiously promises to take them to God Realization, any of these paths will work. But, as Baba Faquir Chand so eloquently pointed out, it is the belief of the seeker that enhances and makes this possible, not the illusory power of a “master.” We now know that it is the higher self, God-soul –who we really are─ that protects, provides for, teaches and guides us. However, because most seekers are not aware of their inner gifts, which are part of each person’s spiritual equipment, they are quick to give credit to anyone or anything that claims to be the giver of such blessings. If a God seeker cannot accept or use the gift that has already been given and chooses instead to follow a master who claims to be the way shower, then Michael Owens is as good as any other self-proclaimed and self-titled master with a bag of initiations to bestow.

The Way to Higher Consciousness and Out of the Wilderness of Illusion

The story or Hansel and Gretel is quite appropriate here. The trail of breadcrumbs is very delicate and easily lost, for it is the path of truth that alone can lead soul out of the wilderness of illusion and deception. When the seeker allows himself/herself to be distracted and misled by deception and fabrication, no matter how deeply the “way shower” believes in their own mythology, they are losing sight of the trail of truth that will lead them out of the forest.

The trail out of the wilderness leads to a glorious realization that each person is a divine spark of God and possesses all the powers, abilities and capabilities of every other soul. It does not have to be a journey through outer or inner initiations or even through inner planes –though we tend to learn in stages. More important than these props in the inner and outer life-school in which we spiritually evolve, is our discovery that the journey lies within.  We are already One with ALL THAT IS. We simply do not recognize that we are nor do we live from this realization.

When soul comes to realize this simple truth and, more importantly, enters into a period of love, discipline and truth, it is firmly on the path to realizing its full potential as God-soul. Teachers and guides that empower are needed, but those who require titles and historical fabrications to define their spiritual position must be avoided. In the end, their power lies in the control they exert over followers by convincing them that the titles and initiations they bestow demonstrate their actual level of spiritual attainment. While these trinkets may be appealing to the ego, dependence on outer confirmation of one’s spiritual progress is beyond illusion, it is deception, for only the individual can truly know or control their spiritual progress.  These spiritual ornaments may be attractive in the short run but they take the seeker away from the sublime truth that they are here to learn:  I AM, GOD IS, WE ARE ONE.

Adoration or worship of a master, though needed for a while by some, only delays this realization and represents yet another self-imposed entrapment from which the individual must be liberated ─masters do not easily surrender control─ before he or she is free to pursue his or her own path to the ONE. This path lies within, not through or by another being that is no different from them.

End