eckankar, when liars act spiritual

Chapter Five

THE COVER-UP

Who is Sudar Singh?

Paul Twitchell claims he had two teachers who taught him the path of Eckankar. Thefirst was Satguru Sudar Singh, who, according to Twitchell, made his residence inAllahabad, India, until the late 1930's or 1940's (Twitchell does not seem sure). [1] The second was Rebazar Tarzs, a Tibetan monk reputedly over five hundred yearsold. With the latter, there is no way to verify his existence because Twitchell alleges thatthe Tibetan monk can only be visited via "soul travel".

As stated earlier, Twitchell maintains that he first met Sudar Singh in Paris, France,when he was in his teens. Later, he states that he and his sister went to Sudar Singh'sashram in Allahabad and lived with the guru for over a year. Although Twitchell readilyrecounts his experiences with the Indian adept, he curiously gives no dates, except onefound in Eckankar: The Key To Secret Worlds, concerning his visit. [2]

[1] In the book In My Soul I Am Free, Twitchell claims that Sudar Singh was one-hundred and five years old when he died. While in another work, he alleges that the gurudied in his late nineties. Curiously, in the book Eckankar: The Key to Secret Worlds,Twitchell writes that Sudar Singh was a very young man when he met Rebazar Tarzs inAgra, India, in 1885. If we accept Twitchell's claim that Sudar Singh died at one-hundredand five years old in either the late 1930's or 1940's, it makes the Allahabad guru overforty years old in 1885. The implications are obvious: Does Twitchell consider "fortyyears old" (or more) to be a very young man? Further suspicion about the actualexistence of "Sudar Singh" arises when we learn that Twitchell's account of his masteris based upon the life story of Baba Jaimal Singh, the founder of the Radha SoamiSatsang at Beas (refer to the appendix on plagiarism). Although it is only conjecture, itwould appear that Twitchell coined the name "Sudar" from the longer name"Sudarshan" , who was a nephew of Shiv Dayal Singh, the originator of the Radhasoamipath. This same "Sudarshan Singh" also resided for a time in Allahabad, India. Insummation, Twitchell has used the name "Sudar Singh" (which he most likely lifted fromJulian P. Johnson's book, With A Great Master in India, since it contains a section onSudarshan Singh) as a cover name for several different teachers, but most notably forKirpal Singh.

[2] Writes Twitchell,

". . . I found this to be true of Sudar Singh, the strange mystic of Allahabad,in the summer of 1938, when I visited him with my step-sister."

firms that he was the source for his fictitious "1922" birth date.[An interesting sidebar here, connected to our previous footnote: Sudarshan Singh, the nephew of ShivDayal Singh, died in 1936 at Soamibagh, just outside of Agra city.]

According to Steiger's account (which also gives no dates), it would be in the late

1930's, early 1940's, when Twitchell visited India. Yet, according to Twitchell's actualbirth date (1908-1912), it would have to be the late 1920's when he visited India. In bothcases, however, there is no proof, documentary or otherwise, to support Twitchell's self-claimed travels to India. The doubtful nature of Twitchell's travels gains further supportwhen we learn that the first mention of his guru Sudar Singh is not until the January 1964issue of Orion Magazine. Before that time, Twitchell makes no reference to the elusiveIndian master. [3]

As Twitchell's travels to India at a young age are extremely doubtful, his account ofSudar Singh (whom he claims to have met at the same time) also becomes highlyquestionable. There is no indication in Twitchell's actual life (versus his created one) orwritten works that Sudar Singh is a real person. The true identity of Sudar Singh isintimately tied with Twitchell's efforts to cover-up his past associations with certainteachers. This cover-up was started by Twitchell in January 1964, and continues todayunder the present Living Eck Master, Harold Klemp.

Today, in Eckankar's extensive literature, there is no mention whatsoever of SwamiPremananda or Kirpal Singh. Most Eckists have never even heard of either of these twogurus. The reason why is because from 1964 to 1971, in a slow but finally acceleratedprocess, Twitchell had both names, which appeared throughout his original writings, TheTiger's Fang, The Flute of God, and other assorted articles, edited out. He replaced thenames of his actual teachers, Swami Premananda and Kirpal Singh, with the names"Sudar Singh" and "Rebazar Tarzs." And, although Twitchell spent a total of eight yearsstudying under Kirpal Singh, he denied in 1971 that he was ever initiated by him.

The cover-up was commenced by Twitchell after the "Tiger's Fang incident" in 1963.It was in his preparation for founding Eckankar which led Twitchell to create a whole newmythology--a mythology which included a new biography for himself. Twitchell'sbiography included new teachers, new travels, and new insights. Yet, Twitchell could notdestroy all of his previous articles, associations, or his family heritage. These remnantswere too vast and too scattered to eradicate. It is from these records that we find the"old" Paul Twitchell.

[3] In none of Twitchell's writings before 1964 is there any mention of Sudar Singh.However, Twitchell does refer to Kirpal Singh, Swami Premananda, and L. RonHubbard before this date.

Cover-Up: First Phase

Twitchell's first reference to Satguru Sudar Singh was not meant as an introductionfor his readers (or his followers) to his actual, but hidden, past; rather, it was meant ashis first preface to his new biography--a biography which rapidly changed with thegrowth of Eckankar. Although Twitchell's real life narrative included a bevy of differentgurus, teachers, and movements, it did not include "Sudar Singh" or "Rebazar Tarzs."Both gurus served only as mythological characterizations of Twitchell's genuine andimagined biography. Their existence was factual to some extent as "cover-names" forreal gurus. They were so named perhaps because of Twitchell's vivid occultimagination, abetted by his knowledge of Theosophical literature on the "Great WhiteMasters."

Twitchell's first cover-up or editing appears in the January 1964 issue of OrionMagazine, where he introduces Sudar Singh for the first time. It reads:

"I began my study of bilocation under the tutelage of Satguru SudarSingh, in Allahabad, India. Later, I switched to Sri Kirpal Singh of OldDelhi. Both were teaching the Shabda Yoga, that which is called the Yogaof the Sound Current. I had to learn to leave my body at will and return,without effort. Also among my writings are numerous discourses frommany master [sic], in the flesh and those on the inner planes. I have talkedwith and taken down the words of Kirpal Singh who appeared in myapartment in his Nari Raup, his light body, although his physical body wassix thousand miles away in India."

In the entire article, there is no reference whatsoever to Rebazar Tarzs. Yet, in 1966,when Twitchell republished the article almost verbatim in the booklet, Introduction toEckankar, he changed the words bilocation and shabda yoga to "Eckankar"; and thetwo times he mentions Kirpal Singh, he changes to "Rebazar Tarzs" and "Sudar Singh"respectively. The original article, although edited later and more thoroughly, was itself aproduct of editing, for the name "Sudar Singh" is actually a cover name for SwamiPremananda, who was Twitchell's first yoga teacher. [4][4] Refer to the appendix on Cover-up for a detailed study of Twitchell's editing.]

Of the several articles reprinted in Introduction to Eckankar, most have undergonename replacements. A total of at least eight names have been edited out and replacedwith a hierarchy of Eck masters. The list of names edited out includes Sawan Singh,Kirpal Singh, and Swami Premananda. Each guru has either been replaced by "SudarSingh" or "Rebazar Tarzs," while the main text remains untouched. Although Twitchellattempted to do a scrupulous job of redacting, he made one slight error in the index toIntroduction to Eckankar. The editor lists the name "Sawan Singh" as occurring on pagefive of the text; yet, on page five, it reads "Sudar Singh." The first four editions of thebooklet carried the error; the fifth edition finally corrected it. The original article fromwhich the mistake was made was published in the September 1965 issue of SearchMagazine. It reads in part:

"From Kabir's day those who have helped spread the doctrine ofbilocation were mainly, the leader of the Sikh order, especially NankaGuru [sic], the founder. Others have been the Sufi saints, e.g., Hafiz, Jalaldin Rumi, Shamus Tabriz, and Sawan Singh, Kirpal Singh, St. Anthony ofPadua, and the contemporary clergyman, Padre Pie [sic], to name a few."

The reprinted, "Can You Be in Two Places At The Same Time," in the bookletIntroduction to Eckankar, reads:

"From Kabir's day, those who have helped spread the doctrine of SoulTravel were mainly the leaders of the Sikh order, especially Nanka Guru[sic], the founder. Others have been the Sufi saints, e.g., Hafiz, Jalal din'lRumi, Shamus Tabriz, Sudar Singh, St. Anthony of Padua, and thecontemporary clergyman, Padre Pio, to name a few." [5]

[5] Paul Twitchell, Introduction to Eckankar (Las Vegas: Illuminated Way Press, 1966),pages 2-6.]

In the original article, Twitchell had mentioned Kirpal Singh three times; in the revisededition his name has been changed to read "Sudar Singh." The original reads:

"Kirpal Singh who is still at his own ashram in India, has the ability toappear to his own people, in his Nuri Sarup body, no matter where theymay be. A skill which almost anybody can learn who gets the knack ofbilocation. Among my numerous discourses from many gurus in the fleshand those on the inner planes, are those taken down when Kirpal Singhappeared in my apartment in Washington, D.C., in his light body, althoughhis flesh self was six-thousand miles away in India."

The revised article, with name replacements, reads:

"Sudar Singh, who lived in his ashram in India, had the ability to appearto his own people in his Atma Sarup body, no matter where they might be.A skill almost anyone can learn who gets the knack of Soul Travel. . .Among my numerous discourses from many gurus in the flesh and thoseon the inner planes, are taken down when Sudar Singh appeared in myapartment in New York City, in his light body, although his flesh self wassix thousand miles away in India."

Not only had Twitchell changed the name Kirpal Singh to "Sudar Singh," he alsoaltered certain factors in his past to fit in with his "new" biography. Writes WoodrowNichols:

"This holy cover-up was nothing new in the previous experience of PaulTwitchell. If we go back to Singh's accusation that there were some facts(descriptions) in The Tiger's Fang that were inaccurate, it should becomeapparent that Twitchell had a long history of rewriting history." [6][6] Woodrow Nichols and Mark Albrecht, "Eckankar: The Ancient Science of Deception,"op. cit.

The Flute of God: A Case Study of Re-Editing

Twitchell's enormous editing of names reached a pinnacle when he decided topublish in book form The Flute of God. The work was originally printed in installmentsin Orion Magazine, from 1965 to 1967. The first six chapters of the text profuselymention the names of Kirpal Singh, Sawan Singh, and Jesus Christ. When Twitchell hadthe book republished, however, he redacted every single mention of Kirpal Singh,Sawan Singh, and Swami Premananda. In some cases, he even edited out the nameJesus and replaced it with "Gopal Das" or other Eckankar Masters. And, although hequotes from the Christian Bible, he even changes the name of his source (to that of theShariyat-Ki-Sugmad) while retaining the same biblical quote. Below is a comparisonstudy of the two versions. Remember that the Orion version is the earliest, and thatTwitchell's editing is primarily "name replacements."

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as it appeared in installments in Orion Magazine.Chapter I - "In The Beginning" (March-April, 1966):

Par. 3: "I remember very well when Swami Premananda, of India, who hasa Yoga church in Washington, D. C., said, 'When someone askedBertrand Russell what his philosophy of Life was, he wrote severalvolumes of books on the subject."

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as published by Illuminated Way Press (1970).Chapter I - "In The Beginning":

Par. 3: "I remember very well when Sudar Singh, the great Eck Mastersaid, 'When someone asked Bertrand Russell what his philosophy of Lifewas, he wrote several volumes of books on the subject."


Par. 15: "I have studied under many teacher [sic], and may yet have tostudy under more. Like Meher Baba, the Indian saint, who was said tohave nineteen teachers to help him gain his place in the universe, I haveso far had seven, some outstanding ones, including Sri Kirpal Singh, ofDelhi, India."


Par. 16: "I have studied under many ECK Masters only they have led meto the highest truth. Like Fubbi Quantz, the ECK saint, who was said tohave nineteen teachers to help him gain his place in the universe, I havealso had several, each outstanding, one being Sudar Singh of India."


Par. 16: "Each has had a place in my growth toward the spiritual goal;each are equally great in their work for mankind. However, I have felt acloser kinship and friendliness to Kirpal Singh, who has shown me a lot ofthe other work during my first year or so under him. Since we have partedhe keeps an impartial view toward me and my research. Therefore, if Iquote him in these pages it is because I feel that he is sympathetic andinterested in my work."


Par. 17: "Each has had a place in my growth toward the spiritual goal;each is equally great in his work for mankind. However, I have felt a closer

kinship and friendliness to Sudar Singh, who showed me a lot of the otherwork, during my first year or so under him. Since we have parted he hasretained an impartial view toward me and my research. If I quote him inthese pages it is because I feel that he is sympathetic and interested inmy work and led me to Rebazar Tarzs."


Par. 32: "Life fascinates me. Certain details of life to be worked out arestrange. Lying on the bed late at night I watch the pattern of shadowsweaving about the room. In the presence of familiar night visitors likeKirpal Singh, or Rebazar Tarzs, a Tibetan Lama, who come often in theirNuri-Sarup, or others, some strangers, some friends, I wonder about life."


Par. 34: "Life fascinates me. Certain details of life that have to be workedout are strange. Lying on the bed late at night I watch the pattern ofshadows weaving about the room. In the presence of familiar night visitorslike Sudar Singh, or Rebazar Tarzs, the ECK Masters who come often intheir Nuri-Sarup bodies, or others, some strangers, some friends, I wonderabout life."

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as it appeared in installments in Orion Magazine.Chapter II - "The Symbol of The Princes":

Par. 12: "Therefore, the principal (sic) involved here is: `We live and haveour being in the Supreme Being.' Jesus said it in another way as `we moveand have our being in God.' Other savants e.g., Jalalddin Maulana Rumiput it another way, `Divine Grace is not limited by the conditions of ability,but ability, in fact, is conditioned by Divine Grace.'"

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as published by Illuminated Way Press (1970).Chapter II - "The Symbol of The Princes":

Par. 11: "Therefore, the principle involved here is,`We live and have ourbeing in the Supreme Being.' Lai Tsi, the Chinese ECK Master, said it thisway, `We live and move and have our being in the SUGMAD.' Othersavants state it in a slightly different vein. For instance, JalaluddinMaulana Rumi said, `Divine Grace is not limited by the conditions ofability - -but ability, in fact, is conditioned by Divine Grace.'"

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as it appeared in installments in Orion Magazine.Chapter II - "The Symbol of The Princes":

Par. 48: "This is what Kirpal Singh speaks of in his discourses. `We must

become the conscious co-worker of God.' Meaning, of course, that onceman is freed of his imbalances he inherits the throne and does his work forthe whole."

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as published by Illuminated Way Press (1970).Chapter II - "The Symbol of the Princes":

Par. 45: "This is what Sudar Singh spoke of in his dialogues. `We mustbecome the conscious co-workers of God.'"

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as it appeared in installments in Orion Magazine.Chapter III - "Purification of the Princes" (Sept.-Oct. 1966):

Par. 37: "All masters of earlier days, to name a few: Buddha, Gura Nanak(sic), Christ, Mohammed, Zoroaster, Lao Tse, George Fox, Sawan Singh,Confucius, Krishna and Shankhacharya exhorted us to know ourselves.Kabir says the same thing `Learn to die a hundred times daily, not once.'"

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as published by Illuminated Way Press (1970).Chapter III - "Purification of the Princes":

Par. 37: "All ECK Masters of earlier days exhorted us to know ourselves. ..Gopal Das says the same thing, `Learn to die a hundred times daily, notonce.'"

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as it appeared in installments in Orion Magazine.Chapter III - "Purification of the Princes" (Sept.-Oct. 1966):

Par. 38: "Christ said, 'Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.'Guru Nanak said, 'Be pure that truth may be realized.'"

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as published by Illuminated Way Press (1970).Chapter III - "Purification of the Princes":

Par. 38: "Jesus said, 'Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.'Rebazar Tarzs said, 'Be pure so that truth may be known.'"

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as it appeared in installment in Orion Magazine. Ch.I, Par. 41:

"When Jesus looked upon His people and said, `I cannot tell you morebecause you cannot hear the whole truth.' He was saying that they were sofar down the spiral of life they could not grasp His meaning. To tell themall would bring disorder into their lives, for once exposed to Truth, thosenot understanding develop hostility."

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as published by Illuminated Way Press (1970). Ch. I,Par. 42:

"When the ECK Master, Gopal Das, looked upon his people and said, `Icannot tell you more because you cannot hear the whole ECK,' he wassaying that they were so far down the spiral of life they could not grasp hismeaning. To tell them would bring disorder into their lives, for onceexposed to Truth, those not understanding develop hostility."

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as it appeared in installments in Orion Magazine.Ch. I, Par. 44:

"One of my experiences while serving under the Yoga Satsang line ofmasters, was that I found one of the masters in the guise of a beggar. I hadbeen in difficulty for sometime, and very unhappy over the fact thatnothing could be found to solve my problem."

The Flute Of God by Paul Twitchell as published by Illuminated Way Press (1970). Ch. I,Par. 45:

"One of my experiences, while serving under Rebazar Tarzs, was that Ifound one of the ECK Masters in the guise of a beggar. I had been indifficulty for some time, and was very unhappy over the fact that nothingcould be found to solve my problem."

Postscript: The Last Letter

"I have never recognized you as a master, or that you give initiations, andthat your work is not in the best interest of spirituality. Your teachings areorthodox, and as a preacher you are not capable of assisting anyonespiritually."--Paul Twitchell, 1971(Personal letter to Kirpal Singh of Delhi, India) [7]

"My Saints are Kabir. . . Rumi, Hafiz, Shamusi-Tabriz ...and Kirpal Singhof India." --Paul Twitchell, 1964 [8]

"Master Kirpal Singh spoke briefly of these masters when he took methrough the several invisible worlds in 1957." --Paul Twitchell, 1964 [9]

"Kirpal Singh who is still living in his own ashram in India, has the ability toappear to his own people, in his Nuri Sarup body, no matter where theymight be." --Paul Twitchell, 1965 [10]

"I have studied under many teacher [sic]. I have so far had seven, someoutstanding ones, including Sri Kirpal Singh, of Delhi, India." --PaulTwitchell, 1966 [11]

As Paul Twitchell edited out the name Kirpal Singh in every rewrite he undertook, his

cover-up grew by the late 1960's to such proportions that he even denied he was onceinitiated by Kirpal Singh. To many who knew him earlier, Twitchell had gone too far.Several, if not many, disciples of Kirpal Singh had attended satsangs with him; somehad even been present at his initiation ceremony in 1955. Yet, Twitchell persisted: hecontinued to deny that he had any spiritual link with Kirpal Singh. He even went so far asto openly refute on tape that Kirpal Singh was the successor to Sawan Singh ofRadhasoami Satsang Beas (who died in 1948), though it contradicted what he hadstated previously in 1965. Claimed Twitchell:

"Guru Nanak became the founder of the Sikh order. Sawan Singh was thelast of the Swami group of Masters. . . and Kirpal Singh claimed tobecome a follower in the same line of masters, and also Charan Singhwho was a nephew [sic: Charan Singh is a grandson] of Sawan Singh, butneither one are masters because the mastership of this line stopped atSawan Singh." [12]

[7] Dorothe Ross, "All That Glistens is Not Gold," Leadership in Eck (July-August-September, 1976).[8] Paul Twitchell, "The Cliff Hanger," Psychic Observer, op. cit.[9] Paul Twitchell, "The God Eaters," Psychic Observer, op cit.[10] Paul Twitchell, "Can You Be In Two Places At The Same Time," Search (September1965), page 22.[11] Paul Twitchell, "The Flute of God," Orion Magazine (March-April 1966), page 32.[12] Bernadine Burlin, personal letter to the author, dated April 5, 1977.

Yet only five years previously, Twitchell wrote:

"These few who are following the ancient science do so loosely. However,Kirpal Singh, a living Guru, teaches the art (as) closely to the ancientteachings (as) possible, at his ashram in Old Delhi, India."

"The art of exteriorization was revived by Kabir, the Hindu mystic-poet inthe sixteenth century and passed through a succession of savants, bysecret initiation until Sawan Singh openly started giving initiation toanyone who came to his ashram. When he passed his spiritual mantle toKirpal Singh, the instructions were to carry out this policy." [13]

The inherent contradictions in Twitchell's denial of his association with Kirpal Singhwere too blatant for some Ruhani Satsang initiates to ignore. Several knowledgeabledisciples began to give out the actual details of Twitchell's involvement with KirpalSingh. Even the Ruhani Satsang Master himself commented on Twitchell's unusualactions:

"Yes, Yes. Too much propaganda. I tell you one American was initiated byme--I've got the initiation report in his own handwriting. That is what such-like people will do. They had some little thing, got stuck fast there. Nowhe's carrying on propaganda. He says he was never initiated by me. Hewas initiated in 1955. Some people get stuck fast on the way. This littleego is very difficult to get rid of unless there's some kind of protection. This

is a living example. He has written other books. I need not mention hisname. " [14]

[13] Paul Twitchell, "Ancient Science of Eckankar," publisher unknown (May 1965).[14] Kirpal Singh, Heart To Heart Talks, Volume One, page 53.

It is unclear howTwitchell finally heard of Kirpal Singh's comments about him.Nevertheless, by whichever means he heard (through tape, letter, or word of mouth), thefact remains that Twitchell was highly displeased. The reason why is obvious: if word gotout that Paul had indeed been initiated by Kirpal Singh but was denying it, it would implythat the founder of Eckankar was lying; and a master who would lie (or deceive or cover-up) is to many spiritual seekers no master at all. Thus, in a strange but predictablemaneuver, Twitchell sent a letter bombasting Kirpal Singh, denying that he was initiatedby him, and threatening--totally without legal basis--a lawsuit if Kirpal Singh pressed thematter any further.

Around the time that Kirpal Singh received the portending letter from the founder ofEckankar, Paul Twitchell died unexpectedly from a heart attack. [15] It was a curious turnof events, for Twitchell departed only months after claiming that he would live at leastanother five years--if not fifteen.

[15] A copy of the letter that Paul Twitchell sent to Kirpal Singh shortly before his death isstill in the possession of Gail Atk inson. According to several Ruhani Satsang initiates whowere present in India when Twitchell's letter was received at Sawan Ashram, Kirpal Singhmade the following comment: "We are all born with a large noose around our neck. Hehasn't much rope left." Shortly thereafter Twitchell died.Cover-Up: Second Phase

"Sri Darwin Gross, the Living Eck Master of Eckankar has stated that heknows for a fact that Paul Twitchell only had two Eck Masters during hisearthly stay here; the Tibetan Rebazar Tarzs and Sudar Singh, and noone else. They were the only Masters to initiate Paul Twitchell."--Bernadine Burlin, Personal Secretary to Darwin Gross [16]

"I have personally seen the name "Kirpal Singh" crossed out in themanuscript form of Letters to Gail. The name "Sudar Singh" was writtenabove it. I believe that Gail did the editing."--Former Editor of the ECK World News [17]

[16] Bernadine Burlin, op. cit.[17] David Stewart, personal telephone interview with the author in 1977. I should add thatDavid Stewart was under severe pressure not to talk with me or see me. I remember vividlywhen Brother Joseph Connell, President of Moreau High School, and myself went toEckankar's international headquarters for a friendly chat with David Stewart. Mr. Stewartwas very shaken and fearful when we met him at the headquarters; apparently he wasfrightened of losing his job and being the subject of harassment. I never saw DavidStewart again. Weeks after talk ing with me, David Stewart "resigned" from his positionand went back to Texas.

After Twitchell's demise, the cover-up concerning his involvement with Kirpal Singhcontinued unchecked. The posthumous publication of Twitchell's manuscripts were allthoroughly scanned. No work published after his death mentioned the name Kirpal

Singh, even though the original manuscript, Letters to Gail, Volumes One and Two (acollection of letters written by Twitchell to his wife before their marriage in 1964),contained several references to the Ruhani Satsang master. For example, an excerptfrom the original letter of May 30, 1963, reads: "Kirpal Singh used the readings from theSikh Bible and a few from the Indian scriptures in his nightly meetings. . ." Yet, therevised letter replaces the name Kirpal Singh with "Sudar Singh" while leaving the maincontent of the letter intact. [18] It appears almost certain that the original Letters to Gailmakes no reference to "Sudar Singh" whatsoever. Oddly, though, the present (revised)letters contain numerable references to him. It can be assumed that whenever the name"Sudar Singh" appears in Letters to Gail it is a cover name for Kirpal Singh, whosename appears in the original. [19]

In the 1970's, the International Headquarters of Eckankar vehemently denied thattheir founder was ever initiated by the late Kirpal Singh, or that Twitchell considered theRuhani Satsang adept a Master. In pursuance of Eckankar's official stand on this issue,I sent a letter of inquiry to their headquarters in Menlo Park. Below are excerpts of what Ireceived:

"Kirpal Singh and the Radha Swoami [sic] tried to "claim" Paul Twitchelland use him for their own purposes, as have other groups from the Eastand West. Paul mentioned this several times and at one point wrote aletter to Kirpal Singh and his associates stating that he, Paul, would takeSingh and his associates to court if necessary. Due to the threats andharassment and material Kirpal Singh and Mr. Khanna tried to useagainst Paul Twitchell by faking Paul's signature on many papers. Paulwrote that letter that his widow, Gail Twitchell, gave me permission to read.. . " [20]

[18] Refer to the appendices for more on this controversy of "name replacements."[19] I owe this information to David Stewart, who served as both Editor of the Eck WorldNews and consulting Editor for Illuminated Way Press. He personally worked on theediting of Letters to Gail, enabling him to see the original, untampered manuscript.[20] Bernadine Burlin, op. cit.

It is obvious from the above extract that Eckankar strongly denies their founder'sinvolvement with Ruhani Satsang. Their position, however, on Kirpal Singh's allegedforging of Twitchell's signature on "many papers" is without any documentary basis.Neither has Darwin Gross or Gail Atkinson (also initiated by Kirpal Singh) adequatelyexplained why if Twitchell was never a follower of Kirpal Singh did he state both inarticles and in letters that he was? A paradigm for the whole matter comes from one ofEckankar's first "proto-advertisements." In 1965, a few months prior to Eckankar'sofficial inception, Twitchell distributed his "Bilocation Sheet." It reads:

PAUL TWITCHELL PRESENTS:

New Concepts on the Ancient Teachings of BilocationPaul Twitchell, author, traveler, and lecturer gives a newpresentation of the ancient art of bilocation, out-of-body

experiences, in a series of public lectures. . .

He has studied under Swami Premananda, Self RealizationOrder, Washington, and Kirpal Singh to name a few. [21]

The full impact of Ruhani Satsang and its parent Radha Soami Satsang Beas on theteachings of Eckankar are not fully appreciated until one understands the connectionbetween the writings of Julian P. Johnson and Paul Twitchell's. Without a thoroughunderstanding of Twitchell's sources, Eckankar's origins will remain a mystery. The oneperson who had undoubtedly the greatest effect on Twitchell's own spiritual life wasKirpal Singh of India. But the one person who had the most pivotal influence onTwitchell's writings was a Kentuckian--Julian P. Johnson.

[21] I must thank Edward Pecen for this startling finding; he has been a key source for a number of rareand important documents.

eckankar, when liars act spiritual

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