Spiritual Teachers

And How to Tap into Your Inner Guidance

By Heather Davari

I’ve always been a spiritual seeker. From childhood, I longed to know truth—not through tradition or belief alone, but through direct personal experience. I visited churches and temples, explored different philosophies, and followed an inner call that never quieted. I didn’t want borrowed truth. I needed to know truth for myself.

In my late twenties, I made a cross-country move to the West Coast alone, certain that hard work and a positive mindset would lead to success, as it had in the past. But my “luck” quickly ran out. Stable, meaningful work was elusive, I ran out of money and took whatever jobs I could get just to get by. Relationships didn’t pan out—and the list went on. This “settling in” period lasted 10 years! And as friends moved on—starting families, buying homes—I felt stuck, ashamed, and deeply alone.

Hardships Ignite a Quest for Truth

As a result, my search for truth intensified. I was desperate to understand the reason behind my difficulties. I explored Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism for Soul guidance—each rich in wisdom, yet not quite answering the longing in my heart. That led me to a local class on meditation and healing. On the first day, we were asked to connect inwardly with our spiritual healing guide and draw their image. I sketched an older Chinese man in red robes, with a red hat and a long white beard. I worked with him inwardly for the duration of the class, then tucked the drawing away.

A year later, a friend invited me to a local ECKANKAR center for a Light and Sound service. I had no idea what ECKANKAR was, but I was open. The moment I walked in I felt comfortable. On video, Sri Harold Klemp, the spiritual leader of ECKANKAR, spoke about a practical tool called a “Spiritual Exercise.” I was intrigued. My mind had doubts, but my heart knew I was home. I enrolled that day to study ECKANKAR’s Spiritual Living Courses.

Meeting a Spiritual Master in a Dream

One of the first spiritual exercises I learned was singing the sacred sound HU—a universal mantra of divine love that can uplift anyone spiritually. From the moment I began singing this sound, my inner life ignited. Dreams became vivid and full of light.

One night, I dreamed I was struggling to play an ancient stringed instrument inside a small round hut filled with golden light. I sounded terrible! Then I noticed an elderly Chinese man beside me. Lovingly, he said, “Keep practicing!” Then I struck the most beautiful chord, and the sound reverberated all around. I woke up overwhelmed with love and knew I wanted to “keep practicing” the HU.

Later, I visited a local ECK Center where portraits of ECK Masters hung on the wall. I couldn’t believe my eyes—among the portraits was the Chinese man from my dream—the very same healing master from my drawing! I learned his name: Lai Tsi.

I now knew the truth: My struggles had not been in vain. I was gaining the spiritual strength to accept more divine love in my life. Finally, a light on the horizon!

Deep Insights About My True Identity

Looking back, I realize I was never alone. Even in my darkest, most confusing moments, help was already present—quietly guiding me through the experiences I needed to grow. The teachings of ECK gave me the tools to have a daily, working relationship with Divine Spirit. I also learned this life-changing truth: I am Soul. As Soul, I am eternal, loved, and unlimited. And my worth isn’t tied to success or failure.

The ECK Masters are more than legends. They’re real spiritual guides who serve as Coworkers with God. Their love and support have transformed my life—not by removing hardship, but by giving me the strength and confidence that everything is in its rightful place.

A Life of Love and Purpose

Fourteen years later, my outer life reflects this inner transformation. I’m married, a mother, and I love the work I do. Life continues to present its challenges—but I have spiritual tools that work. I have guidance I trust. And I have a deep knowing that I am never truly alone.

If you’re searching for something more—if you’ve ever wondered whether there’s a higher purpose behind your life experiences—I encourage you to try one of the exercises below. The path of Soul is real. And the love waiting for you is beyond anything words can express.

By Joan Klemp

The spiritual travelers are agents of God, vehicles for Divine Spirit. These ECK Masters will not interfere in the sacred state of consciousness of another being without his permission. They all work in harmony with the Living ECK Master of the time to assist those Souls who are ready to awaken to their true nature and destiny.

Sri Harold Klemp is the present Living ECK Master. As a friend and guide, his spiritual purpose is to link Soul to the Light and Sound of God. The other ECK Masters assist. Those great spiritual beings include Paul Twitchell, the modern-day founder of Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ, as well as Rebazar Tarzs, Gopal Das, and Lai Tsi.

The sincere spiritual seeker, who in his heart asks for truth and direction, may meet a spiritual traveler years before he ever comes across the ECK teachings. One woman had such an experience with Harold Klemp six years before she came to know him as the Living ECK Master.

In August 1975 it was necessary for her to have oral surgery with a general anesthetic. She remembers being with “a man with glasses, slim, slightly built.” He talked with her and gave her a tremendous feeling of being loved and cared for. He told her he had to leave for a time and gave her his name. She could see some sort of timepiece as he disappeared.

“When I woke up,” she said, “I remembered his name, but later all I could remember was that it ended with a ‘ji’.” She was in tears at the loss. Later, in talking with friends, she was told people hallucinate during or after anesthesia. Yet she knew she wasn’t hallucinating!

Sometime after the fall of 1981 she joined Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ and met the Living ECK Master, Sri Harold Klemp. Remembering her earlier experience, she exclaimed, “When I saw your name, Harji [a respectful name of affection for Sri Harold Klemp], and looked into your eyes, I knew it was you. Thank you for the love then.”

Another young woman had an experience with her father and Gopal Das, years before she ever heard of Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ or the ECK Masters. When she was sixteen her father translated (died). For a time afterward he would come to visit her. On his last visit he came with someone else. At the time she thought the man was an angel. Ten years later, when she first started reading about ECK, she saw a picture of Gopal Das and realized this ECK Master was the man she had seen with her father when she was sixteen.

A young teenager went to bed feeling ill one day and asked the Spiritual Traveler Harold Klemp, the Living ECK Master, for help. He felt himself being wrapped in a wonderful cloak of protection. This gave him a feeling of happiness and joy. Then he saw Rebazar Tarzs, who gave him a drink from his cupped hands. The liquid was refreshing. It gave him a wonderful feeling through his whole physical body and made him feel relaxed and at peace. Then Rebazar took him in a blue cloud to visit a great city full of happiness and joy. They went into a room full of lights of many colors shining down on them. After walking beside an ocean where interesting creatures lived, they went back to the city, back on the cloud, and went over the Ocean of Love and Mercy.

One ECK student had an experience with the great Chinese spiritual traveler, Lai Tsi. She was sitting in contemplation, doing a spiritual exercise, when the ECK Master appeared to her. “He told me,” she said, “that whenever things got too rough, I could call on him and he would assist me.

“I feel most fortunate to have this Master with me. For those who do not believe that Rebazar Tarzs and the Vᴀɪʀᴀɢɪ Masters exist, I just say to them, ‘Believe. Be patient. They will appear when you are least expecting them!’ ”

Paul Twitchell, Rebazar Tarzs, Lai Tsi, Gopal Das—these great spiritual travelers are all agents of God. They work together and harmoniously with Harold Klemp, the Living ECK Master of the time, to provide the individual spiritual seeker the greater experience as Soul. 

By Peter, Massachusetts

My wife had been ill for quite some time. She had already had part of one lung removed, and her remaining lung was not healthy. She’d also had heart bypass surgery. Now on oxygen, only medical equipment was keeping her alive.

After five years of pain and discomfort and being ready to let go of this physical life, she decided to remove herself from the life-support apparatus.

My wife was not afraid to die. She had once been a student of Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ and understood that Soul is eternal. Now she was ready to allow the physical body to die, ready to move on to her next spiritual adventure.

We called our children to explain what was about to happen, and they came to stay with us during the transition. Hospice personnel were also there to help us through the process.

We removed the equipment. Soon my wife was drifting in and out of sleep, her breathing becoming more and more shallow.

Each time she awoke, my wife would have brief conversations with my daughters, letting us know what was happening to her as she began her new journey.

One time when she awakened, I noticed a fragrance in the air.

“Are you wearing perfume?” I asked her.

“No,” she replied, “but I can smell it too.” The soft fragrance didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere in particular. Soon she fell asleep again. A short time later, my wife left her physical body behind permanently.

My granddaughter had been asleep in a nearby chair. Suddenly she woke up and looked at me quizzically.

“Grandpa,” she asked, “who’s that man in the big, floppy hat with the shawl over his shoulders?”

I was surprised and asked her to explain what she meant.

“There’s a man by the bed,” she continued. “I asked him what he was doing here, and he said he came to escort Grandma.”

Immediately I got one of my ECK books and showed her a picture of one of the ECK Masters.

“That’s him!” she said.

It was the ECK Master Shamus-i-Tabriz. The fragrance had been an indication of his presence at my wife’s passing. Happily, I realized she had somebody to help her across into the next world.

I know that what we learn about the nature of life and death in Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ is true. The ECK Masters tell us Soul is eternal. These great beings are always with us, ready to help us in every area of life, including our transition into the heavenly worlds.

I will always be grateful for this experience. Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ is amazing!

*          *          *

Editor’s note: The scent of jasmine (pictured) is associated with Shamus-i-Tabriz.

By Ann, Virginia

Two months after my husband translated (died), I was shopping in a department store with my eighteen-month-old son. I was not an ECKist at the time. When the shopping was finished, my son did not want to leave the store. He went into a temper tantrum.

My husband’s death had overwhelmed me. I was still in deep grief, and dealing with the task of taking my screaming son out of the stroller and the store was a stress too far. I couldn’t even figure out how to carry him and my bundles. It was all too much.

Suddenly, a young woman with light-brown hair and delicate features was standing beside me. She said, “You take your infant. I’ll take your bundles, and we’ll go outside.” I just stared at her for a few seconds, not only because she was a stranger willing to help, but because there was something truly different about her that I could not pinpoint.

We walked out to my car, and I profusely thanked the woman. She said nothing more. I put my son in his car seat, then looked back at her, but she had gone. She couldn’t have made it back to the store that quickly. I looked around the parking lot, but could not see her anywhere. All that day, and for months afterward, I often thought about the woman who was so kind to me. There was something special about her presence, and for years afterward, I could still see her face.

Time passed, and I discovered Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ. One Sunday while attending an Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ service, I saw an image of the woman I could not forget among the drawings of the ECK Masters. It had been the ECK Master Kata Daki who helped me that day! What a gift to discover that these ECK Masters are real and among us, and can offer loving assistance when we need it most.

*          *          *

A Spiritual Exercise for You to Try

MEET KATA DAKI

Would you like to learn the secret of love? Note these words from The Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, Book One: “Love does not come to those who seek it, but to those who give love.”

Shut your eyes in quiet contemplation. Then sing the word seva (see-VAH), a spiritual word that means a service of love. Ask Kata Daki to show how to give love to others. You’ll think of ways you’ve never imagined. She may begin by reminding you of a time you received divine love when you were once in need too.

—Sri Harold Klemp, Those Wonderful ECK Masters

By Rodney, New York

Let me tell you a story about a young ECKist (a member of Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ) named John and his mother, Iris.

John was in a terrible car accident and was left paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe on his own.

This is when I met him. His mother knew I am a member of the Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ clergy. She called within hours of the accident and asked if I would come to the hospital and see John. I went right away. John was in the intensive care unit of the trauma center. He was barely conscious. What I experienced next was truly amazing.

His mother was spending time comforting other families who had critically ill relatives in the ICU. Instead of drowning in her own grief, she was serving. She was being an instrument of God’s love, a channel for the ECK, Divine Spirit. I was so moved by that act of love and spiritual courage. Her heart was filled with pain, but her love for God was greater than the pain.

This was seven years ago.

John’s mother would read the ECK writings to him. He is confined to a nursing home and has no movement except to be able to speak between ventilator breaths.

* * *

I had just arrived back from an extended tour in Europe. With the time change and jet lag, I was exhausted. I took a shower and got into bed, planning to sleep for untold hours.

A few hours later I was awakened by a loud voice in my ears: “Go see John.” Now I was completely awake and sitting up in my bed. “Go see John,” the voice said again as though coming from all around me.

Spirit speaks to us in many ways—through dreams, waking dreams, intuition, out-of-the-body experiences, coincidences, synchronicities, Soul Travel, direct perception, feelings, and in countless other ways. I have learned that whenever Spirit speaks, it is always best to act. I don’t waste much time analyzing what happened. For me, I have learned that the spiritual lesson and blessings come in the doing.

I had not seen John in many months, and it was quite early in the morning. I got dressed, left my home, and made the thirty-minute drive to the nursing home. I arrived before seven a.m. There were no security guards. I walked right in and went up to the third floor where John’s room was.

I entered the room and found that John was asleep. I sat in a chair near his bed and silently began to sing the HU, a love song to God. I wanted my heart to be completely open and my spiritual awareness to be finely tuned.

When I came out of contemplation, John was awake. His eyes met mine, and he had a single tear rolling down his cheek.

“How did you know?” he asked. Before I could reply, he asked again, “How did you know?” He continued, “All week I have been asking the Mᴀʜᴀɴᴛᴀ (the inner form of the spiritual leader of Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ, Sri Harold Klemp) to show me that I matter, that my life matters. I can do nothing but sit in this room and reach out with my heart to God. I have felt so alone, I asked the Mᴀʜᴀɴᴛᴀ to show me that he hears me when I speak to him.

“Today is my birthday. I asked the Mᴀʜᴀɴᴛᴀ to please show me in some way that he hears my prayers and knows my heart. And you came. How did you know?”

I put my hand on John’s hand and said, “The Mᴀʜᴀɴᴛᴀ sent me. He wanted you to know that you do matter, that you are loved, and that he hears every cry of your heart and sees every tear that falls.”

That day John learned that he is never alone, and I was blessed with the gift of service.

Perhaps you have cried such tears as John’s. Perhaps you wonder at your own life.

You are never alone on your journey home to God. The Master always finds a way to let you know that your life has a meaning and a purpose, and that no act done for love alone is ever forgotten.