May 1989

In late May, the Chanhassen City Council approved Eckankar’s request for a conditional-use permit. The Council made the decision after listening to several hours of debate among nearly fifty residents. Two council members voted 'yes' while four others remained silent; their nonresponses recorded as ‘yes’ votes.¹

The silent ‘yes’ votes represented “kind of an expression that we’re being held hostage and we don’t want to give them an affirmative vote, but there’s really nothing we can do” – Ursula Dimler, Chanhassen City Council Member²

The drama surrounding Eckankar’s acquisition of the Chanhassen property did not seem to dampen the incredible import of this new site. The creation of an ECK Temple was profoundly significant for Eckankar in terms of its quest for authenticity, legitimacy, and the establishment of a solid foundation. While Eckankar stresses the importance of individualism, personal quests for and understandings of spirituality, community-building is also an essential part of the philosophy and vision of the tradition. It is through the sharing of experiences—knowledge of God and knowledge of the self—that ECKists grow along their spiritual paths. Not having a central Eckankar headquarters was detrimental to the religion’s community-oriented focus. In his book, The Temple of Eck, Harold Klemp explores the narrative of the Temple, from the original vision he had of the site and the ultimate dedication of the Temple on October 22, 1990. He writes:

At other times in history, truth has manifested itself in the form of mosques, temples, churches, synagogues, and prayer lodges. Putting a form in the physical world insures a longer life. It gives a house for the teachings on the physical plane so that all who come to the outer temple may also come to the inner temple. It is a way station in the spiritual worlds.³

Not only would the establishment of a permanent building provide a haven for ECKists and visitors, but it would facilitate religious enlightenment, spiritual understanding, and the spread of the path toward knowledge of God to the larger community. This spiritual growth promoted by the building of the Temple is not limited to serve only ECKists themselves, but rather will help spread Eckankar to a larger public. “Like other religions or spiritual groups,” Klemp writes, “we must have a home from which to reach out to humanity.”⁴

The Temple of Eck is a center from which the message of the Light and Sound of God will reach many seekers. Behind the stone, mortar, wood, and glass of the ECK Temple is one purpose: to give the Eck teachings to all who want them.⁵

Like other religious groups, we must have a home from which to reach out to humanity. —Klemp

Robert Hoffman, the land-use attorney who worked alongside Eckankar in the process of building the Temple, noted that the intense significance of the process was visible to him, even as an outsider to the religion:

"Initially this looked like a typical land-use project, [but] as I became much more familiar with Eckankar, I realized that it had much more significance. It’s not just another office building, another hotel, another restaurant. It had spiritual and philosophical elements. To be quite frank, that complicated the process. I began to understand the importance of this Temple; its long-term, if not eternal, function in the religion; what it means to the ECKists; and I think it will mean to the community."⁶

In Harold Klemp’s dedication speech at the Temple of ECK on October 22, 1980, the words of the Living ECK Master spoke directly to the meaning of the Temple and its ability to help propel Eckankar in its journey towards becoming an authentic and respected religion, despite its turbulent past and frequently misunderstood intentions. At the close of his speech, Klemp said:

"Just to speak about the ECK teachings or the principles of Light and Sound opened [ECKists up] for persecution. Many of you in the past had association with the teachings of Light and Sound at a time when you had to flee from the way people thought. The teachings of Light and Sound were different from the teachings taught in the orthodox churches, and those who followed ECK had to go underground to survive. So the community spirit that was originally in ECK broke into little pieces, as each person went here, there, and everywhere trying to survive. Instead of one cohesive ECK group, we became little pockets of individuals looking out for ourselves simply to survive. And this Spirit was carried into the present time. But now, with the dedication of the Temple of Eck, we again recognize that we are strong enough to bring the teaching of ECK into the public. And while we pursue this mission of bringing the teachings to the people, we have to learn this community of spirit all over again."⁷