The Land

Rolling hills, forest, and shrubbery surround the ECK Temple and constitute the rest of the 174-acre property. Walking through the various rooms of the Temple, standing on the back deck, or even in the parking lot, quickly gives visitors a sense of just how vast the 1980s-purchased property is. Michael, a tour guide at the Temple, noted that an essential feature of the ECK campus was the untouched nature of it. Only the green space immediately surrounding the Temple is manicured in any way; other than that, the land consists of natural hills, prairie grasses, and original trees and plantings. When the Temple was built, over 1250 trees and bushes were planted around the property to add to the already existing natural features from before the Temple was built.¹

In response to the upkeep and care of the land, Eckankar was given the 2007 Environmental Excellence Award from the City of Chanhassen “to recognize environmental improvements and encourage environmental stewardship throughout the community.

To maintain the land, the Temple hosts “Clean-Up Days” every season wherein volunteers assist in land care as well as staging controlled burns on the prairie land every four to five years. At the front desk, Eckankar hosts provide maps of the trails, as well as information on how to avoid the deer ticks that run rampant on the property. In a pamphlet about the trail network, Eckankar urges visitors to “observe wildlife along the trails, including deer, foxes, frogs, and birds…there are beautiful wildflowers.”² It also encourages them to remember that, “so all can enjoy the peace and beauty of the spiritual site, please stay on the trails and leave the natural setting as you see it.”³ In response to the upkeep and care of the land, Eckankar was given the 2007 Environmental Excellence Award from the City of Chanhassen “to recognize environmental improvements and encourage environmental stewardship throughout the community. These awards are designed not only to recognize achievement, but also to communicate new ideas and help educate the members of the Chanhassen community.” ⁴ Eckankar encourages appropriate stewardship of all the gifts of nature. In Wisdom of the Heart, Sri Harold Klemp writes:

“Nature reflects the laws of ECK (the Holy Spirit). Therefore, observe its workings in the habits of birds, the cycles of plants, and the instincts of the reptiles and mammals. All sing the glory of ECK; all teach the secrets of life.” ⁵

Curving through the immense property are Contemplation Trails, a series of loops pocked with wooden benches for ECKists or visitors to engage in spiritual reflection and thought. There are two sets of trails: the three-quarter-mile south trail with view of the Eck Temple, and the north trail, one-and-three-quarters miles long, that winds through woods, open fields, and by a residential area. Each set of trails features seven signs with quotes from Eck literature. The signs are meant to encourage guests of the trails to contemplate and meditate on their own lives. “Another word for contemplation is appreciation,” ECK Master Harold Klemp offers to visitors of the property:

 As you walk the trails in contemplation, think about all the reasons you have to be grateful. Think about the gifts in your life that have come from God, from the Holy Spirit, and make this life worth living. Think about the adventures that are coming, and be grateful for the strength to meet tomorrow. ⁶

While there was originally outrage among Chanhassen residents over questions of public access to the network of trails on Eckankar’s vast property, Eckankar makes it clear that anyone is welcome to wander the trails. The brochure about the Contemplation Trails noted, “These sacred trails are for the spiritual enjoyment of all visitors.”⁷

Another word for contemplation is appreciation. —Klemp

Additionally, next door to the Temple sits the Outdoor Chapel, a small space built of the same materials as the main building and evocative of the same feeling as the main Temple itself. On the back wall, a golden EK is affixed and a smaller, blue, six-pointed star graces the ceiling. The Outdoor Chapel is used for weddings, discussions, HU songs, and meditation; it also provides visitors with a panoramic view of the Temple and the surrounding landscape.