The Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Arts and Culture, Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey, has urged the leadership of ECKANKAR Ghana to use the Spiritual ECK AFRICAN SOUL ADVENTURE SEMINAR 2023 to boost tourist opportunities the seminar will present as part of efforts to sell Ghana's most beautiful tourist sites.
The Minister, further admonished ECKANKAR Ghana and all ECKists, to also use the opportunity to woo investors and explore new business opportunities at the Seminar slated to come off in August.
"During the Seminar, some will come to Ghana as religious tourists and then end up coming back as businessmen so we encourage ECKANKAR Ghana to let them know of the opportunities that exist in Ghana for them to come and do business with us," he said.
Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey was addressing the official launch of the ECK AFRICAN SOUL ADVENTURE SEMINAR 2023 at the Temple of ECK in Accra on Tuesday.
According to the Minister, it is part of President Akufo-Addo's vision to make tourism a major contributor to Ghana's GDP.
Ghana is hosting this year’s edition of the ECK AFRICAN SOUL ADVENTURE SEMINAR scheduled to hold from the 25th to 27th of August 2023 for the 2nd time since 2012.
The event comes off at the Temple of ECK Ghana at Okponglo East Legon, located next to the Erata Hotel.
"Tell your guests and participants about Ghana's beautiful beaches, Forests, Restaurants and hospitality services, Castles and Forts to promote our tourism sector," he admonished ECKANKAR Ghana.
Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey, against this background, assured that the Ministry of Tourism led by Hon. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal remains committed to lending its support to ECKANKAR Ghana ahead of the 3-day event from the 25th to the 27th of August 2023.
"Over the years, religious tolerance where Muslims respect Christians and Christians respect Muslims, has been a key driver of Ghana's continuous existence of peace and harmony, making us the 2nd most peaceful country in Africa and since ECKANKAR Ghana is a religious organisation promoting diversity, we declare our full support for the Seminar," the Minister said.
The Deputy CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Mr. Benjamin Anane Nsiah, addressing the gathering mentioned that the Hon. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal has shown a key interest in the ECK AFRICAN SOUL ADVENTURE SEMINAR and has directed that his office should ensure that this conference is successfully organised.
The ECKANKAR Ghana President Mr. Aspect Caiquo took time to highlight the purpose of the 2023 ECK African Soul Adventure as well as some of the main activities linedup for the seminar.
“The three-day Seminar which is on the theme “Your Life Is A Spiritual Adventure,” seeks among other things, to offer spiritual empowerment, highlighting experience, workshops, spiritual discussion, and other activities for greater spiritual growth. Again, the seminar which will feature a lot of workshops for beginners, new members, and fellow ECKANKAR members is free and open to the general public,” he said.
He indicated that the seminar will teach about dreams since Dreams are regarded as important teaching tools to followers of Eckankar.
"To us, dream travel often serves as the gateway to Soul Travel, also known by Eckankar as out-of-body experience (OBE), or the shifting of one's consciousness to ever-higher states of being.
The ECKANKAR President further mentioned that this seminar will throw more light on the teachings of ECKANKAR and help individuals discover their true spiritual purpose in life.
"Eckankar teaches that "spiritual liberation" in one's lifetime is available to all and that it is possible to achieve Self-Realization (the realization of oneself as Soul) and God-Realization (the realization of oneself as a spark of God) in one's lifetime.
The Eckankar religion also believes in reincarnation and karma. The leader of Eckankar is known as "the Living ECK Master" (LEM). Eckankar claims that only a man can be the LEM as Soul needs the atom structure of a male body in the physical world to become the spiritual leader; a choice made before birth.
Eckankar now claims that some leaders, Twitchell and Klemp, for example, also hold the title "Mahanta", which refers to the inner aspect of the teacher. During Gross’ ten-year leadership from 1971-1981, the nonprofit religious organization claimed he was the Mahanta.
The leader functions as both an inner and outer guide for each member's individual spiritual progress. ECKists believe contact with Divine Spirit, which we call the ECK, can be made via the spiritual exercises of ECK and the guidance of the living ECK Master. It is held that the ECK Masters are here to serve all life irrespective of religious beliefs."
He said the event is expected to gather over 5,000 passionate and highly spiritual people from all walks of life most whom will travel from other parts of the world far and near to participate.
He noted that according to the teachings of ECKANKAR, “We believe that you are a soul. You are a child of God and your survival destiny is to become a Co-worker with God to spread divine love to all those around you.
"ECKANKAR has a living master who ensures the purity of the teachings. He acts as both an outer and an inner teacher.”
The Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremyaw Shaibu, on his part, bemoaned the rising moral decadence among the youth of today where even prostitution among other social vices have been made to look normal.
"We have failed to prioritise spirituality which is supposed to build our soul and inner reflections; I'm saying this because we have our ladies of today who now claim to offer sex services and people see it as a normal thing. We are witnesses to everyday vices being committed by the youth who don't seem to be concerned about anything relating to their future," he sadly stated.
He urged ECKANKAR Ghana to use the Seminar to spiritually empower participants most especially the youth so that they can rediscover their spiritual purpose in life.
Touching on the various security arrangements to ensure a successful organisation and incident-free conference, Superintendent Obeng Boateng, who spoke on behalf of the Inspector General of Police Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, assured that security plans have been advanced following continuous fruitful discussions with ECKANKAR Ghana.
"Ghana is safe and open to the world for all kinds of international activities and this ECKANKAR AFRICAN SOUL ADVENTURE SEMINAR is no exception.
The IGP has tasked me to assure you and all participants that security personnel will be deployed to handle all security and safety affairs relating to the successful holding of the 3-day event," the IGP Rep reaffirmed the commitment of the police.
BACKGROUND
ECKANKAR is ancient wisdom for today. Its teachings, which resurfaced in 1965, emphasize the value of personal experiences as the most natural way back to God.
Whatever your religious background, they show how to look and listen within yourself to expand your consciousness and enjoy spiritual connectedness.
See for yourself—perhaps for the first time—how to live a happy, balanced, productive life and put daily concerns into loving perspective.
ECKANKAR has a few basic beliefs. Simple spiritual exercises are taught that lead to the experience of the Light and Sound of God.
As we practice the spiritual exercises, we learn to recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
According to ECKANKAR, each of us is a Soul, a spark of God sent to this world to gain spiritual experience.
ECKANKAR studies dreams as a source of inner truth, learning how working with our dreams from a spiritual perspective can help us handle daily challenges and learn from them.
The Spiritual Leader of ECKANKAR is Harold Klemp, the Mahanta, the Living ECK Master.
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