Words and photos by Sydney Price<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n The Temple of ECK looks like a Mesopotamian office complex. The first floor is all right angles and rectangular pillars like a government building. On top, though, is a shimmering golden pyramid-shaped structure that can be seen from a distance.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a ziggurat with seven \u201csteps,\u201d resembling a form of temple construction dating back to the 6<\/span>th<\/span> century. It sticks out in modern-day Chanhassen, Minnesota\u2014even more so than Prince\u2019s Paisley Park Studios, which is just around the corner. But those seven steps are symbolic. They\u2019re the steps believers of Eckankar, also known as the Religion of Light and Sound, take to get closer to God. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPeople ask, is this the number of steps we take?\u201d said Shirley Towne, a member of the Eckankar clergy who\u2019s been studying the religion for the last 17 years. \u201cNo, the number doesn\u2019t mean anything. It\u2019s always expanding, always unlimited. There\u2019s always more steps to take.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Paul Twitchell, an <\/span>often controversial figure<\/span><\/a> and long-time author, founded Eckankar in its modern form in the mid-1960s, when he compiled the teachings of the religion into writing. Towne explained that Eckankar had previously been passed down through word of mouth and had no headquarters or main temple. <\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot of energy in this part of the country. Their work ethic is very strong. Their values are very strong, and these are all things that are valuable for living on the physical plane.\u201d<\/p>\n -Shirley Towne<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201c(Twitchell) talked about a spiritual center, where Eckankar would make its home,\u201d Towne said. But the location had not been chosen yet when he died. As it turned out, Midwestern values fit in well with Eckankar\u2019s mission. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of energy in this part of the country,\u201d Towne said. \u201cTheir work ethic is very strong. Their values are very strong, and these are all things that are valuable for living on the physical plane.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n