Daily Dedroidify: Eckhart TolleEckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and writer, born in Germany and educated at the Universities of London and Cambridge. At the age of 29, a profound spiritual transformation virtually dissolved his old identity and radically changed the course of his life. The next few years were devoted to understanding, integrating and deepening that transformation and marked the beginning of an intense inward journey. Later, he began to work with individuals and small groups as a counselor and spiritual teacher.
He has written four books including the "The Power of Now", a #1 New York Times best-seller that has been translated into over 30 languages, and more recently (2005), "A New Earth" and currently travels and teaches throughout the world.
He is not aligned with any particular religion or tradition, but excludes none. His profound yet simple and practical teachings have helped thousands of people find inner peace and greater fulfillment in their lives. At the core of his teachings lies the transformation of individual and collective human consciousness - a global spiritual awakening.
1. You are not your thoughts. You are the awareness behind the thoughts. Thoughts are often negative and painful, yearning for or fearing something in the future, complaining about something in the present or fearing a matter from the past. However, the thoughts are not you; they are a construct of the ego. Awareness of your thoughts without being caught up in them is the first step to freedom.
2. Only the present moment exists. That is where life is (indeed it is the only place life can truly be found). Becoming aware of the 'now' has the added benefit that it will draw your attention away from your (negative) thoughts. Use mindfulness techniques to fully appreciate your surroundings and everything you are experiencing. Look and listen intently. Give full attention to the smallest details.
3. Accept the present moment. It is resistance to the present moment that creates most of the difficulties in your life. However, acceptance does not mean that you cannot take action to rectify the situation you are in. What is important is to drop resistance so that you let the moment be, and that any action arises from deeper awareness rather than from resistance. The vast majority of pain in a person's life comes from resistance to what is.
4. Observe The Painbody. Years of conditioned thought patterns, individually and collectively, have resulted in habitual emotional reactions with an apparent personality of their own. During 'painbody attacks' we become completely identified with this 'pain identity' and respond from its agenda - which is to create more pain for ourselves and others. Observing the painbody is awareness itself arising - as it allows humans to separate from this unconscious identification with pain. (Painbodies also attract other painbodies, as in misery seeks misery.)
2. Only the present moment exists. That is where life is (indeed it is the only place life can truly be found). Becoming aware of the 'now' has the added benefit that it will draw your attention away from your (negative) thoughts. Use mindfulness techniques to fully appreciate your surroundings and everything you are experiencing. Look and listen intently. Give full attention to the smallest details.
3. Accept the present moment. It is resistance to the present moment that creates most of the difficulties in your life. However, acceptance does not mean that you cannot take action to rectify the situation you are in. What is important is to drop resistance so that you let the moment be, and that any action arises from deeper awareness rather than from resistance. The vast majority of pain in a person's life comes from resistance to what is.
4. Observe The Painbody. Years of conditioned thought patterns, individually and collectively, have resulted in habitual emotional reactions with an apparent personality of their own. During 'painbody attacks' we become completely identified with this 'pain identity' and respond from its agenda - which is to create more pain for ourselves and others. Observing the painbody is awareness itself arising - as it allows humans to separate from this unconscious identification with pain. (Painbodies also attract other painbodies, as in misery seeks misery.)
Quotes
"Is suffering really necessary? Yes and no. If you had not suffered as you have, there would be no depth to you, no humility, no compassion."
"Enlightenment is a state of deep and complete acceptation of what is. Then we become what we really are, the spaciousness beyond form. The yes to the now is the doorway."
"Normal means mad, we are moving beyond normal. Please don't be normal. That's the worst thing!"
"The word enlightenment conjures up the idea of some superhuman accomplishment, and the ego likes to keep it that way, but it is simply your natural state of felt oneness with Being. It is a state of connectedness with something immeasurable and indestructible, something that, almost paradoxically, is essentially you and yet is much greater than you. It is finding your true nature beyond name and form."
"Is suffering really necessary? Yes and no. If you had not suffered as you have, there would be no depth to you, no humility, no compassion."
"Enlightenment is a state of deep and complete acceptation of what is. Then we become what we really are, the spaciousness beyond form. The yes to the now is the doorway."
"Normal means mad, we are moving beyond normal. Please don't be normal. That's the worst thing!"
"The word enlightenment conjures up the idea of some superhuman accomplishment, and the ego likes to keep it that way, but it is simply your natural state of felt oneness with Being. It is a state of connectedness with something immeasurable and indestructible, something that, almost paradoxically, is essentially you and yet is much greater than you. It is finding your true nature beyond name and form."
4 comments:
A couple things:
1 - The now is eternal. He clothes this idea in terms of time, but doesn't mention the quantum reality that space and time are intermingled.
Normal does not mean Mad. Come on Eckhart. C'mon. Normal means that we're an infinite manifestation of God. Sometimes that means mad, sometimes it means awesome. Sometimes it's both at the same time. I am in a constant state of flux, so there is no normal but this.
I don't agree, I don't get from any line in this post that he clothes it in time or doesn't. The now is now. Does he really need to mention it if you already know it? :p
Normal does mean mad, normal is the conditioned, brainwashed mind, the quickly agressive, the not getting along with your own internal dialogue, the bitching about nothing, the looking for an opening for righteous anger, all the common bullshit that's wrong with the domesticated primate today. Normal is dogmatic materialism or the older bs that halt progress. Everything is a manifestation of God, that doesn't mean we shouldn't go for progress, I mean if I'd have lived in the dark ages and someone told me this was a manifestation of God I'd have kicked him in the balls and asked if that was too.
Normal is mad, sad, violent, childish and boring, screw normal.
he reminds me of Ben from LOST
ROFL Kean, is that a good thing or as f'd up as I assume for ya? :p
Post a Comment