The Mystery of Eckhart Tolle: Not Even Oprah Knows...
Tuesday March 25, 2008
Eckhart Tolle may be Oprah's new spiritual guru of choice--inspired by his long time bestselling self-help favorite The Power of Now, but this weekend in the article "The Wisdom of the Ages, For Now Anyway," New York Times reporter...
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Interesting article. A bit of a mystery, this Eckhart.
The only thing I'd mention here is that I don't find his teachings to be of 'The Secret' positive thinking variety. From my point of view, he leans more toward simple awareness...be aware of your thoughts and you'll be aware of yourself.
That is, to question and dig into your own identity may or not bring happiness which is not the goal...but it can't help but (eventually) bring peace and stillness into your world.
Thanks for the heads-up on the article. Wouldn't have seen it otherwise.
I don't need to know even the name of a stranger off the street who may teach me something, in order to absorb "the lesson". I'm so grateful this book has come to the forefront of consumers consciousness. I've never spent $14 more productively than I have by buying this book. The lessons transcend the statistics of the man writing it. Take the lessons for what they are......Invaluable! And apply them if you are in search of a better life, a better you, through awareness, and mindful living. Eckhart Tolle could be a sales clerk, manicurist, clown at a kids party, or a bum off the street, with no educational credentials for all I care. It's the content in the writing that we all can benefit from. Teachers come in MANY forms. When the student is READY the teacher will appear. That teacher could be a child, animal, stranger, someone who appears to "need OUR Help" etc. What's to know, other than the great lessons at hand. Absorb them willingly or get caught up in credentials, or the teacher's origin etc. etc. It's up to you. BUT
I think I am making the most of my time by listening, contemplating, and practicing what seems to make sense and bring insight. Just seeing the difference in my awareness of my habits has really been an eye opener. "I-someone who THOUGHT she was living right, treating people well etc. and was a victim of those who are not as Nice, or Enlightened as I am." Boy, did this book open my eyes as to how judgmental I've been to others that APPEAR to have no regard for others. Or toward those who have opposing spiritual views for whatever reason. Wake up call to me!!! Hopefully my EGO is diminishing and I will learn even more!
Hey does anyone else feel as though "The Secret" is all hype, little content?
I agree with Karen you don't need all the titles in front or behind your name. Lets take a look at were the world is with the so called leaders we have and how many of them have titles. We more often than not look for the bad in a person than what good they may be doing.
P.S.
I haven't read any of his books.
"the secret" has nothing to do with spirituality. It is focused on the outcome: money, friends, etc. It won´t help on the long run, because eventually you always fall back to your ego-traps, with or without money. so if you are looking for real spirituality, then look for your inner peace first, and the rest will follow (not the other way round, as "the secret" tells you).
How much do we know about... Jesus? He is virtually invisible from his birth to his 30's. So what was he doing for all that time? Mmmm. Maybe we shouldn't listen to Jesus since all that mystery surrounds him.
blessed be,
Cern
Whether you believe Jesus was "the son of God" or a fellow human being. Look at his life, and not the fact that religion has us believing he came back from the dead, died for OUR sins etc. etc.
Jesus was a human being, he was Jewish, he was not always "nice" to his mother, Mary. He wasn't perfect. BUT he was tenacious, had some great quotes and teachings. Revere him as a great teacher, a visionary, a hero AND a victim of politics.
If anyone believes he was the son of God, then what kind of father was God? that he would put his son through dying for US? What makes "us" worth dying for? Only the ego of man could dream up such a fairytale to soothe his own conscious. A deeply disturbing and Grotesque tale actually, of the worst child abuse known to mankind thus far.
NOT MY KIND OF GOD. Okay that's my rant.
PS Thanks Ron F. Good point.
THE NEW EARTH - THE NEW AGE - AN OLD DECEPTION
You know what is disturbing me? This whole ’new age’ thing. It SOUNDS so good. Everyone loving everybody. It just sounds RIGHT doesn’t it? I mean geez, Oprah says it’s good and right, and everyone should follow it.........so it MUST be okay, right?
I was studying something my son, Eric had written to me...and I came across this.....this is what I wrote back to him...
"What you have just quoted is from 2 Timothy 3:2...It is speaking of the end times - the last days, if you will. And MAN! I cannot think of anything that describes today more than what you wrote.
This is actually the whole chapter.........What I wrote in red, just came to me. I was going to read the book "The New Earth" by Ekert Tolle, I have the book - However, I have changed my mind.
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
(now here comes the proof in the pudding folks.....)
5 HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF: (I THINK THIS IS WHAT THE NEW AGE THING IS DOING - IT SOUNDS GODLY - BUT IS SO FAR FROM IT) from such things turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly weak minded women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (this too stood out to me. They keep coming up with new ideas and new books, and new ways for the Universe to change - when it is all in the scriptures for us to begin with!!)
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
I found Louise Hayes - one of the founders of this New Age movement - inspirational. I watched her DVD "The Secret". I could not find anything that she was saying that seemed to be against the scriptures. That was until she was seated with a group of men that were stricken with AIDS. Her exact words were "the world is looking for a savior"....then she held up a mirror to a young mans face and told him "here is your savior"......up to that point - her words sounded right............she misses the mark..........There is a SAVIOR all right, and the world is looking for Him, but it certainly is not me, you, that young man,.............IT IS Jesus Christ, the SON OF GOD............the ONLY name by whom men are saved.
Just my thoughts, during my down time with the broken ankle.....I have a lot of time to think ya know.
Hi Ron, If you get a chance to read A NEW EARTH, and are able to follow the webinars with each chapter it will CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
This program that Oprah and Eckhart have put together for anyone at no charge, should be in shelters, prisons, the military etc. It's phenomenal. You won't regret it. The book is the best $14 I've ever spent. Hope you can pick up a copy as a gift to yourself and all the people you love in this life.
Really.
Now I'll stop being a Tolle-roller.
Karen
Loly A. You are right on target. New Age IS old deception. It goes even further back, beyond even it's immediate roots in Hinduism and Buddhism to Genesis chapter 3, where we see the devil tempting Eve with his smooth words. What did he tell her? First, he got her to question whether or not she really understood what God had said: "Did God really say..." When she affirmed that she had understood what God had said, he next completely discounted what God had said, saying, "you surely will NOT die" (have to pay the consequences of your sin). He next promised that if she would only listen to him rather than to God, that she would become enlightened, "Your eyes will be opened and you will know good from evil". Throughout the entire exchange, one idea persisted--that God does not have our best interests at heart and that we can know better than Him and make our own choices--if we listen to what the devil is offering instead. But, this is NOT the truth! The prophet Jeremiah says that man is not capable of directing his own steps independently of God and the prophet Isaiah says that God's ways are higher than ours. God is NOT within us. God is the supreme Creator of the universe who is worthy of our worship. People who fall for this other garbage are the same as those condemned in Romans 1:20-25, who worshiped the created rather than the Creator and who are without excuse.
Wow, Karen! Your rant takes my breath away. My first response is to quote Jesus: “You do not know me or my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”(John 8:19). But since those of us who do know Him are commanded to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), I will resist my impulse to “attack” lest I be dismissed as one of
those “fundy Christians”. Instead, I will tell you what I believe and why.
I believe Jesus was the Son of God because He said He was. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.” (John 3:18)
The angel Gabriel said He was. “But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”(Luke 1:30-32)
Demons said He was. “When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ‘What do you want with us, Son of God?’ they shouted. ‘Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?’ (Matthew 8:28-29).
“Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.” (Luke 4:41).
“In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!’”(Luke 4:33-34).
Other people said He was. “And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’(Mark 15:39).
"’But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (Matthew 16:15-16).
God the Father said He was. “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:17).
“Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’” (Mark 9:7).
I believe Jesus rose from the dead because He said He would. “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Matthew 16:21). And after He did, He explained to His disciples why it was necessary. “He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’” (Luke 24:44-47).
I’m not sure why you think He wasn’t nice to his mother? He made sure she was cared for while He was dying on the Cross. “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother,‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27). Pretty nice for someone suffering as much as He was.
And yes I believe He was perfect. “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Hebrews 5:9). “ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way,
just as we are--yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15).
But He was NOT a victim of politics. “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." (John 10:17-18).
As for the Father, He is the One who loves us even though we are not worthy of His love. “‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’” (John 3:16).
And why would you think only the “ego” of man could conceive of such a tale? What would be the point? How would such “child abuse” as you call it ease anyone’s conscience? From your point of view the story should lead to guilt not a free and clear conscience.
What is deeply disturbing is that you would reject so great a love. “For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:2-3).
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8).
Candy,
Your statement that "God is NOT within us" is incorrect. The scripture begins with a statement of what God is and he is everything and in everything - the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. There is God in everything and in each of us. What Tolle is telling us to do is to identify with the essence of God which is running through the fiber of our being and every aspect of the universe, and dis-identify with our egos. I listen to Tolle and what he says rings true. I don't see it, in any way, divergent from the teachings of Jesus.
What he "has done" is just another part of the ego's story.
The point is to relax and realise that it does not matter what a person has done, only what they are doing now.
Born Ulrich Tolle in Dortmund, Germany, Eckhart Tolle lived with his father in Spain from about the age of thirteen to nineteen, approximately between the years 1961 and 1967, after which he moved to England.[1] He had no formal education between the ages of thirteen and twenty-two, refusing to go to school because of its "hostile environment"; but he pursued his own "particular interests".[1] Tolle graduated from the University of London and completed research at Cambridge University,[2] having studied literature, languages and philosophy.[1] At the age of twenty-nine, Tolle experienced what he calls an "inner transformation", after suffering long periods of suicidal[3] depression. [2] Since 1996, he has lived in Vancouver, Canada.[4][5]
While I agree that Tolle is a dubious character, I also find Christ a dubious character. In fact, it's very possible he didn't live at all or that as the Talmud says, he was the illegitimate son of Roman solider, Pantera. The rest of the stories in the bible seem to come from other places further back. Noah = Gilgamesh; the Virgin birth has a hindu counterpart that is older.
Demons indeed.
Wow! What a bunch of unsubstantiated crap! So what if the Bible say this or that? Who cares? It's just a bunch of old stories that can be traced to earlier stories. All these old stories are is an attempt by pre-science man to explain the world. Gilgamesh = Noah; Hindu religions profess a version of the virgin birth that predates Jesus... assuming that he ever lived... so what!!!!! I do not fear your ancient quotes... or you god.
Hello people.
I see that most of you very much believe in the christian faith. You are happy with your religion and you have found truth in it. That is something very important and very wonderful to have in this life. And I know that other people are also happy and have found truth in their own religions. May it be hinduism, buddhism, islam or new age belief. Why can't we be happy for each other? why do we fight? We have found truth and we are happy! what more can we possible ask for?
I am happy for you and me. I am happy for all of us who have found love and truth in our hearts, and I say yes to you. I know you can find it in you as well to be happy that we all are contempt in our hearts. I think it makes a beautiful earth to have a world filled with happy people who can be compassionate enough to care for each other even if we do not agree on everything. We don't have to agree, we don't have to fight. If you've found happiness, truth and love than do so. Be happy for you and for others. Know truth and know that when people are ready to receive truth they will understand but for now nothing can be done, God will reveal his truth to them when the time is right but in the mean time, spread love and in love acceptance is concealed. Understanding is concealed. So love truly from the heart that loves God and believe me, no evil could ever come of that.
Has anyone seen any corroborated info to suggest that Tolle is a) involved with freemasonry, b) aware of the new world order, or c) someone that David Icke might want to talk about? Please post any info here, I will be checking back.
If you bite the hook because you have responded to the bait, then you are caught.
Is it not perfectly clear that the point is to be aware of the bait, the hook and simply leave it at that?
This comment could simply have been not added.
However, to observe thought itself,and the above opinionation and aggressively egoistic arguments, the products of thought ( which are essentially the time-bound movements of fear ) without any need to respond,control or argue is the first step towards an inner revolution/evolution. For any contradiction to be posited is still ego-driven mental mischief which is, of course, the normal human condition and which is the most miserable entrapment.
Does it really matter? It's the "message" that speaks to people - and that comes from beyond any one individual. He is simply a facilitator - you don't have to worship the man - just revol in the message he is attempting to express. Everything else (selling books, speaking, getting paid...) that's just what humans do to survive. Fanaticism is easily controlled by observing the content (message) and not the delivery vehicle (Tolle).
Each of us has a story. To focus on Tolle's story or lack of is missing the point. You are thinking and judging and that is what the ego wants. If you truly are interested in experiencing what he means by presence; be silent, no thoughts and feel. That experience must be individually felt.
While I can agree with parts of almost all of these posts, Nicole you my dearheart are a beautiful person and in a way above all of our posts to this thread. The one of true and tolerant love for her fellow man. Thank you.
Your Friend,
Karen Tirio
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