Frightening Questions for " A New Earth" Eckhart Tolle

[Georgelshapiro]

globe rag wrote article on smell of fake- no live friends, fam, associates anyone in tolle’s past- tons of weird contradictions in his book. His eyes look frightened because he is! afraid of being found out duping oprah . Bindu Wiles circulated 300 pg. expose exact pgs from p of now in 1970 Indian b ks 990 booklets of R. Adams I subscribed to in papas ashram ; exact titles concepts oprah thought he made up he just ran off at Kinkos. So much for great Tolle. ‘Eckart’ gurus name he stole.

[fangolden]

the ego made this video

[crackerman46]

Looks like someone needs to re-read, and re-read again. I do believe you've missed the point.

[kafcin]

There is an I. And that I is present. There is enough substance in our minds to make us different. Don't worry about that! :)

[bendixen12]

Yes we are all the same, but only in the aspect of being alive. Life in us.

take for example I write music and play guitar, which makes me different from you.

we are all the same, but we are different EXPRESSIONS OF LIFE WITHIN US!!

it is a most beautiful thing.

but my identity does not come from what i do. I am not a guitar player, I am Life playing guitar.

hope this helps a little

[mimimanah]

Common mis-understanding.

The Ego is not discarded but is "intergrated". So on a new earth you still retain your "persona" but know and act from a place which is beyond ego. As long as you are in the body you will have an ego.

Dont ever worry about losing it! Eckhart has an ego too, the only difference is that his light shines brighter.

With us, its a torchlight boasting to be the actual light :) ....... metaphorically speaking

[ruisingh]

Lol..isn't that the point? Once beyond ego 'we are all the same'. Our joys and sorrows are not unique neither are our goals, challenges, achievements or failures. We all share the same ones. People have had these for millions of years and will continue to do so even after us. So you are right..our sense of individuality is..well..skewed. Me and you are no different than the crack addict, the teenage prostitute or the Sultan of Brunei (I used him because he used to be the richest people)

[vandyparks]

. S. Lewis - If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about.

[LifeIsThePrayer]

The ego is neither good or bad. It just is. The mistake is is confusing one's ego with who they are.

Let awareness expose and release the false, leaving only the magnificent eternal truth.

[misseptember]

"the ego is not bad, it's just uncouncious." Eckhart tolle, therefore just seeing it for what it is, is enough i believe, what do you guys says.

[11eternalflame]

Continued.... I find that as I use my new belief, others within the profession are conducting analyzes of my stability because I am not reacting as others do. For example, I am not reacting emotionally when they believe that I should be. Since I am still a part of this world, and I happen to enjoy my profession, I do not wish to jeopardize it, yet combining work with faith is becoming increasing difficult. Are there any suggestions? (i am using the word "I" throughout as my earthly context.)

[Fraterculae]

i think you have valid concerns. Read karl jung on the value of the western ego .. and the difference with eastern thought..??

as an healthcare professional you may well be working on the level at which ego needs to be developed and strengthened (before it can be transcended!!)

i have been a transcendent healthcare prof.. it doesnt work for all clients because they cannot connect at that level.

[Fraterculae]

ken wilbur.. erm , even scientology are good for explaining how levels build on each other and need to be in place. not everyone is quite ready to cope with transcendent. And i would add, it isn't right for everyone.

[11eternalflame]

I appreciate the helpful comments that I have received.(I'll dismiss the aggressive ones for obvious reasons). So here is my dilemma and I would appreciate any help...I am a health care provider and am trained to empathize by examining my own emotions, feelings, and beliefs in order to relate to another. This means having a very in depth knowledge of self. In effect, I am trained to explore, recognize and use "self", yet here I understand "self" is irrelevant since we are all one. Furthermore...

[Georgewarrior]

If spirituality is 'increasingly difficult' in the 'real' world,then it's not true spirituality,there should not be a contradiction,when being present at any moment,everything goes more smoothly,with more ease and in any profession it can only help.If in the end you notice your profession is not compatible(probably cause it conciders the material side only) then you will KNOW it´s not for you. You can still examine the self,it´s not irrelevant, just has a deeper source.

[skedeklaskeren]

Who is the "I" in the last sentense of the video??? When you figure that out you will no longe have any urges to ask. You will be be too joyfull to even think of any quistions at all.

[freierHimmel]

Dont worry, everything has its own personality. No cat, no baby, no flower has the same personality. The ego just covers it.

Was Jesus, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Picasso, Mozart, Mother Theresa or Buddha like anyone else? Is Eckhart Tolle, Adyashanti, Michael Schumacher or Bill Gates like anyone else? So theres nothing to worry, it may take some time but your purpose and personality will show.

[psychicartist]

Yes untillwake666 the video maker shows classic signs off the ego resisting and fighting back. We are all one and that realisation is true freedom..

[hbar1212]

Identity is as important as being able to work with people. White supremacy is an identity crisis, when lack of pigment is your only virtue. The strange thing is that when you want something too much you lose it also. Paul said, "That mind is in you that is in Jesus Christ." In order to move on and get that new personality you have to give up the old one as much as you have to let dead cells and old food go as life is about change and growth. The new cell is like the old. In that sense not new.

[danielrrjd]

you want to be different, and special, but what for?

[damithadtosignuptose]

in response to the vid... But aren't you already like everyone else? Your clothes, house, probably even your hair is cut much like everybody elses. You are already more like everyone else. 

The differences you think you express as an individual probably aren't so unique.

[bigeyearts]

why are you so afraid of being the same as everyone else, does your ego desieve you into thinking that you are a better person because you are different?

[untiliwake666]

If your ego was stripped you wouldnt have made this slide show. YOUR MIND IS STILL IN CONTROL AND HATES THE THOUGHT OF LOSING ITS PRECIOUS MEANINGLESS THOUGHTS. YOUR STILL A SLAVE TO IT.

[xtiltx]

You are more yourself when 'present'. If not present, you are reacting to your situation from imprinted patterns, old habits, culturally given behaviours etc. When you are really there 'you' become more real, honest, considered, clear in your response. Of course its attractive to hold on to old patterns, but its like a smoker saying 'well it relaxes me..'. At best, its a ritual which allows relaxation, at worse an addiction. You dont lose yourself, you gain it!

[fnog9]

you don't lose your thoughts, feelings, and individuality if you understand Tolle. You just realize those things aren't really who you are. "Do I exist?" No.... that's the scary part of this New Earth thing.

[ir0nj0hn]

good questions, but your missing the point my friend.

[iwashko]

actually, in truth, it is all "ego's" that are the same. When you shed the story you tell yourself who you are, the ego, the true essence that defines you as an individual will shine through with greater power than the little ego ever could.

[rayray484]

It sensing the oneness in everything, just merely feeling ur own existense is significant enough. U are significant because u are a part of this amazing universe, but only in regards to ur existence, not ur identity. but remember, all these words have limitations, so trying feeling the limitless these words are trying to capture in regards to this. :D

[rayray484]

And the fear of being the same as everyone is a common reaction to the ego which wants to be unique. dont worry, u are still special because, everyone and everything is special, but u cant be more special than others, thats just more ego.

[rayray484]

When he says letting go off the ego, i think it better to think of it as putting distance from it and looking at your "label indetity" subjectively. Remember, these are just all concepts, which are human made and limited, they're not you u are. Dont get idnetified with ur identity are ego, just become aware of it first.

[fnog9]

lol! No, having the ego, in the usual sense, makes you like "everyone else". These questions are discussed at great length in Tolle's books so you must have missed it.

[misseptember]

Thought is still "something" it is not really perceivable simply because his energy frequency moves at a very high rate...Now, i believe it is important to know what the ego consists of but there is no need to supress it mean, we are still humans, and thats what being human is all about. I think that we just have to notice and know when the ego is at work, and to simply not always find self seeking into it, so there is no need to suppres it and to see it as an enemy. Anyway thats just what ithnk

[roodeey]

misseptember

Exactly.

Reading his book it was if he was at war with this concept of his he calls "the ego", constantly complaining about it page after page; his little whipping post- Its obvious he is describing his own unresolved neurotic conflict and his solution is escapist resignation rather than doing the work of psychospiritual integration of healthy ego with essential being. If anything he has shown he hasn't worked through his own disturbing crap, just ignores it through suppression.

[misseptember]

Ego is not wrong, it's just unconcious, words said by eckhart in ANE. but no i think your totaly wrong im sorry lol, but if you would of watched the videos with oprah you clearly see that this is guy is at peace, complete peace no matter what, in fact hes probably the most peacful guy on earth.

[rainbowrecognizer]

No need to dismiss the "ego" that makes you an individual. It is helpful to remember that Eckhart is relating the information from his perspective. Depending on how close or far you are from that, you may read what he is saying in a way he does not intend.

To acknowledge that we are separate from the thoughts that literally separate us in negative ways from one another is something to consider. We all want to be happy... and that part of us is One :o)

[eaglerock999]

If you get it,you realise you are the watcher NOT the thinker. As Eckhart says, "Your essence is the canvas on which the whole of phenominal life is painted"... beautiful....

Your essence is one and the same as the eternal universal essence. ego is a false identity based on thoughts memories,concepts,labels,a phantom that has taken over your real essence, when you feel it rather than believe it,you will know what you are,which cannot be named.watch Eckharts videos,they helped me.

[11eternalflame]

Thank you, you have been very helpful.

Honestly, it's still not clicking. This is my biggest issue. I can feel that the other parts of ego exist but "thought" just isn't congealing for me.

I'm not trying to be ignorant, but I don't want to believe it just because others' say that I should or because I want to be with the popular kids (ego?). Rather than give up, I'd like to keep trying.

In the meantime I am asking the question on top.Maybe someone will say something to make it "click". :)

[fnog9]

you can't believe it. If you believe in anything from "A New Earth", it will have almost no effect. This is something that must be innately understood, or it's just another mind game.

[11eternalflame]

I can understand how emotions, possessions etc. are ego but I can not believe that "thought" is.

If we study new physics, or read Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer, it is "a thought" that resonates throughout the universe as if it (the universe) were one organism. If this is the case, than thought energy can not be separated from the vast universal energy (God, Awareness etc.).

How are the two theories compatible? Am I missing something? How can "thought" be ego?

[fnog9]

ego is anything that that appears to make you individual (mind/body etc). How could you see emotions as ego and not thought?  It's all in the head. The point of all this isn't to elimnate the ego, just to realize that the ego isn't really YOURS, that everything is a manifestation of the same Source, appearing as separate forms. A person appears to be a separate individual, but the universe already knows what it truly is. The point is to get in touch with that part of you that knows what it is.

[nir8vana]

@11eternalflame Thought is not ego, but your IDENTIFICATION WITH THOUGHT creates ego, self-image which prevents you from seeing the truth in every moment. Nothing wrong with thoughts, but the identification creates all problems. For example a thought "I am ugly", it's just a thought, but when you identify with it, you start to feel bad immediately.

[11eternalflame]

Hmm, are you insinuating that I'm calling it garage? If so that was not my intent. Spiritual leaders welcome questions... and I have questions. Since I can't reach Tolle personally, I was hoping for some help from the masses.

On a side note, I do find it interesting that you gave the video a rating (a poor one) which means that you had a emotional reaction to it. *shrug*. Just an observation.

[oper4]

sorry mate, you are missing the point. Read again The Power of Now, good luck.

[11eternalflame]

I can understand how emotions, possessions etc. are ego but I can not believe that "thought" is.

If we study new physics, or read Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer, it is a thought that resonates throughout the universe as if it (the universe) were one organism. If this is the case, than thought energy can not be separated from the vast universal energy (God, Awareness etc.). I do not believe that the two theories are compatible.

[keptyeti]

My impression, based on limited reading and some videos, is that teachings like Tolle's are just semantical games to play in your mind to ease the fear of death before having to face it. None of the points are actually achievable for more than a moment of percieved transcendence in meditation. Don't fear the dissolution of your identity. It's not going to dissolve until you die. If that frightens you take solace in Tolle's teachings. See how we're going in circles? Circles are fun!

[memama2]

There are two places to see the destructive nature of this books false teaching: go to stushie.wordpress and scroll down the page till you see "The New Earth Chapter 1" and also at "Kjos Ministries" there are several articles and charts, with daily updates about Eckhart and Oprah. Eckhart is not MORE divine than others or MORE smart, he has set up a few sentences to defend any critical thinking or good philosophy. I figured it out, so can you.

[WiseNOW]

we're "awareness".

[MarkPiercey]

Also, try not to become frustrated with this new line of thought, that is exactly what your ego wants. "I am so frustrated now, I feel like I have nothing left of me" is what the ego wants you to believe. When you feel yourself becoming frustrated, stop and breath, and think why do I feel this way? Am I any less of a human being? Am I any less or more important now than before I read A New Earth? No, absolutely not. I hope this helps, message me if you need any advice. Cheers!

[MarkPiercey]

For example, are you trying for a promotion at work so you can have more money and buy an HD tv, a better Ipod and designer clothes? Or do you want the promotion for title it holds in the company? These are all from the ego, to try and be and have things better than others, trying to fill a void that cannot be filled. If you are trying for the promotion because you work hard and you like what you are doing, these are not ego thinking.

[MarkPiercey]

Eckhart Tolle is not here to tell us or direct us to who we are, that is not the point of his book. Who we are is who we want to be, he is helping us be free from our egoic thinking to thinking that is pure and from our heart. You are still an individual but as humans we no longer need to be divided by this individuality. It is ok to have dreams and goals to accomplish, but make sure you are not striving to achieve them for the ego.

[chrisjohnadam]

Ask yourself this question "Am 'I' just my thoughts, am I just my beliefs, am I just my personality?" Ego is tied into all this, of course, so are you only your ego? Tolle only explains little on these matters, there are others who explain it in more detail. So do more searching before getting confused

[11eternalflame]

Thank you for your response. I have been waiting for someone to comment since I am definitely confused and my concerns seem so basic. Honestly I don't understand why more people aren't expressing the same questions.

I am disappointed that Eckhart spends so much time expressing "what we aren't" and little, if any time, expressing "what we are". I had hoped that someone in the limelight (as he is currently) would have more direction for those who are new to this line of thought.

[DIBBY40]

Eckhart cannot express to you what you are. That would just be another opinion, or concept. He uses pointers so that you can directly experience who you are, as opposed to who you think you are.For instance, you could come up with all sorts of fancy beliefs about the taste of an orange for someone who hadn't had one. They would only "know" when they had tasted for themselves. Then language would be a common frame of reference to a shared experience.