Okay so I finally got around to finishing the book called "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. I had really been struggling to get through the last couple of chapters, but I could not muster up enough energy nor inspiration. To think that I had purchased the book with so much enthusiasm more than a year ago. It has taken me that long (and even longer, when you think about it) to make my way through a measely 191 pages. I think I have had a complete overdose of spiritual and other esoteric literature, and it is time to return to planet Earth.
My mind-pendulum swings back and forth between the real and the unreal and now back to the real again.
The very last chapter is called "The Meaning of Surrender." To extract a random quote from this area of the book I come across the following.
"Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life. The only place where you can experience the flow of life is the Now, so to surrender is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without reservation."
Does this make any sense? I feel that I have heard this so many times over and over again that it no longer makes the slightest sense to me.
First, let me say that I know exactly where you are coming from as far as changing taste in the mental food you desire. I think I have four books going right now that are all of different genres and purposes. I'll eventually get through it.
As far as "surrendering" to "the Now"...how bizarre! I just can’t bring myself to understand that at all. I always thought one had to make “the Now” what they want it to be. Of course, I am most probably taking this all out of context, but I don’t think surrendering is much of a survival technique. Compromising? Maybe. Surrendering? Not so sure.
I think a lot of people, me included, tend to live thinking that there's something in the future coming for us. What I think the author is saying is, stop looking for what's coming and experience what's happening now - take advantage of what you have now, in other words. I think "surrender" is being misused in this case. I think this is a complicated way of saying "go with the flow."
I think that it has to do with struggling, which is an ego-thing. Struggling will not change anything, except bring fear, anxiety... etc. It is all mind stuff. The ego or mind wants to make us feel in charge, but we are not. If we surrender to the "force" (remember Star Wars?) or whatever you call it, Consciousness, God etc... we become free. E. Tolle and all the Zen teachers say the same thing. Get rid of the mind's games before you can wake up to reality, which is always here, right NOW. You can glimpse it between 2 thoughts. Not easy to do.
Enlightenment ushers in the realizations of being. The import of the external world of perception fades while fear is revealed as illusory and the meaning of love is finally understood. We come to know that we are love attempting to express upon a third dimensional (physical) reality. Many of us grope, struggling in the darkness or worst, lost entirely within it while great teachers have repeatedly brought these truths to us. The way to enlightenment is clearly shown by teachers such as Eckhart Tolle. Those so inclined, do not wait for a friend to lend you Tolle's "book" nor should you consider the Tolle work just a book but a course on the Path and do not think that this "book" can just be read and put aside. It should be used until its information is inculcated at the cellular level and the objective of enlightenment is accomplished.
Eckhart Tolle is making a nice living by repeating Meister Eckhart's take on the mystical experience. (Meister Eckhart was a mediaeval German mystic.) He even appropriated his name! Tolle gives no practical advice for living the spiritual life in the practical exigencies of the world. He appears to think that we can just ignore the practical world. He may be able to ignore the practical world now he has got the reading public to fund his "spiritual" lifestyle, but times will change even for him.
P.S. Try plugging into the spiritual "power of now" when you have a raging toothache.
I am not so sure that that is what he is proclaiming, e.g. that we should somehow "completely" ignore the world around us for the sake of some spiritual escape. It is not the one extreme or the other, but a harmonious balance of the two sides of the mirror.
How could one effect this balance? Surely one is either immersed in the 'now', or one is not, because one is focused on the past or the future?
Why does it have to be one or the other? First we talk about the outer versus the inner world and now it is the now versus the future (and/or the past). Like I already mentioned above, this is more than like two sides of the same mirror, which makes much more sense to me anyway.
I can't see how Kiffin's last post is anything but a linguistic device. One cannot "live in the now" AND be attending past memories or future plans. Try it!
Why not? Makes sense to me. Let's not limit ourselves unnecessarily when there is much more to the reality out there than we can ever realize.
For me The Power of Now isnt valuable so much to the part of us that is trying to get a better handle on the world or life - but speaks directly to that which is actually in process of awakening. This is usually because one 'runs out of rope' or options for maintaining unawakeness. What are we already always doing that keeps us identified with suffering and limitation (or the constant preocupation with overcoming such). One has to discover oneself. (And then exercise choice as to whether to keep doing it or let yourself into something else).
Maybe a book or a phrase turns up that speaks to your condition and you 'hear' it in a way that isnt just more of the same. WHO hears it? The real you is not waiting to be awakened but your self identification may well be obliging you to wait in time while your eternal truth is being hidden by your determinations.
Dont I ramble!
Just saying Hello really.
It is always yourself that you read whatever book or teaching. What do you want the world to be used for?
If we really want peace above all else how can the world not align to serve that intent? After all what we experience is our interpretation based on our past OR a new appreciation that expresses present intelligence.
There IS an alternative to the past based identifications of conflict. Though one could say that past based private thinking and control is an attempt to be an alternative to Oneness. Its not that it will fail - but that its utter futility will become unavoidable obvious. Meanwhile the Emperor is confident that he is very well turned out indeed.
Toothache - many years ago I challenged the reality of toothach and suddenly found my 'self' awakened beyond the mind imposed body ID. Freaked me out! I retreated to the comfortable prison we call toothache. (To thinking). Took aspirins. Wento to sleep. But in mornng the nerves were all perfectly withoout pain. Its not that we have to 'live up' to being something specific - but that the willingness to actually challenge fear's dictates is transformative. Practic a bit at a time - like now and now.
Fare well
Nicely said, thanks.