Eckhart Tolle on christmas

[Ayu]

Sorry! Personally i'm quite happy that christmas is over. This hype every year is too much for me.

...

The true meaning of Christmas is that the very Being that you are is Truth. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

Jesus speaks of the inner essence identity of every human being. Some Christian writers call this the “Christ within”. The real meaning of Christmas is to find that essential self that is universally experienced as the Christ within no matter what your cultural or religious upbringing is. As we approach the ceremonial date of the birth of Christ and as many of you gather with friends and family, perhaps standing in the silence of the Christ within can keep bringing you back to Being - the eternal life that Christ promised human kind.


I find this very Buddhist.

I can't generate this in my familiy. The things you say here should be concious all over the year, every moment. Especially in christmas time, i'm far away of this.

[lowlydog]

Eckhart Tolle has been heavily influenced by the buddha and advaita although he'd never admit to it. Joining forces with Oprah it's become a well publicized business and he's raking it in!

I think Eckhart has been influenced by the wisdom from experience, and found common ground in the words of the buddha and other enlightened beings. He is a layperson not a monk what's wrong with earning money? He doesn't seem to live an extravagant lifestyle and you never hear about him in the news getting drunk and bonking his neighbors wife. Most of his teachings are available for free on the internet.

I say "rake it in Eckhart" and keep on spreading the truth with the help of Oprah, I would rather you be a billionaire than some greedy corporate executive.

[Jikan]

What relevance does Tolle's comments on Christmas have for a Buddhist discussion board?

[lowlydog]

What relevance does Tolle's comments on Christmas have for a Buddhist discussion board?

I thought his words were beautiful and wanted to share them with you all.

I thought as bodhisattvas we are to help others to come out of ignorance, I thought if it helped one person to see the similarities in the two religions as opposed to the differences it might help to bridge the gap between them and create peace.

Through my personal experience I find his teachings to be in line with the Buddhas.

Coming from a family of Christians I am often looking for ways to include not exclude.

I hope this answers your question Jikan

[greentara]

LD, "I say "rake it in Eckhart" and keep on spreading the truth with the help of Oprah, I would rather you be a billionaire than some greedy corporate executive"
Don't fret both Oprah and Eckhart have become greedy corporate types with a veneer of feel good individualism and greed masked as spiritual growth.

[lowlydog]

LD, "I say "rake it in Eckhart" and keep on spreading the truth with the help of Oprah, I would rather you be a billionaire than some greedy corporate executive"
Don't fret both Oprah and Eckhart have become greedy corporate types with a veneer of feel good individualism and greed masked as spiritual growth.

source?

[greentara]

LD, If you want to put Eckhart and Oprah on a pedestal....fine.
I remember the hysterical audience where Eckhart graced the stage as a guest of Oprah. The hyped up audience was fed on a diet of gifts for all and shrieks of delight. Did they want the truth or were they looking for reassurance? They were certainly clutching at the elusive American dream.

[lowlydog]

Hi greentara,

I don't think we can hold Eckhart responsible for the hollywood antics of Oprah's show, just like when the Dalai Lama is on CNN he's not responsible for the madness and advertising he's just trying to get his message across using television as the medium.

I believe Eckhart is just doing the same thing, coming as a guest to a t.v. studio and sending his message out there.

I personally would like to see more of the dharma sent through the main stream media.

If you get a chance check out some of Eckharts retreat videos his discourses are full of helpful information, he has a nice way of explaining the dharma in english terms.

I personally don't watch the oprah show but my wife bought his book as it was recommended from oprah and I happened across it on her night stand, this was my introduction to the teachings and I will always remain grateful to Eckhart and to Oprah.

[catmoon]

I personally don't watch the oprah show but my wife bought his book as it was recommended from oprah and I happened across it on her night stand, this was my introduction to the teachings and I will always remain grateful to Eckhart and to Oprah.

And there lies the reason I refuse to take him to task for some of his more unusual teachings.

[lowlydog]

And there lies the reason I refuse to take him to task for some of his more unusual teachings.

Sorry catmoon I don't understand your comment, is it because Oprah favorited his book.

I don't see his teachings as unusual at all, could you give an example?

[catmoon]

And there lies the reason I refuse to take him to task for some of his more unusual teachings.

Sorry catmoon I don't understand your comment, is it because Oprah favorited his book.

I don't see his teachings as unusual at all, could you give an example?

I could, but that would be equivalent to taking him to task, which I said I refused to do, right?

[lowlydog]

And there lies the reason I refuse to take him to task for some of his more unusual teachings.

Sorry catmoon I don't understand your comment, is it because Oprah favorited his book.

I don't see his teachings as unusual at all, could you give an example?

I could, but that would be equivalent to taking him to task, which I said I refused to do, right?

Sorry catmoon I'm not following you.

[catmoon]

Sorry catmoon I'm not following you.

I am not going to be pulled into ideological combat with Eckhart Tolle is what I meant.

[lowlydog]

Sorry catmoon I'm not following you.

I am not going to be pulled into ideological combat with Eckhart Tolle is what I meant.

Could you dumb down your comment a little more please, I'm still not following you.

[Karma Dorje]

Don't be too harsh on Eckhart. Even hobbits have buddha nature.

[Sonny]

What relevance does Tolle's comments on Christmas have for a Buddhist discussion board?

I thought his words were beautiful and wanted to share them with you all.

I thought as bodhisattvas we are to help others to come out of ignorance, I thought if it helped one person to see the similarities in the two religions as opposed to the differences it might help to bridge the gap between them and create peace.

Through my personal experience I find his teachings to be in line with the Buddhas.

Coming from a family of Christians I am often looking for ways to include not exclude.

I hope this answers your question Jikan

Hi Lowlydog,

Eckart Tolle does not ring my bell, in my experience his teachings are not all in line with the Buddhas. But not everything is about me.
Celebrating differences I think takes care of those imaginary gaps, there is nothing to have to bridge when we realize that we all have different mental dispositions, so all the different paths are necessary and thus most precious.


.

[lowlydog]

Hi Lowlydog,

Eckart Tolle does not ring my bell, in my experience his teachings are not all in line with the Buddhas.

What part of his teachings are not in line with the buddhas?

Do you think he is faking his liberation and just making stuff up?

He seems to be at least at par with the Dalai Lama or a little further along the path. The level of attainment of others is really of no consequence to me, I just find his teachings to be coming from a place of wisdom and not mere regurgitated thought.

I think it's a real tragedy when religious blinders prevent people from experiencing the truth in all it wonderful forms.

[justsit]

Here's a posting (edited for clarity) from another board that may offer some good insight on this topic:

"The Hindus have a metaphor: If you want to dig a well, you don't dig a hundred shallow holes. You dig one deep one, assuming you want water.

... in the beginning, everyone sniffs the wind. I too went through an ecumenical phase I look back on with understanding, but some embarrassment. It is in the Vedas, I believe, that the line appears, "Truth is one, wise men call it by many names." This is a very consoling line. It allows for sniffing the wind and not feeling that it's a waste of time. It also mitigates the rightful skepticism about a narrow-minded, rock-solid, and sometimes pig-headed approach to things.

"Truth is one, wise men call it by many names." Yes, it's quite consoling. But for anyone who is serious about their hopes and longings in spiritual endeavor, there's another shoe to drop. "Truth is one, wise men call it by many names" may be a true observation, but the other shoe is this: "Now prove it!" Intellectual and emotional appreciations of "truth is one, wise men call it by many names" or "smorgasbord spirituality" only reaches so far. Truth be told, it simply cannot bring peace to the heart. To the lips, perhaps, but not the heart. Somehow each individuals have to address that other shoe: Prove it!

And it is at this juncture that some students make a personal choice -- whatever the choice -- and start digging one deep hole. That choice will be pockmarked with failure and success ... but the student keeps digging ... and digging ... and digging. Fall down seven times, get up eight, as the Japanese say. Make a mistake, correct it. Make another mistake, correct it too ... over and over again.

This effort is not "better" or "worse" than some other chosen path. It runs numerous risks. But its advantage lies in the fact that there is honest water to be found and is worth finding. The object is not to prove something to someone else. The object is for the student -- for possibly the first time in his or her life -- to prove something to him- or herself..."
(italics mine).

What exactly is Tolle offering that the Buddha does not?

[Johnny Dangerous]

I confess I don't know much about him. From what I have read it sounds like "Dharma Lite" to some degree. I don't think that's a bad thing necessarily though, it may not sit with Buddhists, but for people who normally wouldn't touch anything "spiritual", It's better that there are ideas like these out there. There are also people writing stories about Jesus coming back and smiting all the gays, humanists, and uppity women with righteous fire..so when evaluating the relative spiritual merits of bestselling authors, it's probably important to keep in mind the cultural cesspool that is "spiritual" literature in America, and not try to compare Eckhart Tolle to Nagarjuna, in comparison to his some of his peers he would certainly be a ray of sunshine lol.

I literally wince at association with Oprah though, I find the whole Oprah "spiritual" enterprise really gross, it is a great example of how dirty things get when you fully commodify spiritual practices and self improvement. That said, maybe within that gross vacuum of "self improvement" people find some genuine wisdom here and there -that can't be a bad thing.

[lowlydog]

What exactly is Tolle offering that the Buddha does not?

Well Tolle is alive, the Buddha is dead(so words coming from presence). What do any of the Guru's and Rinpoche's have to offer that is different from Tolle?

All an enlightened one can do is point towards the truth, we have to do the work. Your digging analogy is about finding a meditation technique that gives results and use it to start digging to the depth where one experiences the truth for oneself(in a manner of speaking). If we keep flipping from this technique to that digging here and there we will not hit water we will just end up with a bunch of holes in the yard and very thirsty.

I confess I don't know much about him. From what I have read it sounds like "Dharma Lite" to some degree.

What the heck is "Dharma lite"? Sounds like a good Buddhist beer.



Dharma is Dharma expressed through any form, Why do you guys always want to put dead guys on such unreachable pedestles and ignore the living enlightened ones who can exemplify the path?

If Oprah makes you "wince" then allow her to become your teacher.