Applying Eckhart Tolle’s Teachings
Reader William Vietinghoff asked me if he could pose some questions here for other students of Eckhart Tolle’s work. I told him I’m happy to oblige.
He writes:
I am aware of Eckhart Tolle’s work in audiobook form. I have heard The Power of Now, Practicing the Now, Gateways to the Now, and Stillness Speaks.
Let me preface my questions by saying that as a result of his approach / suggestions I use the opportunities when I am driving or walking (and not distracted by people) to draw my attention to my inner self, to my surroundings, to awareness of my body, as practice in keeping out thoughts.
I clearly have periods in which I am successful, but as you know, thoughts and concerns creep in intermittently.
Even though I think I achieve the state he is recommending, I am not satisfied that I am totally in the Now. It is though there were thoughts (about potential problems, difficult tasks, etc.) waiting in the wings, waiting for an opportunity to begin the thought process and break my concentration on driving or walking.
Tolle repeatedly advises: “Accept the Now.” These are his words.
Here is my first question: There are many, many times when my mind is at rest, but I feel this “tug” to begin letting my mind parade my concerns past me. I am not sure that I have really “accepted” the Now at that point. My question, again: What constitutes acceptance? — as opposed to merely experiencing the now?
Second question: I believe I heard Tolle say “go deeper into your self” or words to that effect. How can I go deeper when I believe I am into myself as much as I will ever be?
Perhaps the answers to the above are simply keeping doing what you are told to do and the answers will come of themselves.
Anyone have suggestions?
Eckharts sugestions include recognizing your senses.
What method works for one may not work for another.
However, I find that focusing my attention on the pulse in my hands then along my limbsneck – head and finally my heart give me the sense of simply being. Much like recognizing the evocative purring of a cat. When the sound becomes distinct and rythmic. It then evolves into a natural connection with that which he describes as the essence of who you are. Feel it vibrate effortlessly……
Hello – I came across this post a few weeks ago (after discussing Tolle on my own weblog) and decided I’d come back here if something arose to say.
With regard to William’s first question, it seems to me that you may be identifying too closely with your mind. As Patrick suggests, it helps to focus on a part of the body instead – or, if you are able, the whole energy field of the body. Then you may not be so impatient to think. Try listening to Tolle’s audio, The Realization of Being, where he runs through this in detail during a workshop session.
On question 2: Self-Enquiry by Sri Ramana may give you some guidance here. You can download it free at http://www.ramana-maharshi.org
Thie was recommended to me at the Eckhart Tolle discussion forum, which is an excellent source of suggestions re Tolle’s teaching: http://eckhart-tolle-forum.inner-growth.info
I hope this is helpful to William… and anyone else who might happen by.
This is simply my personal take on your first question.
Experience of the now means your concentration and awareness are completely focused on the now. However, you may continue to judge aspects of this experience as good, bad, or neutral.
Acceptance is experience without judgement. Whatever the experience it is accepted as being exactly as it should be.
Tolle’s basic tools are simple.
1. Watch (don’t engage) any thought of past or future the moment it arises in your mind.
2. Watch (don’t engage) any thought which resists something that is happening now.
3. Watch any emotion that arises within you the moment it arises.
4. Keep at least some of your attention in your inner body at all times. Feel the aliveness within you.
5. The moment you find that you are thinking about past or future, you are automatically present.
Scott
It is gratifying and reassuring to read the answers that people have taken the time and insight to provide to my original question. They are understandable, to the point, and meaningful.
i love this teaching of e.tolle.this is a wonderful teaching to be hear & now.7to calm down your mind .readers comments are also very meaning. thanks a lot
In regard to applying the teachings of Tolle:
The great mistake is attempting to achieve. Period! If you wish to strive for a place that Tolle is talking about (or rather “pointing toward”) you are trying to achieve a conceptualized mind-based idea of what the Now should feel like as the ideal place that you must somehow get to. That is the denial of the Now. The idea is not to stop thinking, (although as you remain Present that will ocurr less and less) but the idea is not to identify with the thinking. You remain rooted in the Awareness in which the thinking occurs. If you remain in that heightened state of Awareness you can catch the thought energy as it passes through you (some of it has a high frequency and others have a lower frequency). Just watch each thought mindfully. Identify how they feel in the body. Is this a thought that is worth pursuing? Does it somehow serve you or others? Watching each, without investing your Self in them, weakens the ego from gaining a foot hold and thus hiding your Divine Self. Don’t be afraid of thinking, just do not invest your Self in your thoughts, and thus lose your Self in the world or form.
I’ve battled depression for years and fought taking antidepressants. I’ve gotten to a pt where I’m considering taking them. I’ve read everything by Tolle and I’m wondering what others think he’d think of antidepressants. According to scientists it is very difficult to overcome depression without some kind of medical aid.
I pray, eat well, meditate, exercise, live a pretty balanced life.
What do you folks think?
Thanks!
Sarah
Sarah,
Personally, I would recommend it highly. Some of the newer anti-depressants (e.g., Lexapro) have far fewer side-effects than the stuff people were using in the 80s.
I took Lexapro for a couple years a while back, and found it helpful. I am highly sensitive to the effects of drugs, as well as their side-effects, so I took a very low dose — 10mg daily, if I recall correctly. It was half of the smallest dose they make.
It helped me sleep better (with the exception of the first night, when I couldn’t sleep at all … taught me to take it in the morning for a while).
I found that it helped improve my physical and mental wellbeing by about 2% each month, steadily building up my mental and physical reserves.
By January of 2006, I felt like I had kind of plateaued, so I tried titrating myself off, and it worked great. I was able to discontinue its use without any relapse.
So now I’m back to 100% “pure” (chemically, at least) and have maintained all the benefits.
Regarding Tolle, I’m pretty sure he would say get all the help you can … and stay very present to the experience.
Joshua
Thanks so much for your response, Joshua. You helped me with my decision immensely, especially since you’re acquainted with Tolle’s teachings.
I worry that if I get help, I am escaping the now. I also wonder if thorough depression is my opportunity for enlightenment. If I seek help, am I losing my opportunity? Is that silly?
Best,
Sarah
I am in the middle of The Power of Now’, and am also reading an article in Discover mag. about Big Bang theories. Julian Barbour writes about ‘time’ as a collection of ‘nows’ which can be thought of as”pages of a novel ripped from the spine of the book, and tossed randomly on the floor. Each page is a separate entity. Arranging the pages in an order makes it seem as if a story is unfolding, but, still each page is independent.”
Isn’t that interesting?
Pandy: Yes, certainly interesting. And possibly psychotic!
Hello, I posted part of this comment on another person’s blog:
I personally believe, he’s taking a lot of decent Eastern notions and articulating them fairly well.
HOWEVER, he often cheats. He’s very black and white about things. For instance, he seems to suggest that one is either experiencing the now for stretches at a time, and doing well for themselves, or not, and worried about the past or future.
Now most seasoned meditators will admit that over-time one can have greater peace by being more present here and now. But even after years of experience, the mind will still drift into trying to mentally rewrite the past or script out the future (ie. “That’s what I should have said to that bloke.”). So, while I believe he’s right in saying we spend too much time in the worries of the past and future, I don’t believe one can, in a short time, be extremely proficient at being more in the now. It’s a process, a journey, that he neglects to own up to.
That’s what I posted. I would like to add, that you won’t get rid of your thoughts, you will just not travel with them. There’s a saying that thoughts are like buses trying to pick you up. It’s okay that they arrive at your stop, but just don’t get on them. Let them go. Your mind will not stop thinking. Relax a little more, you are more than likely very present.
well I’m glad to see someone else is wondering about the anti-depressants and that the answer seems to be ‘go for it’…
I have been depressed for years but recently got into eckharts teachings and experience being in the now most of the time now, my ego is successfully being watched nearly all the time and I take full responsibility for all of my actions, situations in my life without ever blaming others or my life situation however I have also noticed that since I now understand my meaning the physical aspects of my depression still appear (crying uncontrollably sometimes and feeling immense sadness throughout) and I cant seem to shift it completely yet and have finally came around to idea of anti depressants to help me along, but obviously had some questions regarding whether or not it was justifiable because surely if I am doing things right I should be able to just kick my pain body to the curb…
Dear Sir,
I am meditating for 35 yrs., basically it’s Surat Shabd Yoga. Last 3 yrs., occasionally was applying Eckhart Tolle’s principles of perceiving the emotion on the level of physical sensation. It did work and then, suddenly, started noticing that sometimes I can perceive, feel, the colors on that level of physical sensation. They came with a incredibly fast train of thoughts which were there all at the same time, so to speak. Gradually, my perception of colors in Nature became somehow sharpened. And, they always turned into bodily feelings. After 10 months, sometimes the whole outer scenery, literally everything I saw in front of me became one, single bodily sensation. Not an ordinary one, but meaningful and somehow full. Is it possible that the whole World can be experienced on the level of feeling or sensation? Now, it’s hapening to me dozen times a day and it’s a kind of a blissful state. Buy observing my breath and voluntary control of blinking with my eyes I can easily switch into that state.
Tried to get in touch with Mr Tolle and get the answer what’s that all about because nothing like that is found in his books. Never made it.
Can you be of some help and get him this mail or do you yourself have any idea what’s that all about?
Thans a lot.
What to say about Eckhart Tolle and his methods.
Okay, so here is someone who experienced bliss via personal trauma (or anxiety) and decided that the best method to try to capture or re-capture that state of awareness was to artificially challenge the conscious mind in to believing that it is always in a state of awareness.
This method of consciously telling oneself to always be present in the “Now” requires a lot of attention of the mind, and can cause a lot of anxiety and frustration to those who are willing to undertake the constant challenges that the mind must endure. This method also creates a paradox in the mind, whereby the one seeking to attain awareness, will never be able to maintain that awareness, because the method for attainment is so similar to the desired outcome, that the mind never knows when to turn off the process. The mind is constantly inquiring itself of the question, “are we there yet?”, and the best that can ever be realized is a brief glimpse of what awareness is.
I’ve experienced extended moments of Bliss, and it is truly enjoyable state to be in, especially when you can continue to consciously perform your daily job or function. I wouldn’t even call it the power of Now, when I consider that my mind is totally and completely aware of everything around me, even the words that are about to be spoke from my mouth before my conscious mind has even thought of what I’m about to say. Same goes for the mind, when your super-conscious mind is a half seconds ahead of your counscious mind, it is truly bizarre, and intoxicating. I guess you could call it the power of what’s about to become.
Next post I will explain a better method.
http://www.dogensangha.org/video.htm Gudo is always nice to listen to.
Aside from that, have you ever tried to stop a sentence from your inner words-stream like snipping it with scissors, only to realize that you are already and instantly aware of the completion? Try shifting to becoming aware of the pre-sentence “immediate sentence”.
these are all really good suggestions. I am aware that conciously “looking” through my eyes, while being aware of how relaxed my body does help with getting out of my head. maybe, you’ve identified with “your” mind being a “problem” and making it a part of you that you have to fix. when it comes to being in the now it is simple. use your 5 senses (listening to the outside world helps me into the now the most). remember to rest and relax into your body and being. I’ve noticed in myself that Ipractice the now to get into a enlightened state for the future. this does NOT work. be in the now because it is the now.
good luck WIlliam
Drago wrote, “Now, it’s happening to me dozen times a day and it’s a kind of a blissful state. Buy observing my breath and voluntary control of blinking with my eyes I can easily switch into that state.”
Why does this work, is the question. So, to be merely a witness to the “now”, is one thing, and this is only half of the equation. What you are doing here is combining the observing of the breath – an involuntary function, with the intentional blinking of the eyes, a voluntary function. As yoga masters point out, one of the best ways to “realize God” is in witnessing the breath. I will say that any involuntary function of the body, is in essence a function of God, in the same manner that the function of water flowing, a rock rolling down the hill, or the earth spinning on it’s axis is a function of God. For example I’ve read that some believe that it is the Prana that fills the lungs, that causes us to breathe [involuntarily] rather that the lungs necessarily knowing how to breathe. By simultaneously witnessing the conscious presence of self, while being conscientious of the workings of God, in a simple and recognizable form (breathing), you manage to join the two into one single conscious point of reference. This is a good method for awareness. You can also add to that – awareness of the beating of the heart, or visualizing the flow of blood through the body, or just sensing every physical sensation of the body and it’s place in the universe. If you can manage to combine a few of these simultaneously, you will find yourself in a deep state of awareness.