Eckhart Tolle: Modern-day Buddha?

I recently came across Eckhart Tolle's books, and I was immediately struck by the depth and scope of his spiritual insights. As a voracious reader, who has sampled quite a vast array of discourse on Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy, Metaphysics and Psychology, I find his books to be some of the most relevant and well expounded volumes on Buddhist thought and general Spirituality I have ever encountered.

Born Ulrich Leonard Tolle in Lünen, Germany in 1948, Eckhart (a name he chose) was perpetually troubled by depression, anxiety and fear until he was twenty-nine years old. One night in 1977, after having suffered from long periods of suicidal depression, he experienced spontaneous "Samadhi," awakening from the illusion of duality. Recounting the experience, he says "I couldn’t live with myself any longer. And in this a question arose without an answer: who is the ‘I’ that cannot live with the self? What is the self? I felt drawn into a void! I didn’t know at the time that what really happened was the mind-made self, with its heaviness, its problems, that lives between the unsatisfying past and the fearful future, collapsed. It dissolved. The next morning I woke up and everything was so peaceful. The peace was there because there was no self. Just a sense of presence or “beingness,” just observing and watching."  For a period of about two years, he wandered aimlessly like the Zen Buddhist Masters of old,  spending a lot of his time sitting in park benches, “in a state of deep bliss." Eckhart wandered around staying with friends and drifted about "watching the world go by." His family was worried that he had gone insane.

People were curious, so they began talking to him about his perspective on life. Amazed at his thoughts on spirituality, people began to be drawn to him. This led to a five year stint as a Spiritual councilor and teacher. In 1995, he migrated to Vancouver, Canada where he began to write. His first three books, "The Power of Now," "Stillness Speaks" and "A New Earth," have sold millions of copies and  have been consistently on the "New York Times Best-Sellers List." Spurred by his books' successes, Eckhart partnered with Oprah Winfrey to produce webinar sessions in 2008 and launched Eckhart Tolle TV in 2009.

The current commercial tone of his enterprise is not exactly to my taste (maybe it is the best way to reach the most number of people), but I fully support his message and goal. Eckhart speaks clearly about our "collective delusions," and how our "Egos" have created the destructive path we are currently facing. We should all awaken from our "state of insanity," and realize the divinity of life, in all its forms. I highly recommend "The Power of Now" and "A New Earth" to everyone seeking genuine spiritual insight. Eckhart is the real thing, and he is showing us a viable way out of Māyā (Sanskrit माया ), our collective illusion of duality and separateness.

Here is an excerpt from "A New Earth:"

Most ancient religions and spiritual traditions share the common insight-- that our "normal" state of mind is marred by a fundamental defect... In Hindu teachings (and sometimes in Buddhism also), this transformation is called enlightenment. In the teachings of Jesus, it is salvation, in Buddhism, it is the end of suffering. Liberation and awakening are other terms used to describe this transformation. The greatest achievement of humanity is not its works of art, science or technology, but the recognition of its own dysfunction, its own madness.

--Quote taken from "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle 

Divine Meditation

Meditation has many forms as there are styles.  Praying, contemplating, concentrating, reflecting, observing, pondering, introspection, going into a trance, reciting a mantra, repeating affirmations, journeying through guided or solo visualizations, gazing at a mandala, and even deep sleep all fall under the general definition of Meditation.  But for our purpose here, I am referring to the form of meditation universally considered to be its highest expression, I call it Divine Meditation --contemplation and union with the Divine, within and without.

You know it by different names:   bhāvanā or dhyāna (Buddhism/Hinduism), Contemplative Prayer (Christian), hitbodedut (Judaism), Zazen (Japanese Buddhism), hesychasm (Greek Orthodox), Dhikr (Islam), Yoga Nidra (Hinduism), Tamarkoz (Sufi), Preksha (Jainism), simran (Sikhism), Neidan (Daoism), Trancendental Meditation, Silva Mind Control, and a few others.  Although the individual styles and approaches (not to mention the theology) of these meditation techniques differ from one another, they all seek 'oneness' with the Divine.  As they say, there are many roads but there is only one destination (as there is only one God).

Divine Meditation, no matter what method or style you prefer, aligns your spirit/energy body to its highest configuration and gives you access to the resources of the Cosmos.  The benefits you gain from constantly communing with the Divine are immeasurable.  Physical and Mental well-being are just the tip of the iceberg.  Spiritual Oneness and intimacy with God (the Infinite) are the real blessings you will reap.  I cannot even put into words what wonders you will gain.  Divine Meditation is the essence of real prayer.  Practice Divine Meditation in any form and you will be healthy-- in body, in mind, in spirit and in Soul.

"Meditation has been laid stress upon by all religions. The meditative state of mind is declared by the Yogis to be the highest state in which the mind exists. When the mind is studying the external object, it gets identified with it, loses itself. To use the simile of the old Indian philosopher: the soul of man is like a piece of crystal, but it takes the colour of whatever is near it. Whatever the soul touches ... it has to take its colour. That is the difficulty. That constitutes the bondage." -- Swami Vivekananda

The Virtue of Humility

A medieval Catholic Saint and a native American Holy Man in supplication

Humility has a negative connotation in the modern world.  In our current 'celebrity oriented' consciousness, it is often perceived as a weakness.  We often confuse 'greatness' with a hyperinflated sense of 'Self.'  We revel in the importance of our individuality and we indulge on the cult of our personality.  We all proudly wear our accomplishments as badges of pride for people to admire or fawn over, believing that we are somehow larger than life.  Thinly disguised as confidence, we constantly feed our egos to show the whole world how great we are.  But at what cost?

If we look closely at the human suffering that surrounds us... If we examine the misery that envelops all of us... If we dig deep into our collective history and analyze the causes of all the wars, famine, killings and destruction we have all suffered, we will find the titanic ego of a so-called great man or woman behind every one of them.  We greatly admire the glorious accomplishments of these titans, both good and bad, and we model ourselves after them.  We easily dismiss their abuses and excesses as unfortunate byproducts of the progress and civilization they help create, because we covet and envy their successes (e.g. Alexander, Ceasar and Napoleon are still widely exalted as godlike-heros).  After all who does not want to be admired and venerated like a god -- immortal and divine?

Our instincts are correct, but our approach is all wrong. Our yearning for immortality and divinity comes from the deepest core of our being.  But our mortality and our human limitations drives us to transcend these very limitations in the most bizarre ways.  Since we readily identify with our bodies and our 'ego' as 'me' or 'I,' and because it is clearly separated from the 'other' (other creatures and our environment), we mistakenly believe that this 'Self' comprises the extent of our Being.  So we strive to be more than what we are, if not through the magnitude of our accomplishments and status, then through the alteration of our consciousness.  The instinct that creates empires and dynasties, are the same instincts that drive hard-core junkies into drug use.  In the culture of 'I,' it is always the survival of the fittest.  It is 'me' against the world and others be damned.  If 'I' cannot achieve success righteously, then 'I' will get it by any means necessary.  Since the yearning for immortality and divinity are programmed into our Souls, there is no alternative.  Both winners and losers suffer from this unquenchable transcendental thirst.  Kings die wanting more kingdoms to conquer, and failures find alternatives (e.g. gambling, liquor, drugs), because our sense of 'Self' (ego) is an illusion.

Most Religions and spiritual traditions teach us about the Divine, but they reserved the 'inner teachings' to a chosen few.  These initiates were taught about our true nature and our immortality since ancient times.  So I have often wondered why these priests and priestesses of sacred knowledge never fully revealed these 'truths' plainly, instead of veiling them in riddles.  I guess they were afraid that some people would distort the teachings to serve their own 'selfish' agendas.  But I believe in the power and simplicity of these teachings, and I am confident that they cannot be easily distorted to serve 'selfish' ends.  Because in order to harness its full power, we have to align ourselves with our highest spiritual potential.  I other words, anyone who diligently embodies these 'truths' cannot help but be transformed from their ignorant and selfish ways.

The truths I am speaking of, are simply this:  "Our Soul/Mind is immortal and divine."  "We are all connected (one) in God."  "Our minds are infinite."  "True humility and love are the keys that will unlock our communion with God."

Jesus said:

"Whosoever … shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:1, 4).

"For he that is least among you all, the same shall be great" (Luke 9:48).

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3)

The Buddha said:

"Whenever I interact with someone, May I view myself as the lowest amongst all, And, from the very depths of my heart, Respectfully hold others as superior."

Lao-Tzu said:

"ALL things in Nature work silently. They come into being and possess nothing. They fulfil their functions and make no claim."

"Follow diligently the Way in your own heart, but make no display of it to the world."

"Keep behind, and you shall be put in front; keep out, and you shall be kept in."

"Goodness strives not, and therefore it is not rebuked."

Self-importance and pride isolates us from the world (and everything beyond).  How can we be receptive to the infinite wonders of existence when we are only focused on our 'Selves?'  We must remember that we are just a tiny part of a Whole, and should act accordingly.  When we behave as an integral part of this universal reality, we might finally attain our 'true nature'-- unbound by time and space.  Besides, humility fosters harmony and community, as naturally as 'egotism' promotes competition and conflict.  Just remember to be honest with yourself, because false humility will never be good enough.           

Media Madness

When asked “What thing about humanity surprises you the most?”, the Dalai Lama answered:

“Man…. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

“Inner peace is the key: if you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility...without this inner peace, no matter how comfortable your life is materially, you may still be worried, disturbed, or unhappy because of circumstances.”

I found these quotes by the Dalai Lama on the internet... I never met his Holiness personally, but these statements touch me personally and profoundly just the same.

Modern Media -- the Internet, TV/Cable, Radio, Cinema and Print, have profound effects on our daily lives.  It keeps us constantly informed and in touch with an extended world beyond our immediate environment (social circle/neighborhood).  World events now have a sense of intimacy and urgency about them, that was not palpable less than a century ago, before TV and the Internet were widely present in most households.

I have nothing against Media.  As a matter of fact, I am a rabid consumer of information in the form of books, movies, cable TV (Discovery, History, TLC) and the internet.  There are a lot of great information that can be gleaned from these media sources.  But I cannot help but wonder if Media, specifically the News and information giants like CNN, FOX, NBC, etc., are actually doing more harm than good by propagating "sensationalism."  Their practice of hyping stories to attract the maximum number of viewers, have a multiplyer effect that create media driven crises-- What would have been contained and manageable before a media frenzy, becomes more astronomical and uncontrollable.

It makes me wonder if the crises in "hot spots" around the world would become as big as they eventually turn out to be without media magnification.  The current World Economic Crisis for example or the global proliferation of terrorism, would they be as serious as they are now without constant media attention?

But it is not all bad.  Constant media focus on humanitarian and environmental issues for example, would not get the proper forum without media interest.  So in the end, it all balances out one way or another.  Like everything else in Life, there is a good and there is a bad in everything.  Media is a part of the evolution of humanity, it is here to stay whether we want it or not.

But like everything else that is potent and powerful, we must treat it with respect.  Let us be mindful of its ability to alter people's consciousness and opinions.  We should not be solely motivated by monetary or political considerations when we use media, the mental and spiritual well-being of our fellowmen (and women) must also be factored in, to avoid the degeneration and destruction of "soul" caused by irresponsible "sensationalism"-- which promotes fearfulness, excessive consumerism and egocentrism.

The well-being of our "soul" is the key to our overall health in the long-run.  Information and media might be useful in our day to day lives, but inner peace is the only thing that will bring true happiness and wellness.

Homeostasis: Life in Balance

Homeostasis is a magical word.  The coincidental presence of the word "home" within "home-ostasis" should already clue us in to its importance.  Homeostasis is vital for the health and healing of all living organisms, as well as to the health and healing of all ecological systems, including our planet, Earth.

A term (milieu intérieur) defined by French Physiologist, Claude Bernard and later coined by American Physiologist, Walter Bradford Cannon, Homeostasis (from Greek hómoios meaning "similar" and stásis, meaning "standing still") can be simply defined as The ability of a system or living organism to adjust its internal environment to maintain a stable equilibrium.  A word that was originally used to describe physiological phenomena, the term has been extended to include all living systems in such diverse disciplines as medicine, science, ecology, sociology, philosophy, politics and religion. 

Many diseases are a result of disturbance of homeostasis, a condition known as homeostatic imbalance. As it ages, every organism will lose efficiency in its control systems. The inefficiencies gradually result in an unstable internal environment that increases the risk for illness. In addition, homeostatic imbalance is also responsible for the physical changes associated with aging. "Just as we live in a constantly changing world, so do the cells and tissues survive in a constantly changing microenvironment. The 'normal' or 'physiologic' state then is achieved by adaptive responses to the ebb and flow of various stimuli permitting the cells and tissues to adapt and to live in harmony within their microenvironment. Thus, homeostasis is preserved. It is only when the stimuli become more severe, or the response of the organism breaks down, that disease results - a generalization as true for the whole organism as it is for the individual cell." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeostasis)

Homeostasis occurs not only within our bodies, but also in our environment.  Pollution is an environmental disease that nature compensates for to ensure its own system's survival.  The Earth is a living organism.  Medicine people from all over the world have been warning us about the importance of living in harmony with the environment for hundreds of years.

Chemist James Lovelock and Microbiologist Lynn Margulis formulated the Gaia Theory (Principle) proposing that all organic and their inorganic surroundings on Earth are closely integrated to form a single and self-regulating complex system, maintaining the conditions for life on the planet -- The scientific investigation of the Gaia hypothesis focuses on observing how the biosphere and the evolution of life forms contribute to the stability of global temperature, ocean salinity, oxygen in the atmosphere and other factors of habitability in a preferred homeostasis.  The Gaia Hypothesis has since been supported by a number of scientific experiments and provided a number of useful predictions, and hence is properly referred to as the Gaia theory. In fact, wider research proved the original hypothesis wrong, in the sense that it is not life alone but the whole Earth system that does the regulating. In 2001, a thousand scientists at the European Geophysical Union meeting signed the Declaration of Amsterdam, starting with the statement "The Earth System behaves as a single, self-regulating system with physical, chemical, biological, and human components." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_hypothesis)

From ancient Hermetic texts we read: "That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above, corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing."  Daoist sages have always counselled on the wisdom of embracing opposites -- the moment we chose one side and block out the other, we upset nature's balance.  Therefore the idea of Homeostasis is not new, it has always been with us from the earliest times.  But we have chosen to ignore it.

The freak storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and temperature shifts we are currently experiencing are homeostasis at work.  The Earth is alive!  We must learn to balance our needs with the planet's own need or we will perish in the process.  The Earth is hemorrhaging and it is correcting itself.  The only way to reverse this catastrophe is by actively living in harmony with the Earth right now -- we've got to stop polluting it today!  I understand that we have complex economic and political systems inplace to consider, but how do you bargain with the Earth?  I do not think this planet will sit and wait for us to sort our political, economic, diplomatic and bureaucratic differences before it starts correcting the imbalances we are causing to its system.

The pattern of Life exist from the smallest systems within us (cells, molecules, organs) to the vastness of the Universe (planets, star systems, galaxies).  We are truely made in the image of God -- one organism, related and interrelated atomically as well as ecologically.  Homeostasis is critical for our survival and to the health of our planet, and vice versa.  We must therefore respect our planet, as we care for ourselves individually.  We are locked in this fate by our very existence.  We have no choice but to live in harmony with Earth (our only home) for our own collective survival.

“Because we all share this planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. This is not just a dream, but a necessity.”  ( by the Dalai Lama XIV)

"MITAKUYE OYASIN" - "All (are) My Relatives" (Lakota Sioux Prayer)