Eckhart Tolle’s Teachings as a Beginning
First of all, I’d like to thank Eckhart Tolle for translating Eastern spirituality and philosophy for the Western mind. I’ve seen quotes and passages, and read books on Eastern thought, but never really appreciated what it had to offer until Eckhart Tolle began clarifying them in a very simple and straightforward manner with his book, The Power of Now.
For over a year, I have been the leader of a weekly Eckhart Tolle Silent Local Meditation Group in Northern California. This has been a very fulfilling and rewarding experience. For me, Eckhart’s words are deeply steeped in the truth, especially those that describe the human mind. However, what I have noticed for myself over the last year is that I could use a little more detail about the mechanics of how to interact with the human mind.
I am one of those people that Eckhart has talked about that has been meditating for twenty years. Part of me, indeed, thought that it was very advanced, and that it knew everything there was to know about meditation (among other things). With the help of the Eckhart Meditation Group, and close personal friends, I’ve repeatedly had to face the reality that when it comes to the human mind, I’m an absolute beginner.
It’s one thing to hear the truth that my mind hasn’t been very effective in promoting happiness in my life and that I must disidentify with my mind to find happiness. It’s another thing altogether to do it. If I am identified with my mind, the honest question becomes, “How do I disidentify with something that I think I am?”
Eckhart woke up one morning and was no longer operating in the same way that he had been before. He experienced a sudden shift in consciousness. It took him some time to realize this, but what had happened to him was a permanent 80% reduction of what most people consider to be normal thinking. This is reminiscent of Gautama Buddha, who sat under a tree until he began laughing when he finally “got it”.
Perhaps the final step to enlightenment does always come in an instant. Eckhart admits, though, that most people will probably have a more gradual transition to it than he did. Unfortunately, Eckhart’s teachings don’t address very much of this transition period.
On his CD, Gateways to Now, Eckhart introduces us to the tools of the “inner body”, silence and acceptance. In other places, he talks about the “pain body”, the reactive body made up of mind and emotions. In other places, he also talks a lot about stillness, and presence.
Presumably, one could just practice using these tools and exercising their awareness of those things which Eckhart speaks about to eventually gain a strong sense of their true self and of the Now to gain enlightenment.
Eckhart also says that ultimately everyone comes to enlightenment when they have suffered enough. Though I don’t doubt the validity of this statement, it sounds a little painful.
Frankly, I would prefer a little better map of the scenery that I will be experiencing so that I have some idea of what to expect. If my identity is completely based in my mind, how do I “lose my mind” without losing my mind? What does it feel like to be my true self instead of being my mind? Is it possible to straddle between these two worlds, or must one always bounce back and forth? Even though my true self is beautiful and wonderful, how do I trust it when I have no groundedness in it whatsoever? Does it take faith?
This need for a road map is undoubtedly one of the mind. But this is the point of a transition. We want to gradually, and gently, let go of identification with mind as we move toward groundedness in being. We’ll also want to know what the surroundings look like, in case some kind of “leap” is necessary. This way, the mind can stay as our ally, or at least not turn into our enemy.
A little more clarification about the mechanics of mind and how one interacts with it would go a long way in enabling one to proceed a little more quickly and easily. This road map doesn’t have to be perfect. There may be no experts on this subject that care to fully elaborate and there may not be any absolute truths when it comes to the human mind. It doesn’t matter. Any map is better than no map.