Eckhart Tolle and More - Being in the Moment

I recently watched a DVD called "Eckhart Tolle: Finding Your Life's Purpose." I don't usually watch videos made by gurus. Many years ago I got the feeling that I was hearing the same thing over and over, and I had already done the heavy lifting to build a firm spiritual foundation for myself. But the Netflix feedback-based rating system highly recommended this one, and the summary intrigued me.

I watched it all the way through. I found myself agreeing with him, and he has a clear, straightforward way of speaking about things that are hard to speak about. He gets right to the point. Plus, I had never heard of him before.

His message is that our minds are constantly talking to us, what Carlos Castaneda called "the internal dialogue." Our minds define who we are, what Tolle refers to as your "story." The story, which is constructed by your mind, is mostly related to the past and the future, neither of which exist except as mental concepts. The mind and all it's commentary are not who you really are. Who you really are is your consciousness, and reality exists only in the present moment. Sometimes a shocking event can cause us to shift into an awareness of the present moment, or it can be achieved through meditation. Tolle encourages people to shift from the mentally constructed self to the authentic conscious self, a spiritual step.

I first became aware of this perspective by mining the novels of Carlos Castaneda, an arduous process. You can get the same wisdom directly from Tolle, for which he deserves our gratitude. If you're interested in learning more, you can order the video on Netflix or go to his website and buy his books. This YouTube clip is a good introduction...



Also, you may enjoy this lovely clip from TED, recommended to me by my old friend Bob. If anyone knows about living in the moment and gratitude, it's Bob.



Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2011. Building Personal Strength .