A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle - has anyone read it?

by Scully 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Satanus

  Yup, the spirit is below the mind and the ego. Eckart's stuff is about getting past those two and the problems they cause, for short periods of time.
  
  S
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  AlmostAtheist

  I'm with Void -- The Power of Now is a little hard to get through sometimes with the New Agey feel it seems to exude. His references to the Bible are a little creepy for an ex-JW. But all taken for all, it's well worth your time to read. And yes -- meditate on. (Seriously)

  Dave
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  SPAZnik

  I enjoyed reading The Power of Now, after it was suggested to me a while back.

  I haven't read A New Earth. But I might.

  (in my own good time and not a minute sooner)

  It currently sits near the top of my leaning tower of stuff to read,

  just inches away from an on again off again radiator

  under a window with a view I'm not yet bored of.

  Did I hear someone say the mind is the final frontier?

  I'd love to hear YOUR perspective on Eckhart Tolle's schtuff, Scully!

  Read up!

  (The "A New Earth" title can be eerie, if we let it be. hahaha)
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  tall penguin

  I've read it. I'm on the Oprah forum as well. It's funny how this book has spurred such a heated discussion. Interesting to see how it all unfolds.
  
  tall penguin
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  Satanus

  It would be much easier for a person to 'get' tolle if a person had done learned just a bit about meditation. Reading him without experiencing is a bit like reading about swimming, without ever getting into the water.
  
  S
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  LouBelle

  I'm busy reading the Power of Now - enjoying it too. I've got the New Earth, will tackle that later.
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  lisavegas420

  I also just finished reading "the power of now". and 'stillness speaks' ......very interesting reads.

  I've ordered "a new earth" and I've signed up for the Oprah thingy.

  lisa
• 

  funkyderek

  AWAKE&WATCHING:

  Two expressions used would make it difficult for me to pick that book up now - if ever.
  
  The Truth
  
  A New Earth

  Agreed. Also: "spiritual awakening", "The Power of Now", "transformative power", "awakened consciousness", "state of Presence", "new consciousness", "perspective of the ego" and all the other meaningless new-agey nonsense.

  Given that that's the author's own description of his book, I can't imagine the book itself contains much that is true or useful.
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  Spook

  Complete nonsense! I will discuss each point in turn:

  Firstly, there must be a readiness on the part of the reader, an openness, a receptivity to spiritual truth, which is to say, a readiness to awaken. For the first time in history of humanity, large numbers of people have reached that point of readiness, which explains why millions have responded so deeply to The Power of Now.
  
  Secondly, the text must have transformative power. This means the words must have come out of the awakened consciousness rather than the accumulated knowledge of a person’s mind. Only then will a text be charged with that power, a power that goes far beyond the informational value of the words. That is why such a book can be read again and again and lose none of its aliveness.
  
  Thirdly, the terminology used needs to be as neutral as possible so that it transcends the confines of any one culture, religion, or spiritual tradition. Only then will it be accessible to a broad range of readers world-wide, regardless of cultural background.

  1. Open mindedness, being a metaphorical phrase, has no meaning in and of itself. The only way I can understand this would be as a willingness to accept information relative to it's degree of evidence. One would neither give it more or less merit than it deserves. This point has within it the linguistic presuppositions of "spiritual truth" which includes both a presupposition of the supernatural AND of Truth. It does not follow that because The Power of Now has been a popular book among laymen that therefore spiritual truth exists and sweeping portions of homo-sapiens have found it.

  2. Transformative Power? All information has the potential to transform a belief. But it is all received through the five senses or extrapolations (imagination) therefrom. Tolle fails to make any definitive distinction between an "awakened consciousness" verses "accumulated knowledge." It's fair to say of a book that all transfer of meaning occurs through the internal dialogue and processing of language (and perhaps illustrations). Noam Chomsky and modern linguists have shown us a great deal about the function of understanding and getting meaning from language. A book written without precise use of language carries a message beyond the words, this is true. That message, however, is grounded in irrational linguistic processing of poorly evolved primates. A book does not have "aliveness." Only the reader does.

  3. I agree that neutral terminology is best for a mass audience. In three short points, Tolle has shown a maddening inability to use neutral language.

  Tolle, like all new agers and irrational cults, derives the appearance of persuasiveness not from cogent and well founded reasoning but from a sloppy use of presuppositional language. Of course, my response is littered with linguistic embelleshment. However, I admit I'm doing that on purpose and for my own ends, not because I have access to absolute truth.
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  poppers

  It does not follow that because The Power of Now has been a popular book among laymen that therefore spiritual truth exists and sweeping portions of homo-sapiens have found it.,

  Of course not. But its popularity can rise because there are people discovering what the book is pointing to and word of that gets out. And being "open minded" is just a way of saying "lay aside your skepticism for a while and investigate for yourself whether or not something is there".

  All information has the potential to transform a belief. But it is all received through the five senses or extrapolations (imagination) therefrom. Tolle fails to make any definitive distinction between an "awakened consciousness" verses "accumulated knowledge." It's fair to say of a book that all transfer of meaning occurs through the internal dialogue and processing of language (and perhaps illustrations). Noam Chomsky and modern linguists have shown us a great deal about the function of understanding and getting meaning from language. A book written without precise use of language carries a message beyond the words, this is true. That message, however, is grounded in irrational linguistic processing of poorly evolved primates. A book does not have "aliveness." Only the reader does.,

  Well, the distinction he makes isn't lost on me because I see it for myself. Awakened consciousness is simply the waking up from unconscious reactive patterns that are held tightly in the mind. When you are no longer lost in thoughts and reactive patterns of behavior consciousness is awake to itself. The result of this is abiding peace, and a silence born from stillness of mind. What is transformed isn't one's beliefs, but a way of experiencing life and oneself that is free of every belief. "Accumulated belief" is part of the content of the mind. It is mind's content that you awaken out of.