The Power of the Now (Eckhart Tolle)

I agree with what Mikhal said; living in the moment and realizing that this very moment is a miracle in and of its self.

It also helps me to think of the teaching that everyone and everything is connected. That if "they" are happy - I am happy. If "they" are sad - I am sad. etc.

Meditation on these things is, I would say, almost essential. Meditation doesn't have to be a formal thing.. just a constant thought through-out the day.

May the Force be with you.

Tolle was one of the authors, for me, that reading made everything click. All the paganism and Buddhism that had come before I'd always had a sort of intellectual distance from, I couldn't quite assimilate it. Between The Power of Now and A New Earth the way he puts it really clicked into place. It was what allowed me to be comfortable enough in myself to undergo the single greatest life-change I've ever done.

While "trying" to find enlightenment does defeat the purpose, you either do or you do not, different authors, different techniques all should be considered as they may phrase things or frame things in just the right way to best mesh with your life experience and thus provide you the guidepost you've been needing. To this day, while I no longer actively pursue the methods he advocates, I go back and read his books from time to time and still get "quote of the day" from him on Facebook because it serves as a reminder of where I've been and where I am and what I aspire.

PloKoon wrote: How do you (as Jedi) get closer to enlightenment? What exercises and daily practices get you closer?

Makes me wonder if enlightenment is the end goal, or just a new beginning. Wouldnt it be good if Jediism not only was a path to it, but also a system of mastery with it!!

Rise Above Thought

The mind is a instrument. You use it for a specific task then you lay it down. Tolle states that 80 to 90% of most people's thinking is not only repetitive and useless, but is dysfunctional and often negative and much of it is harmful. Observe you're thought and you will notice it. Energy is lost.

The ego equals the false self. The ego feeds on the endless chatter. To the ego, the present moment hardly exists, only the past and the future are considered important. It is always concerned with keeping the past alive, because without the past... who are you? The ego will project itself into the future in order to ensure its continued survival.

Even when the ego seems to be concerned with the present, it is not the present it sees. It cannot recognize the present because it misperceives it completely because it looks at it though the eyes of the past.

The present moment hold the key of freedom for the mind. Tolle's mantra, Is that you cannot find the present moment as long as you are in your mind.

Enlightenment means rising above thought, not falling back to the level of an animal or plant. In an enlightened mind you use your mind in a more focused and effective way.

Earlier, I asked what you do in order to reach an englightend state. The ego must be tamed before you can begin your journey, therefore, training to tame the mind.

For me, enlightment takes more then just being... I do not posses the disipline. I must learn to unlearn what the ego has instilled in me all my life.

How do you tame the ego in your mind?

Greetings Each

I would refer to a post I put up a little while ago.regarding The Great Learning. 'Enlightenment' is a kin to 'Emptiness'. You have strive to learn as much as you can with the time you have in this world. When there is No Doubt in your mind about any given thing then it could be safe to say you are empty and therefore enlightened.

I gave an example of what I mean. You can..I hope... Count 1-10 in your given language without a thought it is just there when you need it but not in your mind prior to reciting it.

My ultimate goal in this life is to find peace and when I find it I will pass it on

Thank you for this post .these give much air to individual views

Yours in the spirit of Budo

Mike

@ Budo: thanks for your reply.... Yes, Tolle likens the "emptiness" to space when the mind is at rest, ie. not preoccupied with mind chatter.

Giving away and sharing how you attain enlightenment is a love gift which this world needs more of.

Plokoon

I listened this audio book three times between march and august last year. I thought the messages was not about finding enlightenment. To me it was about living in the moment, making a effort to think less, inhabiting the body, and how to not make life situations a "problem .

For the last year I have been trying to live in the moment or sometimes living in the moment. To me it is "harder" than Tolle makes it sound. As he says in the book, if you practice you can extend the amount of "clock time" that you spend in the moment. Also remembering to leave my thoughts and enter my body when times are "tuff", to feel the moment.

My ego in the mind is tamed by not taking my thought seriously. By not believing my own beliefs or thoughts, by not defending my ego, or feeding it. It is hard to remember in the thick of things.

Emotions: The Body's Reaction To your Mind

The other night I worked a championship basketball game. The two teams were equally talented and gave those in attendance quite a show. What I observed was incredible. The championship team won by twenty points and pulled away making the game unwinnable.

Emotions at the beginning of the game were obvious: cordial, smiles and light hearted talking from both sides of the stadium. Then the game began and I saw happy faces turn to anger and foul language which was directed at the referee's. As I looked upon, I noticed the foulss called on the appropriate player was obvious and really accurate. Every call was greeted by boos and vulgar language from whatever side the foul was called upon. After the game, the parents of the winning team remained angry and vocal about not being able to "rush" the court. The parents of the loosing team were outright angry because of the loss and the referee's call screaming at them. From my perspective, emotions ate these fans like a cancer. It destroyed any good sportsmanship spirit and crossed into open hostility. During and after the game.

Why do you think this happen?

(I will post my answer in my journal, if you'd like to read) Try to stay away from the analogy of the game by answering the last question.

Yea I think emotion's are the subconscious primal instincts steering the decision making process of the conscious logical mind, and this is evident to us by the strength of the feelings at the time. The bigger (important) or more numerous the triggers of these primal motivators, the more likely the emotion will try to control us.

Its a great example and I couldnt resist but comment on it, sorry. Some sports are perfect triggers for emotions; fast paced, high scoring game with easy leadership turnaround, close proximity to players and referees, a culture making fans feel part of the team, crowd mob mentality leading to riot triggers, bathed in testosterone and alcohol... add a bit of blood and violence on the field as well = perfect conditions for emotions to get out of control.

It's part of the game I follow, but there doesnt seem to be much actual violence off field, just a lot of yelling and screaming at the players and ref's. I follow Australian Rules Football and its scoring pace can get like basketball. In AFL its a big oval so the crowd is usually a lot further away then in a basketball game so that might reduce it escalating to hostility.

Competition like that is all about the feeling of winning, and if you lose, its taken as a personal defeat because team affiliation in sports is personalized through the culture. This is amplified if the sport is a fast scoring game, as those really suck the fans into the fight for victory every minute of the 2 or so hours of play. Some fans look like their going to have a heart attack towards the end of a close match because it has been a physical experience just watching the game!!!

The pain of losing does seem to make the winning a better victory though. I'm not sure why fans of soccer get so emotional because it doesnt have that fast pace, but I guess it means any score is more important so they invest time waiting for it to happen?

Sports can make us act more like animals because the only rules that apply are the rules of the game. Since its a simplified set of rules all the fans think they are experts, and the skill of the players can make it look easy which means the fans think they are not trying hard enough - so that also leads fan's thinking they are coach's and referees

*bump*

I just saw this and thought it belonged here,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykmwCyHlDXM