The Mind and What Is
Concerning Eckhart Tolle, a reader says he never says to not think, he says that the mind has to be subservient to the higher intelligence so that thinking is in alignment with soul.
That may be true but Tolle also says that life on earth was not created “through thinking.” This makes no sense to me. Can even a computer be created without someone doing some thinking? I don’t think so.
According to Tolle the mind is the major part of the ego and in many cases the power of thought can find the solution to emotional pain. Of course, if you go higher than mind to the intuition this is even better but mind is higher than emotion and can figure out how to satisfy the emotional body.
Then the reader says I am misrepresenting Tolle’s teaching on accepting what is.
So are you saying that when Tolle says to not resist what is, but to say yes to it, he is really saying to go ahead and change what is? But when we are attempting to change what is we are not really accepting what is are we? This complexity makes understanding DK look like kindergarten.
Yes, he may later tell us to accept what we cannot change, but the above statement was all-inclusive and tells us to accept all that is which would include that which we can and cannot change.
In the New Earth he tells the story of Hakuin, the Zen Master who yielded to unreasonable accusations and demands of his neighbors. He was not accepting what could not be changed, but what could and should be changed for the life of a child was at stake.
To this Tolle says:
“Only if you resist what happens are you at the mercy of what happens, and the world will determine your happiness and unhappiness.”
Now let us go back to the Hitler example. Hitler and Nazism happened upon the world. According to the “what is” philosophy those then that resisted him would have been “at the mercy of what happens.”
According to Tolle teachings then people should have not resisted what Hitler did (just as Hakuin did not resist injustice) because this gives Hitler power to make them happy or unhappy. Just accept whatever he does and if Hitler gasses your kid or takes away your freedom and you just accept it then neither the world or Hitler will have power to make you unhappy.
This is an incorrect teaching. You will recall that DK told us that the Christ and the Hierarchy did not accept “what is” and yield to injustice during World War II but threw their weight on the side of the Allies.
In Tolle’s example the Zen Master was falsely accused of impregnating a neighbor girl and he did not defend himself. As a consequence his reputation was ruined.
Instead of accepting the false accusations he should have defended himself and then after all he had done all he could do to reveal the truth it would have THEN been right to accept whatever happens. Not accepting what cannot be changed is where people really get in trouble and suffer grievances. But if our judgement tells us that change is necessary then it is not a virtue to just accept what is and not resist.
The famous truism correctly says: “Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.” If all good men just accept what is then good men will do nothing corrective and evil will triumph.
Some think I should emphasize similarities with Tolle rather than differences, but I am taking the same approach that I have always taken from the beginning of this forum and that is to call truth as I see it. I was just going to make a simple comment on Tolle and then move on, but was asked to elaborate on what I thought were illusions in his teachings and since then it has taken a life of its own. I was then asked to refrain from more comments until I had studied his books. Well I have read both books and parts of them more than once. I believe I am ready to make as intelligent comments on Tolle’s writings as I was Benjamin Crème, The Urantia Book, “A Course in Miracles” and others.
I have been stating where I agree and disagree. The problem is that when I agree with what he says about all I have to say is “I agree.” When I disagree I must give an explanation or the disagreement will not make sense.
It seems the whole world is following after this guy and in awe of his wisdom. I think it is important for followers to get exposed to a different point of view on some of the more controversial teachings.
Yes, I could ignore our differences and whitewash my words and perhaps an opportunity would come to attract the Tolle believers. But to do this I would have to speak half-truths when commenting on his materials. I would rather speak the highest truth I can perceive and accept what is and have a smaller audience that isn’t afraid to look at alternative views.
Any success through not following the highest I know will be temporary. Only the purest possible truth can withstand the test of the ages.
March 23, 2008
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