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Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Eckhart Teachings March 2011 newsletter. Springtime is well on its way to us here in Vancouver, and we are excited to be hosting another Eckhart Tolle TV recording early next month. We hope that you will join us for this two day live recording session, as we welcome participants from around the globe. We enjoy the chance to interact with those of you who attend, as we gather together to become immersed in the teachings from Eckhart and Kim.
With warmth,
Natalie
Eckhart Teachings
| In the March edition
- Eckhart on Death & Dying
- In the March Issue of Eckhart Tolle TV - "Freedom From Externals"
- Inspirational Quotes
- Upcoming Events
- Images of Stillness
- Present Moment Reminders
- Inspirational Story
- New Title: The Illusion of Time
- Announcement: Eckhart Teachings Online Store
- Follow Eckhart on YouTube, Facebook & Twitter
|  Q: How does one be with the process of death in such a way that it can be celebrated?
ET: Death is a great opportunity because death is one way in which the formless dimension comes into this life. It’s precisely at the moment of the fading of the form, that the formless comes into this life. But if that is not accepted, and the fading of form is denied, then it’s a missed opportunity.
As people around you pass away, you become increasingly aware of your own mortality. The body will dissolve. Many people still, in our civilization, they deny death. They don’t want to think about it, don’t want to give it any attention.
There is enormous potential there for spiritual flowering. Even in people who, up to the point of the beginning of the fading of the form, were completely identified with the form. It’s your last chance in this incarnation, as your body begins to fade – or you are becoming aware of this limited lifespan. It’s your last chance to go beyond identification with form. This is true whether it’s to do with your body, or somebody else’s body.
In the proximity of death, there is always that grace hiding underneath the seemingly negative event. Death in our civilization is seen as entirely negative, as if it shouldn’t be happening. Because it’s denied, people are so shocked when somebody dies – as if it’s not possible. We don’t live with the familiarity of death, as some more ancient cultures still do. The familiarity of death isn’t there. Everything is hidden, the dead body is hidden. In India you can see the dead bodies being carried through the streets, and being burned in public. To the Westerners, it’s terrible.
As the consciousness is changing, I feel that more and more death will become an important part of the evolutionary process, the process of the arising consciousness on our planet.
At any age, the form can dissolve. Even if you are very young, you may encounter death close to you. At any age, it is extremely helpful to become familiar with, or comfortable with, the impermanence of the physical form.
I recommend to everybody, to occasionally visit the cemetery. If it’s a nice cemetery, that makes it more pleasant. Some cemeteries are like beautiful parks, you can walk around and feel extremely peaceful. But even if it’s not nice, spiritually it is just as helpful to walk around the cemetery and contemplate the fact of death. I still do that, quite often, whenever I have a chance.
In Europe, in the villages and so on, you have a cemetery next to the church very often. I love walking around there. My favorite thing is reading the names on the gravestones. Sometimes if the gravestones are very old, you’ll see that the name is not there anymore – it got eroded by the weather.
It’s the contemplation of death and the acceptance of the impermanent nature of the human form that opens up, if you accept it. Don’t intellectualize it. Don’t come to some kind of conclusion about it. Just stay with the simple “isness” of the fact of the impermanence of the human form, and accept that for what it is without going any further. If you go further, you get into comforting beliefs, that’s very nice too. But what I am driving at is something deeper than comforting beliefs – instead of going to some kind of conclusion, stay with the fact of the impermanence of the human form, and contemplate this fact.
With the contemplation of the impermanence of the human form, something very deep and peaceful opens up inside you. That is why I enjoy going to cemeteries. When you accept the impermanence, out of that comes an opening within, which is beyond form. That which is not touched by death, the formless, comes forward as you completely accept the impermanence of all forms. That’s why it is so deeply peaceful to contemplate death.
If someone close to you dies, then there is an added dimension. You may find there is deep sadness. The form also was precious, although what you loved in the form was the formless. And yet, you weep because of the fading form. There too, you come to an acceptance – especially if you are already familiar with death, you already know that everything dies – then you can accept it more easily when it happens to somebody close to you. There is still deep sadness, but then you can have the two dimensions simultaneously – the outer you weeps, the inner and most essential is deeply at peace. It comes forward almost as if it were saying “there is no death”. It’s peace.
| | | March Issue of Eckhart Tolle TV "Freedom From Externals"
In this month's liberating talk, Freedom from Externals, Eckhart helps us make the present moment the focal point of our lives to discover fulfillment beyond life's conditions. Eckhart also leads us in a short practice for reconnecting with the body.
Additionally, Kim Eng leads a guided meditation on finding answers within you, and Eckhart answers the following questions from Eckhart Tolle TV members:
- It may make sense to stay in my field and help to raise the energy frequency of the people around me but part of me wants to leave. Could you comment?
- I have felt that psychically I was being interfered with. And sometimes it is very threatening, and I wondered what should I do about it?
- What is right action in a case where you suspect a person may be of danger to children?
- Can we help our children through periods of unconsciousness or is it necessary for them to go through it on their own?
- What do you think of the potential for Internet games to promote healthy states of mind and to change behavior for the better?
- I'm discovering egoic compulsions that I didn't know I had before. Is noticing these a good thing?
- Do you cry? You don't have to answer that question, but is it normal to cry?
We wish you much love and light on your spiritual journey and hope that you find Eckhart's teachings helpful for connecting with your inner joy.
| Inspirational Quotes
"If you were conscious, that is to say totally present in the Now, all negativity would dissolve almost instantly. It could not survive in your presence."
"Almost every ego contains at least an element of what we might call victim identity. Some people have such a strong victim image that it becomes the central core of their ego. Resentment and grievances form an essential part of their sense of self."
"The modalities of awakened doing are acceptance, enjoyment, and enthusiasm. Each one represents a certain vibrational frequency of consciousness. You need to be vigilant to make sure that one of them operates whenever you are engaged in doing anything at all – from the most simple task to the most complex."
- Eckhart Tolle
| Upcoming Events
Presence Through Movement Retreat
Joshua Tree, CA
Date: April 29 – May 2, 2011
Teacher: Kim Eng
Price: $790 - $1,015
(includes 3 nights accommodation, meals and tuition)
Register now!
Special Offer - When you and a friend or family member register together, you receive $100 discount each - Some restrictions apply
Let go of who you think you are and you will realize who you are in your essence: the presence behind all thought, the stillness behind all motion. Joining Kim Eng for this retreat will help you learn how to access inner stillness and sustain it in everyday life as you experience the joy that comes through an unconditioned dimension of consciousness.
Presence through Movement is the use of the physical form – the body – in order to access the formless dimension within ourselves, the state of consciousness that is Presence. Her work translates the teachings found in The Power of Now and A New Earth into a structured practice used to cultivate Presence. She uses real life examples of bringing awareness into everyday existence. No prior knowledge is required. The exercises and movements are gentle, enjoyable and suitable for most people, regardless of age or physical fitness.
For more information or to register contact Shannon@EckhartTolle.com
Meditations for A New Earth: Finding the Stillness Within
Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health
May 15th - 18th 2011
Teacher: Kim Eng
Price: $577 - $1,213
(includes 3 nights accommodation, meals and tuition)
Register now!
Experience the peace and aliveness of the Now through simple, body-based practices that serve as portals into a new way of being in the world. Kim Eng, Eckhart Tolle’s partner and associate, will teach you how to access the formless dimension within your physical form—a dimension that connects you to the depth of this moment and the state of consciousness that is Presence.
In this special retreat with Kim, you will learn:
* Yin Yoga poses to help you slow down and direct the focus of your attention inward
* Qigong to stimulate and open the body’s energy channels
* Tai chi, a harmonious synthesis of action and stillness.
These practices activate the body’s life force, clear energy blockages, and increase physical well-being and aliveness. No prior knowledge or experience is required. The exercises are gentle, enjoyable, and suitable for most people regardless of age or physical fitness.
For more information and to register, please click here
Eckhart Tolle TV Recording - Vancouver, BC
Date: Saturday April 2nd & Sunday April 3rd, 2011
Teacher: Eckhart Tolle and Kim Eng
Location: Norman Rothstein Theatre, Vancouver, BC Canada
Tickets: 1-day Pass $189 USD or 2-day pass $378 USD
You are invited to join Eckhart Tolle and Kim Eng Saturday August 27th and Sunday 28th, 2011 in Vancouver, where they will be recording teachings made exclusively for Eckhart Tolle TV. Attendees will have the choice to participate for either one or two days of teachings in a rare intimate studio setting. Here is an opportunity to hear Eckhart discuss topics not ordinarily covered in his public lectures, including teachings from his favourite spiritual texts, guided meditations with Eckhart and Kim, questions and answers with audience. If you are interested in attending this event, a minimum of a one-month Eckhart Tolle TV subscription is required, available for $14.95 plus the cost of the event. Please visit the link below for ticket information.
New to Eckhart Tolle TV? Click here to register & purchase tickets to the event.If you are already a member of Eckhart Tolle TV, log in to your account and click the "Eckhart's Recording" tab at the top of the Member Home page to purchase tickets.
| Images of Stillness
Eckhart Teachings often receives inspirational works of art including photos, drawings, paintings, and sketches. Sometimes these images are created as a tribute to Eckhart and his teachings, and sometimes they are inspired by other sources such as the beauty and serenity of nature. This new section is dedicated to sharing your images of Stillness.
If you would like to submit your original painting, sketch, photograph, or other piece of art for possible use in an upcoming newsletter, please email Info@EckhartTolle.com with the subject line “Images of Stillness”.
Present Moment Reminders
Receive weekly inspirational reminders from Eckhart! When you sign up for the Present Moment Reminders, you will receive a short email to your inbox with a reminder to recognize the beauty and peace that arises from this very moment.
Recent Present Moment Reminder:
"So really what it comes down to, it's God. Wherever you look, it's God appearing as this, that, that and what you really love and appreciate in each form is the divine formless out of which each form comes. But to be able to sense that you have to sense it in yourself first. And that is seeing the beauty in everything, that's really what it means."
To sign up for Present Moment Reminders CLICK HERE
| Inspirational Story
My whole life I was interested in spiritual teachings. I did yoga classes and meditation exercises. Ten years ago my husband (who is now my ex-husband) started to listen to videos from Eckhart Tolle. At that time, I could not really grasp the content and was not interested.
Years later, in Africa, I saw a boy offering different books for sale to car drivers in the street. He showed me "A New Earth" and I knew I must have it and read it. I got this book at a time when I was going through a tough life situation. I was far from home, I had difficulties in my relationship with a new partner and my work conditions were stressful.
I started to read and was fascinated. I enjoyed each sentence and was fully alert. From this time on, I remembered myself regularly to be in the moment. I introduced on a voluntary basis "stops" in the flow of my thoughts. In long meetings I observed the spaces between the words, which allowed me to follow and intervene without any effort.
I noticed rapidly, that this knowledge is life changing.
Since then I have read all the books Eckhart has written and I find I am reading them over and over. It never gets boring and there is always something new in it.
I can confirm from my own experience that to bring presence and non-resistance into daily life changes the quality of life and helps to overcome even very difficult obstacles.
Charlotte
How have the teachings changed your life? Send us your inspirational story and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. Email Info@EckhartTolle.com with the subject line "Inspiring Story".
New Release
The Illusion of time
Time is not experienced, only the Now is experienced. In this talk, Eckhart brings a sense of clarity around our experience of time. He describes how the unconscious mind is always unhappy in the present moment because it is always looking to the future for something better.
He explains how the mind creates a “story of me” to build up a false sense of self, the ego. The ego always hopes to find what seems to be missing in the present moment by looking towards the next moment – which never arrives except as the Now.
This unconscious state of being relies on our thinking mind, on our understanding of past and future as important, crucial elements to our existence. Eckhart describes past and future as only “thought-forms”, concepts created by the mind which are used to understand change.
The mind-made sense of ‘self’, or ego, is always searching for meaning. At the most basic level, the creation of a ‘self’ implies that there must also be the ‘other’. Eckhart explains that the more one identifies with thinking, the more the ego is in control. Thus, it becomes more difficult to sense your own aliveness, the shared consciousness of all life.
Eckhart describes how the ego struggles to create meaning in an unconscious world by seeking it out through interactions and behaviors that provoke responses. For example, he notes that conflict can be one way for people to feel alive, if only on a negative level. Pain, suffering, and human drama can create a secondary sense of aliveness, which he explains is a substitution for the real sense of aliveness - that which comes from simply feeling the timeless consciousness that you are, which resides beneath all forms, including thought.
In this talk, Eckhart describes how "the more time dominates your life, the more identified you are with thought", including:
- The way in which the concept of “time” is used by the mind to explain change
- The conceptual identity we rely on to construct our sense of self
- How this identity creates distance between ‘self’ and ‘other’
- How the human urge to create conflict provides a substitute for a true feeling of aliveness
The Illusion of Time is available on DVD and CD $19.95 each
Purchase now! |
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