Eckhart, An Update... And This Time It's A Dolphin

There's a whole big bundle of stuff today. First of all, a bit more about the Eckhart-Oprah webcasts. If like me you've been listening to these on your portable player, you may be interested to learn that Pete at Touchstones has some selected video clips from the webcasts up for discussion on his blog. The pictures seem to give an extra dimension to the discussions - and enhance the sense of presence you can get from experiencing Eckhart Tolle's teaching.

I suspect that different parts of the webcasts will stand out for different people - you hear whatever you need to hear at the time. For me, the part of the second discussion which really grabbed me was when someone emailed in to ask how best to break free of the ego. 'Ego' isn't an expression I've used a lot on this blog but of course this is referring to the part of ourselves which is constantly trying to prove itself and compare itself to others, the part which is constantly seeking validation. Eckhart describes the ego as trying to 'complete itself'. It is aware that something is missing but it's not sure what, so it is constantly searching and looking for 'the next thing'.

Eckhart's advice in response to this question was to try to become as comfortable as we can with the present moment. This is because the ego hates the present moment. In its urge to 'complete itself', it is constantly on the lookout for what is going to happen next, as it searches for whatever it needs to make it whole. It is therefore constantly wishing for the present moment to end. So if you can lose that impatience and become comfortable with whatever is happening right now, you are starting break free from the ego and get in touch with your true self, which can always be found in the peace and power of the present.

If these webcasts have piqued your interest in Eckhart Tolle, you may like to go along to a Stillness group, where you can watch a video of Eckhart's teaching and then experience stillness in the company of others. My friend (and The Secret Of Life reader) Sally runs the group here in Leeds, UK, and hosts a directory of such groups throughout the UK. This site also includes links to groups in Eire and Spain. For US and other international groups, there is a similar site here.

Moving on to other things, the Gateways Of Light video about planetary transformation, which I featured back in January, got some good feedback, and I was recently contacted by Chris Bourne of Openhand Foundation, who developed the video. Chris wanted to let me know that it has now been 'improved and upgraded', so the original post now links to this new version.

I've mentioned before that I attend Ed Harpin's Kundalini Yoga and Deeksha sessions in Huddersfield here in the UK and I've recently written about my experience of the sessions on Ed's web site. You can find my write-up, along with the experiences of some other attendees here.

And don't forget to take a look at the comments on the posts here at The Secret Of Life if you get the time. We've been having some particularly interesting discussions recently, especially in response to the post How Much Do We Really Know? And of course, any comments you would like to leave yourself are very welcome...

Finally, here's a heartwarming story about a dolphin who came to the aid of some beached whales. I don't intend to deluge you with cute animal stories (much as I like them myself!) but I particularly like this one because of what it reminds us about dolphin intelligence and empathy for creatures outside its own species. (And also because it's just like Skippy the bush kangaroo...)

Comments

[pete reilly]

Simon,
Ego is amazing. This week I caught myself exaggerating the number of clients I am serving in a conversation with an acquaintance. (I just added one to the real number. Silly really)

The minute the exaggerated number came out of my mouth I realized that it was my ego talking and it was just trying to 'complete itself'.

Wow. I guess I have to trust that awareness of the ego will help put distance between the eternal me and it; and that over time it will become less of an influence in my life.

pete

[Sue Ann Edwards]

Anytime there is an 'e', esoterically it symbolizes "God" or "Source". E-go, is I Go, just as e-motion is energy in motion.
That part of us which you speak of, that trips us up every time, is the part of our Identity that identifies ourself as a child of man. This is the identity that blocks the way from realization and recognition of being a son of god primarily. It is the difference between what we and the world has made of us and how we are CREATED to be.

We reach the Light at the end of the tunnel just as soon as we realize we ARE that Light. While the dark walls of the tunnel are all our thoughts and ideas of not being.

Child of man lives on survival fears. Child of God doesn't. One is an identification with that which is our dust and the other, that which returns to where it came from, Eternal.

[Liara Covert]

It isn't surprising the question about dissolving ego is raised during the Eckart/ Oprah teachings. Yet, humans get the idea that ego is all bad. To me, that isn't the case. You can live 'in the now' and become a master of ego, instead of slave to ego craving, temptation, lower impulses, and desires.

The problem is not the ego mask itself, but our refusal to detach from it. Attachment is the obstacle. As we learn ego is an illusion with no existence of its own, we begin to grasp why we give it life. It appears to be real because of the power it derives from our sense of Self. When we grow accept ourselves as we are, unconditionally, we feel free, empowered and at peace.

As for the dolphin, I love heart-warming stories. Nots this mammal lives in water. Now, water represents feeling and emotion. The ego tells us we don't like what we feel (i.e. pain, anger, grief). We're urged to suppress discomfort. To do this only lays groundwork for long-term unpleasantness. What the dolphin says is enjoy water (emotion) for what it is, for what you can learn, but swim freely and permit our feelings to flow naturally without fear.

[Sue Ann Edwards]

Ancient Mariners used to tell tales of Sea Sirens, whose songs always carried them away to their demise. Like Liara shares, "Man's" attitude about being sensitive creatures.

What we feel is a result of the ideas in our minds. Like this piece, a circle, which can be turned many ways. From one perspective, the Siren riding the dolpin are riding the wave, "hanging ten", directing their course. From another perspective, they are about to be swamped by it, overwhelmed.

It's been called "Empowering" when we begin to realize our Creative Sovereignty of this level of our realities. I don't have to wait for anyone else to be able to FEEL any way I choose. I can learn how to love me. Then I will "have" and seek to share, instead of "need" and seek to get.

The formula is simple. If I desire to be Loved, then all I need do is BE Lovable. For one is a cause and the other, an effect.
http://sueannedwards.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/seasiren_1_12.jpg

[Simon]

Pete - Great to hear from you! On the scale of egoic inflation, I think your story ranks pretty low - adding a few zeroes to the end of the number would probably be more the norm for our society! - but it goes to show how deeply ingrained our competitive habits are.

Sue Ann - Thanks for your excellent summary of where we are and where we could be.

Liara - Thanks for pointing out that the ego isn't all bad. Indeed, it was created for a very good purpose. Without it, everything in this mortal existence would get very confusing. We need to know which body is ours and which belongs to somebody else. Otherwise, for instance, we'd be blowing other people's noses instead of our own. As you say, it is *attachment* to the ego which is the problem.

I love these little animal profiles of yours. I'm tempted to mention the duck-billed platypus next and see what you make of that! What you say about the dolphin reminds me of the upcoming series of posts I'm writing at the moment. 'Permit our feelings to flow naturally without fear': I think that lies at the heart of the riddle of our mortal existence.

Sue Ann again - And your words, too, lie at the heart of that riddle. All we need to do is turn our perceived notion of cause and effect on its head - and the way to do that is to 'see' it that way. I guess it's a bit like turning round that dancer...

(I love the sculpture!)

I feel really lucky to receive so much wisdom in your comments, girls! All Pete and I need to do is to get from here to there. But we're working on it...