On Monday March 3 and Wednesday March 5 I gave you two excerpts from Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth" and I promised I would bring both of those thoughts and entries together for you. If you haven't read those entries please scroll down and read them before continuing. Please keep in mind that I am condensing (changed the typo. Many thanks Sarah!) an entire book into a few paragraphs.
Before I continue I would like to explain a bit about this post. It is a spiritual topic that is open to many interpretations. It does not have any particular religious affiliations. The author speaks of "awakening" or "consciousness". Anyone with any religious background will understand that reference to be "God."
Here is the challenge that is presented when combining the two excerpts.
~ In order to find true happiness we are asked to learn to live in the present. This requires us to learn to understand the past is over and can not be changed or brought back. The future is not here and therefore always unknown.
~ When one learns to live in the present you have a greater (typo corrections thank you Betty!) ability of understanding your true purpose.
~ True happiness can not be found anywhere else but from within. It can not be found in your circumstances, or in relationships. All of these things undergo change.
~ What is true to you may not be true to another, nor does one negate the other. In other words, One does not have to prove the other wrong in order to prove themselves right.
The road to enlightenment:
Taking all of the above, we are asked to do the following. Live in the moment. Know that you are exactly where you are supposed to be atall times. Even when it seems very wrong. Get intouch with the part of yourself that is eternal (some call this the soul), that is in touch with the total consciousness (God, The Divine, A Higher Power). If we are able to do this, and allow our own wants, needs, desires, that which our ego says brings us happiness, then we will be able to find peace and happiness here and now.
I have given you a lot to thinkabout today. Over the next few days I will suggest ideas and places for you to apply these thoughts.
6 comments:
Wow. That was a lot to think about. Thank you so much. Your posts are like a good glass of wine (say, Chardonnay)--very sweet, with a little kick. I once did hear a good sermon that said what you did, that we must live in the present because "now" is all we really have. But my question is, can't we still believe in an even more blissful future? Finally, even your typos are endearing. You wrote "condescending" when we know you meant "condensing." That's the cute irony because you are never "condescending" (talking down to your readers.
Sarah
I've heard that book is really, really good. I think I'll buy it.
Missie
thank-you rosemary, i think i got it, i know where i have been going wrong!!! now all i have to do is adjust the way i think, bye bye past..... mrs t xxx
sorry, I found another typo "grater"
I can see where this is all going, Rosemary, but to me, all of these things from this book spells New Age to me;
I agree we need to put our past behind us, my true purpose, the reason I was made, was to glorify God; I've never been able to find true happiness from within myself but from God working in me and that is my happiness, what he's done for me, nothing I've ever done or could achieve
I live not for the moment but for Him; I know he has me where he wants me if I follow him and obey what and where he tells me to go otherwise I'm out of his will; actually my happiness and peace won't come from me but from him living in me
like I said, this does sound so New Age, kind of like last year's The Secret
betty
Love it! Your journal truly is inspirational.
Martha :-)
This reminds me a lot of the writings of St. John of the Cross. And a lot of the other saints. With one exception. Christ is specifically talked about to be within if you are baptized into Christ. What is most important is Christ. Because of the Lord, you can be very happy within. Not only because you have Him, but because you know that anything that happens to you, know matter what, you will still be okay. St. Paul says he was fine with plenty, and he was fine in want. I think this is the same idea. If we can come to that place we will do well.
Krissy
http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink
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