A new earth?

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A new earth?

Post by jewel »

http://eckharttolle.com/a_new_earth

Over 2,000,000 people from 139 countries have participated with Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle in a live Web-based seminar covering each chapter of Tolle's recent book entitled, A New Earth Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. Why is this book so popular? Will it lead you deeper in your walk with Christ? Or, is it counterfeit spirituality promoting a false view of God?

The underlying premise is that all material things (from planets to pebbles to flowers to animals) result from a universal, immaterial life force expressing itself in material form. Humans are a part of that expression. However, we have evolved to the point where we have the potential to become Aware of our oneness with the universal life force. The purpose of all mankind is to become aware that their Being is an expression of the One Life Force.

However, the vast majority of people are unconscious and unaware of the source of their being. Every human being has an illusory self image or ego which is completely conditioned by the past, always wanting and never satisfied. We also have an individual and collective accumulation of old emotional pain Tolle calls the "pain-body." Our ego and our pain-body are actively trying to keep us away from true awareness. When we identify ourselves with our ego, our thoughts about the past and future, our wants and our hurts, we cannot experience our true Beingness.
In Tolle's view, this lack of awareness of our true essence and false identification with our egos has the world and the human race on the brink of extinction. Fortunately, the universal life force is manipulating this crisis to create an opportunity for many people to move from an unconscious state to consciousness. In order to become conscious, we must recognize that we are not our thoughts and/or egos. We must learn to accept and be present in the Now, because the past and the future exist only as thoughts. When most people are operating from their true essence rather than their egos, we will have drastic social and physical upheavals on this earth resulting in a whole new world order; that is, "a new earth."

If you are thinking this sounds a lot more like Eastern mysticism than a deeper walk with Christ, you are on the right track. So why is this message so popular even among many regular church attendees?


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Post by Ebikatsu »

Jewel

There might for you come a day when it all just falls into place.
Humans don't and never will know all the answers. That's life. Live with it.
What we need to do is stop searching so hard for things that won't be revealed or explained.

Tell me Jewel.

What is your purpose in life? Have you figured it out?
Don't quote me someone else. Tell me what you figured for yourself.
Maybe you haven't figured it out yet and are still searching.
Why exactly are you here?
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Post by Hurghadapat »

Jewel's purpose in life i think is to cut and paste :roll: and please don't take offence Jewel but you do tend to do rather a lot of it ;)
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Post by jewel »

I have read previous books eg"stillness speaks" by ET and they are real gems - he takes ideas from various schools of spiritual practice, philosophy and religion and amalgamates them into some really good simple ideas.

As I have an interest in certain of these I myself believe that we are all interconnected in a zen kind of way to everything else, if that makes sense therefore our actions affect everything else - like a universal life force.
Imagine how exciting if all humans adopted this simple philosophy how much more mindful they would be of how thet treat all living beings and the environment. I for one think it exciting to believe that this could lead to a new world order or "New earth" as Tolle refers to.
There are parallels also with the buddhist philosophy that attachment to material things is the cause of suffering and hold us back from this connection and true awareness, and are part of the ego that Tolle speaks of.
Learning to accept and be present in the now, is also because the past and the future exist only as thoughts and detract from this.

I apologise for the cut and paste but realise that perhaps many may not be aware of these issues, but I find it fascinating - as does our Oprah obviously, and it would appear many church going Christians, and that was my main question.....why would this be?
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Post by Ebikatsu »

I don't mind cut and paste if it leads to a good debate.

I have to disagree with you though.
For instance. We cannot control the weather can we and so many things depend on that., and I'm talking not about global warming which is relatively new to our planet. I'm talking more about the sun and moon. We cannot control night and day, dark and light, and again so many things depend on that. We cannot control the earths rotation can we? the planets and the tides. Again so much of our world depends on that rotation.

So man is controlled by these things not the other way around.
Imagine if the sun disappeared out of our solar system. Within minutes we would all perish.

I think that Buddhism works if you are a hermit living in a cave somewhere that has an endless supply of food. It's crazy don't you see.
Imagine we were all buddhist monks because to be honest they are the only ones I suppose who have the time to sit around all day contemplating their navels.

:mrgreen:
The rest of us need to go out and work and grow crops and make factories and build cars so we can take these Buddhist monks their daily platters of dinner. Make their orange cotton toga's to wear. Forge their prayer bells in the foundry, and make printshops to make their books.
If we all lived in this sublime state then we would be extinct in no time so basically this is not the answer is it?

Explain ZEN to me?

You say the connection to material things causes suffering. How come?
Are you really saying that we should all live in caves with a bell chanting in orange robes?

Being aware to me is knowing that this is earth and we are not perfect beings and never will be.

What is it that you are not aware of when you talk of awareness?
It all seems pretty clear to me.

What do you mean by 'present in the now'?
Now means this second and then it's a thought isn't it?

I find all this babble fascinating because to me it is just babble and nothing makes any sense.



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Post by jewel »

For instance. We cannot control the weather can we and so many things depend on that., and I'm talking not about global warming which is relatively new to our planet. I'm talking more about the sun and moon. We cannot control night and day, dark and light, and again so many things depend on that. We cannot control the earths rotation can we? the
planets and the tides. Again so much of our world depends on that rotation.

So man is controlled by these things not the other way around.
Imagine if the sun disappeared out of our solar system. Within minutes we would all perish.

I think that Buddhism works if you are a hermit living in a cave somewhere that has an endless supply of food. It's crazy don't you see.
Imagine we were all buddhist monks because to be honest they are the only ones I suppose who have the time to sit around all day contemplating their navels.
I do think you have misunderstood the whole idea behind new earth and indeed the precepts of buddhism in general, but as i say ET takes his ideas from many spiritual practices...........it is not about attempting to control anything (except our own mind perhaps) it is more about just being in the here and now, wherever we are whatever we are doing, it is about being mindful....and no buddhists I know live in caves like hermits :lol:
Explain ZEN to me?
Zen is an idea not easy to put into words that all things on the earth are interconnected......by the practice of zen meditation helps to train the mind....I could say when you ask "what is zen"? "what are you"?
In this whole world everyone searches for happiness outside, but nobody understands their true self inside.
Everybody says, "I" -- "I want this, I am like that..." But nobody understands this "I." Before you were born, where did your I come from? When you die, where will your I go? If you sincerely ask, "what am I?" sooner or later you will run into a wall where all thinking is cut off. We call this "don't know."
Zen is keeping this "don't know" mind always and everywhere.
A Hindu story tells of a fish who asked of another fish: "I have always heard about the sea, but what is it? Where is it?"
The other fish replied: "You live, move and have your being the sea. The sea is within you and without you, and you are made of sea, and you will end in sea. The sea surrounds you as your own being."
So the only true answer to the question "What is Zen?" is the one that you find for yourself.



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Post by Ebikatsu »

jewel wrote:
For instance. We cannot control the weather can we and so many things depend on that., and I'm talking not about global warming which is relatively new to our planet. I'm talking more about the sun and moon. We cannot control night and day, dark and light, and again so many things depend on that. We cannot control the earths rotation can we? the
planets and the tides. Again so much of our world depends on that rotation.

So man is controlled by these things not the other way around.
Imagine if the sun disappeared out of our solar system. Within minutes we would all perish.

I think that Buddhism works if you are a hermit living in a cave somewhere that has an endless supply of food. It's crazy don't you see.
Imagine we were all buddhist monks because to be honest they are the only ones I suppose who have the time to sit around all day contemplating their navels.
I do think you have misunderstood the whole idea behind new earth and indeed the precepts of buddhism in general, but as i say ET takes his ideas from many spiritual practices...........it is not about attempting to control anything (except our own mind perhaps) it is more about just being in the here and now, wherever we are whatever we are doing, it is about being mindful....and no buddhists I know live in caves like hermits :lol:
Explain ZEN to me?
Zen is an idea not easy to put into words that all things on the earth are interconnected......by the practice of zen meditation helps to train the mind....I could say when you ask "what is zen"? "what are you"?
In this whole world everyone searches for happiness outside, but nobody understands their true self inside.
Everybody says, "I" -- "I want this, I am like that..." But nobody understands this "I." Before you were born, where did your I come from? When you die, where will your I go? If you sincerely ask, "what am I?" sooner or later you will run into a wall where all thinking is cut off. We call this "don't know."
Zen is keeping this "don't know" mind always and everywhere.
A Hindu story tells of a fish who asked of another fish: "I have always heard about the sea, but what is it? Where is it?"
The other fish replied: "You live, move and have your being the sea. The sea is within you and without you, and you are made of sea, and you will end in sea. The sea surrounds you as your own being."
So the only true answer to the question "What is Zen?" is the one that you find for yourself.



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oh well in temples like hermits then :mrgreen:

your 'I' didn't exist before you were born Jewel

:?

I means 'me' so if you are not created then there is no me is there :? ?

If Zen means everything is interconnected then where is the mystery in that. We all know that is fact. Why make a big deal out of that? I don't understand?

We can only be in the here and now. I don't get what you mean. We can't be anything else but that so why contemplate that when we know that is fact?

I do agree that spiritual people like Buddhists try to escape the real world and live in some kind of trance or altered state that might bring them some kind of peace but the rest of us have to deal with the realities of life. Conflicts, war, illness, madness, insanity, handicaps, tragedies, catastrophes etc.

I suppose if we all decided tomorrow to sit and meditate in a temple and chime bells and chant mantras to keep in this sublime state it would be great.

God knows who would be doing all the work though?

It's just not practical is it?



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Post by jewel »

I do agree that spiritual people like Buddhists try to escape the real world and live in some kind of trance or altered state that might bring them some kind of peace but the rest of us have to deal with the realities of life. Conflicts, war, illness, madness, insanity, handicaps, tragedies, catastrophes etc
The whole point eludes you EB! If you become really present in reality there is no trance or altered state about it just a clearer reality - many of the things you mention arise from the suffering that is brought about by a deluded consciousness and attachment. Indeed that is the whole point of "new earth" in that if everyone was able to live mindfully and let go of these attachments and delusions many of these sufferings would vanish and everyone would obtain inner peace.
I think if you read any of Eckhart Tolles books ...try "stillness speaks" you would understand better.

Emotional pain and discomfort is something none of us can avoid—regardless of our age, social background and religious belief. While we cannot prevent death, illnesses, rejection, separation and a host of other unwanted events, we can also strengthen our mind with regular practice of meditation so that it is less susceptible to pains brought by all these uncontrollable events.
This does not mean that meditation will harden your mind so that you become a heartless person. Rather, it cleanses the mind so that regular meditators become calmer, gentler, kinder and feel increasingly uncomfortable about harming anyone either by speech or action.

Many have found regular practice of meditation helped them overcome physical ailments and emotional illnesses. Others have expressed satisfaction at increased self-esteem, and far from not doing any work as you put it , better work performance, and improved relationships with colleagues and family members.

Moving Mind

Two men were arguing about a flag flapping in the wind.
"It's the wind that is really moving," stated the first one.
"No, it is the flag that is moving," contended the second.
A Zen master, who happened to be walking by, overheard the debate and interrupted them.
"Neither the flag nor the wind is moving," he said, "It is MIND that moves."
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Post by Hurghadapat »

What i load of........................you have to have the bad times to know when you are having the good times so just live every day as it comes and learn to live with the realities of life and don't look for an escape from them. :roll: Cope with them and it will make you a stronger person :)
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Post by jewel »

What i load of........................you have to have the bad times to know when you are having the good times so just live every day as it comes and learn to live with the realities of life and don't look for an escape from them. Cope with them and it will make you a stronger person
No-one denys this and zen is certainly not an escape...it is seeing things as they really are :) what is escape is trying to escape by surrounding yourself with material posessions, people, things, and other forms of escape, wheras in zen you actual confront reality head on good and bad.
I like this illustration

It Will Pass
A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!" "It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly.
A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It's just wonderful!'
"It will pass,"
the teacher replied matter-of-factly :D
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Post by Hurghadapat »

Yes agree with the last paragraph :) Each to their own and if you get a lot of satisfaction from this way of thinking/life who am i to knock it i just really don't understand it all thats the problem :roll:
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Post by Ebikatsu »

Jewel

do you believe that the Indian Guru's who levitate are really levitating?

I asked someone who talks just like you and they said they did levitate!!.

Even though I showed her a video of the tent erected around them beforehand, the metal structure erected behind the tent, and his robes behind showing that he was sitting on a platform extending from the metal pole! :?

Even AFTER seeing the video she still swore that Indian fakirs can levitate??



can you believe that?

I just cannot get my head around all this stuff .
The thing about the flag flying, you mention?
So basically are you saying that what we see and feel and witness isn't really happening and if that is the case, where's the proof that it's not? and I suppose you could say that where is the proof that it is actually happening too to me
:mrgreen:

and if that's the case, then none of this is real, so why worry then? and if we don't really exist then what is all of this illusion and more importantly WHY?



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Post by jewel »

Have no idea about the levitating fakirs or whatever and really dont wory about such things....the flag illustrates exactly delusions as it is our mind and consciousness which creates everything in any case .....I suppose it is a tad like quantum physics and Einstein ....Schroedingers cat et al
It is best not to ask too many questions I find but just accept things as they are or appear to be and appreciate that that is all it is.

I find that meditating really does help to clear and calm the mind and brings about a real stillness and acceptence of the here and now :) :D
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Post by Michaelrazor »

Okay folks, lets just get things here straight
first of all, i think i understand what jewel is trying to say here and there might be a sense of confusion between most of you regarding new earth.

To obtain inner peace or to find it you need to follow a certain spiritual guidance that will be like your candle in the wind or storm.
The world is divided into two parts seen by us as;
-Reality
-OZZ world

Look at mankind since the beginning.... even before he discovered fire he was still living like a beast from a cave to another hunting, killing, waging wars against other factions all for the sake of
Food aka (resources)
land aka (economical power)
Power aka (Ruling and dictatorship)

After he discovered fire, he used it to even cause more damage to both environment and man alike. There was no limits to what human greed exceeded.
Now earth has started to see a new era of mankind, and era filled with more greed and destruction till present day.
Look around you.... i mean look at a program like "Judge Judy" for example, look at how families are suing each other for stupid materialistic things, and then you ask yourself.... hmmmm whats wrong with thses people where is family life? where is love and unity?
where is god and his mercy and judgment?
so many questions will jump to your head, and you look again around
you see, friends backstabbing each other, father against son, mother against daughter, parents against their children, abuse, murder, war, famine, corruption, greed, drugs, cheating, diseases...etc

now the non reality world is what many of us inside us deep are dreaming of
like, a better tomorrow, a better job, a good wife/husband/family/peace and tranquility/wealth/no backstabbing/health/stress free world/ no hunger or war or murder or poverty ...............etc a long list i could tell you.
this is what we all dream of everyday every minute of our life's.

reality is all the above and what we today live in....
Look....... the world is filled with many unexplained things, secrets buried deep and more things that the more you research and ask the more you could probably go nuts and drives you crazy so ....
there is a Japanese word says
"Home is where my work, my bed, my dreams and my sorrows are..."

Live your life the way you see it fit, but remember that, whatever you do what ever you say and whatever you decide will be in the end all back to you... on you and only for you.
try and live what is left of your life to the full and make use of every minute possible because every minute passes by will never come back.
sometimes it is better to not seek that what we can not understand for in seeking it will make us more confused.

peace be with ya all
:mrgreen:
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Post by Ebikatsu »

Great Post MR :)

The problem is how do we make our fantasy of what life should be like, when all around us is greed and war.
How do we change the culture of 'celebrity' and wealth as being the most important things to achieve in life?
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Post by Michaelrazor »

the reality EBY reality.
you see.. mankind lives a dream or a hope that tomorrow will be a better day, or a better option will arise.
You remmember the matrix movie, if you look close to it the concept was what?
Reality and Dream world.........
we dont see the reality but we live in a dream world fabricated by the politicians...
we dont see the truth becasue for us truth is becoming something we have to grip in order to believe, so the element of faith is gone
leaving only materialistic components from life for us to live with.

we can never change anything EB we cant why, simple is that, because all you have now realistic is to think of your own survival and welfare not about the trees or the poor people who have no food or the whales, yes sounds very evil but this is real.... teh world will remain evil becasue human can not live without being greedy it is a stamp

A lion killes his cubs because he knows they will not make it in the wild
a member of the group will be casted away, just becasue his image and belonging have failed to impress the social circle of the animals like meerkats, a lot of them have amazing things to learn from, wolves and lions, elephants and cats...etc

we cant change, but we can try and survive and make our home our own dream the way we want it.. you cant live the way you want, but you can try and live free and survive that is what we can do.
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Post by Ebikatsu »

and that's the sad truth Razor :(

When we watch the news and see the hopelessness and then realise that the governments are orchestrating a lot of it, you just feel desperation.
I think that is why nowadays religion is making a big comeback.
When you feel a sense of hoplessness, you turn to the only thing you have left which is the next life.
Like Cairo in Egypt.
It's turned from a cosmopolitan city, to a city with a sense of hopelessness and a rise in religion. The European style has been replaced with the burkha.
The people seem powerless against the regime so they do the only thing they can and that is become ultra religious.
It's a battle now against the 'anti Westernism' and the growing Islamism.

The problem here is the regime are now seeing a rise in the Brotherhood, because that is all the people have left.
I mean the majority, not the 'fat cats'.

It's all about survival as you say.
But look at the big superpower America. With all it's wealth they have millions who are barely surviving and are homeless and eating in soup kitchens. You wouldn't expect that from the supposed richest nation in the world would you.

Egyptian villagers are often better off nutritionally.

I think all you can do is sit and hope that the leaders will come to their senses.
I think eventually conscience will kick in. Like today the German General who resigned over the Tanker air strike, and the other one in the news yesterday about the US soldiers who executed the 4 men at the Canal and have now spoken up and confessed.
The refusnik Israeli soldiers now refusing to take part in demolitions.
The UK soldiers beating the Iraqi's.
No wonder there are so many mentally disturbed troops, when you think of the things they do.
Imagine having to go back to civi street knowing you've slaughtered a family of women and children. What kind of hero stories are you telling your children?? :(

Conscience is the key.
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Post by jewel »

It's a battle now against the 'anti Westernism' and the growing Islamism.
I thought they were one and the same? :?

It all boils down to humans attachment to their egos......let go of that and you have true awareness :)

To re-iterate:
In order to become conscious, we must recognize that we are not our thoughts and/or egos. We must learn to accept and be present in the Now, because the past and the future exist only as thoughts. When most people are operating from their true essence rather than their egos, we will have drastic social and physical upheavals on this earth resulting in a whole new world order. Namaste :D
"If you understand, things are just as they are, if you do not understand things are just as they are"
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Post by Ebikatsu »

jewel wrote:
It's a battle now against the 'anti Westernism' and the growing Islamism.
I thought they were one and the same? :?
Duh :mrgreen:

I was half asleep I think when I wrote that!!
Take out the 'anti'
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Post by Ebikatsu »

jewel wrote:

It all boils down to humans attachment to their egos......let go of that and you have true awareness :)
you know I just watched Larry King and the show was about Hero's. They had on Maria Carey, Tyra, and other celebrities.
I was watching it and I was thinking 'why the hell is he interviewing celebrities'? Why not 'real'people?
Have we all gone mad?
I don't think I've ever seen a bigger EGO on anyone than Maria Carey :(
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