Eckhart Tolle

Came across Eckhart Tolle just now. A friend posted on facebook a link to a video of Jim Carrey describing his spiritual discovery through Eckhart. Nothing against Eckhart, I think he has some very powerful ideas and perspective on life.

But after reading through his site a little, I couldn't help get the picture of him and his teachings being a sort of "answer" or "savior" for people. How HIS teachings are the key to the meaning of life. I couldn't help think that people will inevitably come to see him as a role model for this type of teaching.

Eckhart's teaching require the individual to experience and maintain or strive for a, lack of a better term, enlightened point of view of life. THIS focus is on the individual and their capacity. Which unless the person is perfect will never suffice. Even Jim Carrey was quoted with conveying his need to get back to that frame of thought. This leaves the individual in a constant or at least inconsistent state of contentment.

The reality is we aren't perfect and never will be. To maintain this perspective of enlightenment isn't possible (some may beg to differ - that is fine). But the world will time and time again distract us, pull us back, and ultimately keep us from maintaining this "enlightenment". We just don't have the capacity to do it. Whats left then? An individual in a state is frustration and disappointment at their inability to maintain this. While these emotions may not be exhibited so cut and dryly, they will still work against the overall quality of life as the person sees it.

Simply put, we can't rely completely on ourselves to achieve a blissful state of life where one understands the meaning of life or is detached from the world (as Carrey describes it). And through extension, we cannot hold up someone like Tolle as the man with the answers. Cause I would be willing to bet, that he suffers from the same hardships we do.

I think what he teaches has alot of worth to living a happy life. But to depend on it as the purpose and meaning to life. To strive for it as religiously as he promotes, isn't healthy.

I am happy to know that as a believer and follower of Christ. I do not depend on myself, but Christ. What that looks like may be argued and ultimately used to express contradiction by others in what I say. So be it. However, I acknowledge that I am broken, that I am a horrible person at times. That I cannot maintain this perfect relationship with Christ or in parallel the type of enlightenment that Tolle talks about. BUT the key here is the word grace. I don't deserve the relationship, the communion. I don't deserve the enlightenment, the knowledge of the purpose and meaning of life. However, God loves, He loves me, and through Christ STILL enters into relationship with me. Embracing grace is the key to life, in MY opinion.

If I am left thinking I deserve the meaning of life or any kind of enlightenment, then I will be really upset with myself or the world when my problems don't go away. No matter HOW differently I look at them.

Pain is pain people. Watching you mother die of cancer sucks the same for the atheist, the christian, and even the "Tollite"