Eckhart Tolle
Are you a habitual “waiter”? How much of your life do you spend waiting? What I call “small-scale waiting” is waiting in line at the post office, in a traffic jam, at the airport, or waiting for someone to arrive, to finish work, and so on. “Large-scale waiting” is waiting for the next vacation, for a better job, for the children to grow up, for a truly meaningful relationship, for success, to make money, to be important, to become enlightened. It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living.
Waiting is a state of mind. Basically, it means that you want the future; you don’t want the present. You don’t want what you’ve got, and you want you haven’t got. With every kind of waiting, you unconsciously create inner conflict between your here and now, where you don’t want to be, and the projected future, where you want to be. This greatly reduces the quality of your life by making you lose the present.
There is nothing wrong with striving to improve your life situation. You can improve your life situation, but you cannot improve your life. Life is primary. Life is your deepest inner Being. It is already whole, complete, perfect. Your life situation consists of your circumstances and your experiences. There is nothing wrong with setting goals and striving to achieve things. The mistake lies in using it as a substitute for the feeling of life, for Being. The only point of access for that is the Now. […]
So give up waiting as a state of mind. When you catch yourself slipping into waiting … snap out of it. Come into the present moment. Just be, and enjoy being. If you are present, there is never any need for you to wait for anything. So next time somebody says, “Sorry to have kept you waiting,” you can reply, “That’s all right, I wasn’t waiting. I was just standing here enjoying myself — in joy in my self.”
― Eckhart Tolle
Quotes
- Knowing yourself deeply has nothing to do with whatever ideas are floating around in your mind. Knowing yourself is to be rooted in Being, instead of lost in your mind. ― Eckhart Tolle
- Be the silent watcher of your thoughts and behavior. You are beneath the thinker. You are the stillness beneath the mental noise. You are the love and joy beneath the pain. ― Eckhart Tolle
- Give up waiting as a state of mind. When you catch yourself slipping into waiting, snap out of it. Come into the present moment. Just be and enjoy being. ― Eckhart Tolle
Criticism
Why Eckhart Tolle Will Never Make You Recognise Enlightenment - YouTube
The Limitations of Practicing Presence for Enlightenment
Eckhart Tolle’s teachings emphasize continuous practice of presence and awareness, which can ultimately prevent realization of true enlightenment.
Many followers of Eckhart Tolle engage in practices like awareness and presence for years, hoping to achieve enlightenment. However, this method only maintains the belief that there is something to achieve or fix about oneself. Constant practice keeps individuals in a loop of searching for something they already possess, hindering true awakening
The Paradox of Seeking Enlightenment
The search for enlightenment itself creates a paradox, keeping seekers trapped in a cycle of perpetual searching.
Searching for enlightenment perpetuates the idea that one is not already perfect, which contradicts the essence of enlightenment.This continuous search reinforces the belief in a goal to be reached, leading to a cycle of dissatisfaction and endless striving. Enlightenment is not about achieving something new but recognizing what already exists.
The Illusion of Progress in Spiritual Practice
Spiritual practices often give an illusion of progress, which can mislead seekers into believing they are getting closer to enlightenment.
Spiritual practices, while seemingly beneficial, often create small breakthroughs and realizations that give a false sense of progress. This illusion keeps individuals engaged, believing they are getting closer to enlightenment. However, true enlightenment requires seeing through these illusions and understanding that there is nothing more to achieve.
The Role of Realizations in Maintaining the Search
Temporary realizations can inadvertently keep seekers on the path of continuous searching.
Experiencing realizations or breakthroughs during spiritual practice can provide temporary relief and understanding, but they often reinforce the idea that there is more to achieve. These realizations are merely distractions that maintain the cycle of searching. True enlightenment comes from recognizing the futility of this search.