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Post by Liza on Mar 18, 2009 2:03:14 GMT -5
Thank You for your comment on Ekhart Tolle's use of the mass fortune he has quickly accumulated...I had read his book and was very moved and enlightened by it...I still continue to read it, but I always like to do a bit of research on "teachers" to see if they apply what they are teaching in their own life. Needless to say the first thing that popped up was an outrageously expensive seminar that saddened me. At least if the cost is going toward a good cause or when I googled "things Ekhart Tolle donates to" had I come up with all of the wonderful things he is doing with his fortune... I would have been put at ease. Alas I found little other than more Ekhart Tolle book, seminars, and trinkets to buy. Perhaps he is planning something big with this money and it hasn't come to light yet...I can only hope. Thank you for acknowledging my concerns as some of your own as well.
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anonji
Junior Member
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Post by anonji on Mar 18, 2009 7:47:23 GMT -5
I had the same concerns and found the same thing as you. I realize that Tolle didn't seek out fame; he was adopted by Oprah and then became a household word with millions in sales. Most of the successful teaching gurus usually start a non-profit and offer classes and other educational items. Tolle seems to have kept the money and is living the good life (albeit it a simple life). He does not seem interested in an organization and his endorsed meeting style is for participants to watch one of his lectures and then sit in silence (refrain from intellectual discussion). He's a bit of an enigma. I think if I wrote a spirituality book that brought in millions I might want to lay low and just buy some nice, woodsy land with a fancy house and sit quiet.
Tolle has done a lot of good in his own way. I don't grudge him the good life if that's what he wants.
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Post by only me on Apr 13, 2009 5:52:57 GMT -5
there is a topic about tolle on thr rick ross anti-cult forum. i suggest you read it!!
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Post by Peter on Apr 13, 2009 15:11:23 GMT -5
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babog
New Member
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Post by babog on May 25, 2009 17:42:27 GMT -5
We also have concerns about what Eckhart Tolle does with his profits, as surely when one becomes spiritually realised, and does not see 'the other,' one cannot tolerate poverty, and would do something to try and alleviate that with one's fortune. It does not mean one has to deny everything Tolle has to say, as we think he has a gift for conveying spiritual truths, and I find his advice very helpful. At the same time it is healthy to ask the critical questions. I also have a critical question about this site - why does it advertise psychic readings and post other ads of a similar sort? Is it not possible to have a profit-free site that is intellectually sound? Thanks and cheers from New Zealand.
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Post by lightmystic on May 25, 2009 18:16:21 GMT -5
Interesting. I actually find that as one recognizes ALL aspects of life to be oneself, there is actually a toleration, even appreciation, of the value of everything, including poverty. There is no rule that says that one who realizes the truth can't be rich... After all, the idea that there's something wrong with the world that we have to fix is an unexamined projection of pain. And that is all it is. It's true that compassion is the natural result of seeing suffering if one is not blocked off, but to say that compassion means donating money or doing charity work is something I find to be ridiculous. Where do people come up with these ideas? We also have concerns about what Eckhart Tolle does with his profits, as surely when one becomes spiritually realised, and does not see 'the other,' one cannot tolerate poverty, and would do something to try and alleviate that with one's fortune. It does not mean one has to deny everything Tolle has to say, as we think he has a gift for conveying spiritual truths, and I find his advice very helpful. At the same time it is healthy to ask the critical questions. I also have a critical question about this site - why does it advertise psychic readings and post other ads of a similar sort? Is it not possible to have a profit-free site that is intellectually sound? Thanks and cheers from New Zealand. |
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Post by Peter on May 26, 2009 3:10:53 GMT -5
It's true that compassion is the natural result of seeing suffering if one is not blocked off, but to say that compassion means donating money or doing charity work is something I find to be ridiculous. Where do people come up with these ideas? Are you advocating compassion without action then, LightMystic? Paul might call you a "tinkling cymbal" if so. You appear to be promoting an Ivory Tower lifestyle. "Worse than idle is compassion if it ends in tears and sighs" Wordsworth |
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Post by Peter on May 26, 2009 3:25:18 GMT -5
Hi Babog, welcome to the board. Woah there Silver! How many of you are sharing a keyboard there? Shawn may want to answer this one but my understanding is that this site just provides a placeholder and Google fills in the ads. There is some control about the general area of advertising to ensure it's "targetted" correctly, but other than that I think this site takes what it's given. I'm sure if there was a checkbox saying "don't include dodgy psychic reading site advertising", Shawn would have ticked it. Is it possible to have intellectually sound advertising....that seems very unlikely. If you come across any please do let me know. |
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Post by lightmystic on May 26, 2009 9:56:04 GMT -5
I don't see any such thing as compassion without action. It's kind of like, if you love someone (say a significant other), you are going to show them that love spontaneously. It might look like, say, making them dinner, but there's nothing that says it has to. There are even times when love might look like a proverbial kick in the pants if that's what people need (tough love). So the expression is natural and there are no rules about what it has to look like on the surface. I find the same to be true with compassion. It doesn't mean that compassion can't look like donating to charity, but there's no reason it has to. Even if he is making plenty of money, Eckhart Tolle still is devoting his life to sharing being with others. He's been doing that for years and years and years. That, in itself, is something I consider to be deeply compassionate and a great service. I consider even just the basic bringing people up with your light as you move through the world to be an act of great compassion, and a spontaneous one. Any attempt to regulate what the feeling of compassion should look like on the surface only gets in the way of real compassion in my experience.... Are you advocating compassion without action then, LightMystic? Paul might call you a "tinkling cymbal" if so. You appear to be promoting an Ivory Tower lifestyle. "Worse than idle is compassion if it ends in tears and sighs" Wordsworth |
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Post by Peter on May 27, 2009 6:46:11 GMT -5
Oh yes, absolutely true. The most skilful compassionate action could be a kick in the pants or it could be doing nothing at all. Sometimes people need to find their own feet. That said, Tolle's commercial acumen does raise a red flag for me. Work, insight and attainment in one area of one's life doesn't guarantee that one doesn't still have major blind spots or childhood trauma to work through which can cause all sorts of issues. I was (still) reading Jack Kornfield's book Path with Heart last night and specifically a chapter called "The Emperor's New Clothes" which talks about issues that crop up with teachers and spiritual communities - money, drink/drugs, sex and pretending none of it is happening. Very interesting. Still at the end of the day it's his money, he earned it and he's not forcing anyone to give it to him. Lots of people seem to get a lot out of his work (I really enjoyed reading The Power of Now, found it to be very accessible) so it looks like he deserves it. Money as a spiritual commodity is an interesting discussion, I've heard a few people talk about it as condensed energy. I came across this talk by Corinne McLaughlin www.sevenray.net/sri_audio_corinne.html "Money as a Spiritual Asset" which I listened to because I noticed I was highly resistant to the title. |
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Post by lightmystic on May 27, 2009 10:32:19 GMT -5
Interesting money thing! Yeah, it's definitely important not to just abandon the intellect when devoting oneself to a teacher. It's not really valid until we find it within our own experience anyway... For me, it's just a practical consideration. Do the techniques work? Does the teaching point me in the direction of my own being? If it does, then it's useful regardless of what the teacher is doing. If the teacher behaves in a way inconsistent with the teaching, or seems fixated on money or something like that, or simply does not treat people well on a regular basis, then perhaps it's best to avoid the teacher. But, as you say, Eckhart Tolle seems to be useful, and he seems not to have any particular fixation on anything, so it looks like the money making is not becoming a problem as of yet.... Oh yes, absolutely true. The most skilful compassionate action could be a kick in the pants or it could be doing nothing at all. Sometimes people need to find their own feet. That said, Tolle's commercial acumen does raise a red flag for me. Work, insight and attainment in one area of one's life doesn't guarantee that one doesn't still have major blind spots or childhood trauma to work through which can cause all sorts of issues. I was (still) reading Jack Kornfield's book Path with Heart last night and specifically a chapter called "The Emperor's New Clothes" which talks about issues that crop up with teachers and spiritual communities - money, drink/drugs, sex and pretending none of it is happening. Very interesting. Still at the end of the day it's his money, he earned it and he's not forcing anyone to give it to him. Lots of people seem to get a lot out of his work (I really enjoyed reading The Power of Now, found it to be very accessible) so it looks like he deserves it. Money as a spiritual commodity is an interesting discussion, I've heard a few people talk about it as condensed energy. I came across this talk by Corinne McLaughlin www.sevenray.net/sri_audio_corinne.html "Money as a Spiritual Asset" which I listened to because I noticed I was highly resistant to the title. |
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Post by Shawn on May 29, 2009 9:22:03 GMT -5
Regarding the advertising on this site, it has nothing to do with my choices. Proboards is partnered with Google and Google places ads they think might appeal to "spiritual" people. That's the price we pay for a free board.
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Post by souley on Jun 12, 2009 16:11:54 GMT -5
I think the power of now is awesome. It opened me to all this, by speaking very directly to something within me, and it opened me by forcing me to look in and let everything out. I can see how Tolle may upset people, but really, we don't know him at all, and I think the people that are upset may not be seeing his actions from the same place as he is in.
Amazing book. I don't know where I would be without him pointing out all my ego-flaws in such a way that I could not escape them any more.
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Post by thistoo on Jul 18, 2009 18:35:50 GMT -5
I was glad to see Eckhart Tolle added to the ratings. I read his first book before most anyone had heard of him, and have to say that it opened my eyes to a realm of inquiry I was previously unaware of.
The biggest value of Eckhart's work I think is that he provides a great picture of the ego, a concept I was previously completely ignorant of.
I did reach a point where I yearned for more, and his writings didn't take me there, but reading his books was the first step on a path that eventually led me to other resources like the TAT Foundation, so he can't be all bad. :-)
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