"laestadian, apostolic, gay, lgbtq, ex-oalc, ex-llc, llc, oalc, bunner" LEARNING TO LIVE FREE: Leggo My Ego

Monday, May 19, 2008

Leggo My Ego

Thanks to all of you for keeping things interesting around here. I'm distracted by sunshine and gardening and Little League, but I want to provide you with a link to scientists and other intellectuals participating in the "does God exist" debate.

Currently I'm reading Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth." Its foundational premise is not new, but it is free from the usual jargon and esoterica: put simply, we are not our minds; we are not our ideas or thoughts. We exist apart from our egos. Freedom from sin/attachment begins in observing the mind as separate and in nurturing love/egolessness. Tolle seems to have struck a chord for gazillions of people: the longing to transcend the hollowness of materialism as well as the tribalism and loopy claims of religion. Or that is how I see it, at least. Please weigh in if you have read the book.

(MTH and others, feel free to ignore the One Campaign button. Whether or not poverty is eternal is simply unknowable. I think fighting it is worthwhile, but of course there are many ways to do that, locally and globally. Currently the victims of natural disasters in Burma and China can really use our help.

2 comments:

  1. Free, I, too, am reading "A New Earth" along with Thomas Cahill's "Mysteries of the Middle Ages". I find Cahill an easier read although I like Tolle's thoughts better. I find my mind wandering when reading Tolle; I have difficulty staying focused. Maybe it's his sentence structure. I don't know. Perhaps some guidance and prodding from you will help.

    SISU

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  2. I also read "A New Earth" and it was very interesting in regards to staying present emotionally which is something I have struggled with for a long time, all my life really.
    I loved the book, but it seems to be more of a daily struggle at least for me then an instantaneous experience like it was for Mr. Tolle. I also read "The Power of Now" but it almost seemed that I was reading the same thing again. It did help reinforce the concepts.

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