IeHe, as you wrote
Quote:
Revlgking, I appreciate your advice and will follow it. Thank you.
I appreciate your non-egoic response. Thank You. Your post is now much easier for me to read.

BTW, obviously you have learned how to handle your ego. Any time you feel that I need a little nudge to help me keep away letting myself get caught in the egoic mind (psyche) trap--the kind that thrives on being defensive and is fueled by the power of fear--feel free to nudge me and awaken me, here. If it is a private matter you can use the PM (personal message) section.

THE EGO, which thrives on DEFENSIVENESS AND FEAR
If you have Tolle's book, THE POWER OF NOW, handy, I would like you to read chapter two, and take note of pages 43-46.

In my opinion (IMO) the whole of chapter two, about CONSCIOUSNESS: THE WAY OUT OF PAIN, makes some very important points. Chapter two is about how important it is for all of us, including young children, to learn about how NOT TO CREATE MORE PAIN IN THE PRESENT.

Apparently Tolle is saying that the leaders of religions--of all kinds--who teach the TRUE believers need to spend this lives in pain and suffering, in an attitude of sacrifice and be willing to die as martyrs, are wrong. Interestingly--with few exceptions,and there are some--most leaders of the religions live lives in which they enjoy positions of privilege and power. Hmmmmmm!!!

Is this what Tolle is saying?
What is the truth about this?

Here, in summary, is what I hear him say: KNOWING HOW TO BE PRESENT IN THE NOW WILL DELIVER US FROM the EVIL of SUFFERING

Will it? Perhaps we need to be willing to experiment with this idea. I have. I am happy to report: It works! So far.

As I understand Tolle, freedom from the evil of pain and suffering starts with our accepting that we live in the NOW, always. No longer need we be limited by time and space. When we awaken to the reality that, though we have bodies (somas) and minds (psyches), in reality, we ARE spiritual beings (pneumas).

As spiritual beings within Being itself--I like to call it GOD--we are, IMO, like Jesus, gifted us with the power to be observers, victors, not victims. You and I have this wonderful power to simply observe what is happening in the mind (psyche) and body (soma) in the NOW, from which point the sky--all of infinite and eternal space/time continuum in which we live, move and have our being--is the limit.

WATCHERS, EMPOWERED BY LOVE, NOT FEAR
In other words, as spiritual beings, we have the greatest power in the cosmos at our disposal--of being loving watchers and observers of all that is going on, including what we will and how we feel, around and within us.

Realizing this, we are able to develop a sense of what Tolle calls the PRESENCE., Without being negative or positive--critical or judgmental-- we can focus on all our feelings--physical, mental and spiritual as they are.

TOLLE'S SUGGESTION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION
Here is Tolle's suggestion: This is so basic and so simple that "It could be taught to a child and hopefully one day it will be one of the first things children learn in school."

What a goal!