So, here goes. I did actually read the book and I had to gloss over a lot of things in there that sound just off. Like the pain body. I’m going to ignore the fact that the guy is set for life from books sales, Oprah, classes. My questions are to do with what he claims, that thoughts are the result of our suffering. The to stop suffering is to stop thinking, even though I can’t really be sure that happened with him. I mean…how do you prove that someone has stopped thinking? I only have their word, and even then what about the subconscious? Claiming that the now has all these amazing properties when suffering and thinking take place in the now. If suffering was not in the now then his book would be irrelevant.
His other remark was that you are not the mind, and that to break the loop you must become a witness to your thoughts and nothing else. As I was watching the video all I could think was “how do you know this”? Because all I got was a string of claims and that’s it. I didn’t get anything to show this to be so. His claims that love, creativity, and beauty are beyond the mind are patently false. These things can’t be anything but mental. I know that in psychology they found out that we are really “two” and that each half of the brain is capable of knowing things and even believing things the other side doesn’t.
Yet knowing all this I can’t help but wonder why people exalt him so much or say how life changing he is. I know I had an experience when I read the first chapter of his book but that was because I just accepted it and my imagination followed suit. IT was the same for solipsism and idealism. I just wonder why he’s so popular. I read the book and it was hard to buy into all of it. He said animals don’t have a sense of time but that is false, very much so.
Same Xain, different day. Instead of asking a bunch of questions, try writing your own critique. Take quotes from wherever you want, then quote someone you think is accurate and a respected source. Like this thing about psychology says we are “two”, is that right? Where did you get that? Describe why you think the respected source is accurate. You can use personal experience, but stick to standards of psychology and science as much as possible.
Xian, I had an interesting theory pop into my head reading that.
I’m wondering if you have become addicted to reading this stuff in order to keep from discussing your questions with yourself?
I mean if you keep your inner dialogue occupied with a stream of words from others (especially driven, professional others, insofar as doing all the things it takes to become profitable literary/spiritual/public figures) imaginations - so that you don’t have to sit-down and listen to your self and battle it out with yourself?
Same Xain, different day. Instead of asking a bunch of questions, try writing your own critique. Take quotes from wherever you want, then quote someone you think is accurate and a respected source. Like this thing about psychology says we are “two”, is that right? Where did you get that? Describe why you think the respected source is accurate. You can use personal experience, but stick to standards of psychology and science as much as possible.
Im trying my best here. Rather than just accept the video I couldn’t help but figure how he knew any of this was true. Before I would just accept it as fact and that it but now that doesn’t fly as much.
From what I can gather the entire book seems to be based on his personal experience, though much of it sounds similar to what Buddhism said (having read up on it). If that’s all then I don’t see as much of a reason to buy it as before. I’m sure there are plenty of happy people out there who don’t have to give up thinking.
As much as I don’t agree with Watts on many things I think he nailed it on this one far better than Tolle did. He equated life with being a song or dance where the whole point is the doing and not getting to the end. It reminds me of my life of always trying to get somewhere and never truly arriving. When I finally do then what? I let my whole life blur by and missed everything. It kind of reminds me of playing to win, being so outcome focused that you miss the point of the game.
From what I can gather the entire book seems to be based on his personal experience,
This is my understanding of Tolle's story. He wrote a book because he was depressed, but he sort of worked his way out of it, so he thought maybe a few people might benefit. He was surprised at how well it sold. Problem is, not everyone can do that, but a lot want to believe they can.
I let my whole life blur by and missed everything.
You will probably be very disappointed to learn that you are not the only person who has done that. I had a guy tell me several months after graduation that he spent those four years studying, working hard and rarely had any fun while many of us, who may have been a notch down with our GPA, had a good time and learned more about life than he did. He knew he had blown his chance, his one and only chance, as soon as he walked across that stage.
I suggest to you that you need a purpose. But don’t focus exclusively on only that. Live a little while you have your chance, your one and only chance. However long you may have, whatever condition you may be in, it is still the rest of your life, do something with it.
