Is Eckhart tolle teaching a way to enlightment ?

[Forestluv]

@Joseph Maynor After reading about your laying in bed meditation, I’ve tried it. I can get into some deeply relaxed meditative states somewhat similiar to sensory deprivation tanks. 

[Arhattobe]

@Tony 845  My bad then. Thought he just got depressed and awakened. 

[Joseph Maynor]

Trauma actually benefits your Enlightenment Work because it shows you in high-relief what your Ego is and what your Ego wants to protect in your life.  The more reality contradicts your Egoic preferences, the more screaming your Ego will do, and thus the more aware you'll become of what Ego is.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Joseph Maynor

[Tony 845]

@Arhattobe no self inquiry, but he didn't know he was doing it...then a random awakening happend, then sat on a park bench for 5 months in a state of bliss, lucky bastard ? In all seriousness it must of been a bit weird though. Especially not knowing what has happend to him. It wasn't until like 3-5 years later he found out what happend to him through reading about spirituality that he realized he was enlightened. Most people I've looked into have become enlightened through self inquiry of some kind.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Tony 845

[Zigzag Idiot]

He's was experiencing a state of extreme existential angst and just snapped when he observed and questioned his own thought of "I cannot live wth myself any longer", in the midst of his turmoil. 

It wasn't Inquiry. More like being shattered. Or rather, his mind shattered and he realized the fullness of being completely and all at once.

He had been depressed for years and suicidal for several months.

[Zigzag Idiot]

Getting out the book and rereading, It occurred to me for the first time that this happened at his Saturn return which is the same for all of us. At 29 1/2 years of age.

[Tony 845]

@Zigzag Idiot  yeah questioning the self or "i" to me is still a form of self inquiry...at some level, but what do "I" know I'm still not enlightened...?‍♂️?‍♂️ Also I believe he said who's the "I" that I can't live with any longer?➡️ (Self inquiry)  ⬅️

Edited January 14, 2019 by Tony 845

[Zigzag Idiot]

25 minutes ago, Tony 845 said:

@Zigzag Idiot  yeah questioning the self or "i" to me is still a form of self inquiry...at some level, but what do "I" know I'm still not enlightened...?‍♂️?‍♂️ Also I believe he said who's the "I" that I can't live with any longer?➡️ (Self inquiry)  ⬅️

Technically, yeah that's true. It was very short Inquiry.

[Joseph Maynor]

58 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said:

@Joseph Maynor After reading about your laying in bed meditation, I’ve tried it. I can get into some deeply relaxed meditative states somewhat similiar to sensory deprivation tanks. 

Yep.  It works the best for me.  Just lay there and BE.

[luckieluuke]

@Tony 845  I don´t see him as a lucky bastard since he had to go through a long deep depression ;-)

Feel like Eckard has all the knowledge of being fully enlightened but since he got there via a depression maybe he can´t relate to a non depressed human and how he/she can become enlightened....I mean being enlightened doesn´t give you access to other peoples experience right?

Also even if his book is quite simple to read, it is still very profound, im gonna reread it for sure.

@Joseph Maynor I cannot meditate when lying down. My problem is that to have a focused mind you need to be relaxed and alert at the same time. Don´t focus or pay attention on something, you need to "rest your awareness" on it. Only with a meditiation pose can my body and mind do this. If I lay down I loose focus and my mind wanders. Even walking is better for meditation than lying down. But Im happy you found what works for you!

[Tony 845]

@luckieluuke I battle with a terrible form of anxiety, trust me he's a lucky bastard. 

[DrewNows]

13 hours ago, luckieluuke said:

5  I don´t see him as a lucky bastard since he had to go through a long deep depression ;-)

Feel like Eckard has all the knowledge of being fully enlightened but since he got there via a depression maybe he can´t relate to a non depressed human and how he/she can become enlightened....I mean being enlightened doesn´t give you access to other peoples experience right?

Also even if his book is quite simple to read, it is still very profound, im gonna reread it for sure.

This makes it sound like Eckhart doesn't have a normal human mind...What do you think, he was born with this depression? From my own experience with depression, I see it as a build up of pain/trauma which changes your state of mind and perpetuates 

All suffering or depression does is make it easier to surrender. Don't forget that even with self inquiry, there will be constant surrendering to the unknown for liberation

@Tony 845Your anxiety just might lead you to enough suffering for some deep insight into your true Self minus the self

[TheAvatarState]

1 hour ago, Tony 845 said:

@luckieluuke I battle with a terrible form of anxiety, trust me he's a lucky bastard. 

Luck does not exist in this line of work, my friend. Individually everyone has to battle their inner demons, which to them subjectively is the hardest thing they'll ever have to do. Putting others on a pedestal and calling them lucky only harms yourself and fuels a victim mentality. This isn't to belittle your struggles in any way whatsoever, I feel you. Really try to see what I'm saying here from a higher perspective.

[kieranperez]

On 1/13/2019 at 11:17 AM, Leo Gura said:

How seriously are you doing them?

This part for me has been huge. It’s a subtle point but huge. My commitment. intent, and focus with meditation has gotten a lot more intense and this has helped me concentrate, contemplate, and even bust through a lot of bullshit and even emotional victim mentality. How serious you take these practices is huge. 

Interesting thing, in the past when I’d try to sit like a rock and focus and contemplate I’d get physically and mentally tense because of my background in atheletics and being used to just having a bullheaded go harder approach but that’s not what “serious” means. When I finally got that, things have been turning around.

[luckieluuke]

4 hours ago, DrewNows said:

This makes it sound like Eckhart doesn't have a normal human mind...What do you think, he was born with this depression? 

No, all I am saying is that Depression was the main reason / catalyst / trigger that Eckhart realized what he actually is and got enlightened.
If Leo got enlightened it would probably be easier for him to relate to people who does not have depression in their life and want to get enlightened (as I assume Leo doesnt have that deep of depression)
It´s like in Eckart case depression was the main tool his situation presented him with to get enlightened. Everyone are in different situations and have different tools. If a person with a similar toolset as me gets enlightened I would tend to relate to that person more.....Maybe?
The question is if the prior life and experiences of an enlightened person makes any difference. The Ego is gone so in that way, no it doesnt. But That prior life does have memories that still serves the egoless user. You can remember the feeling of being a child that is loved by their parent, but you cannot remember being neglected by your parents, so even if you are enlightened you couldn´t relate to being neglected as a child and thus not in the same way relate to people who have been neglected as kids.
I don´t know, these are just my thoughts and probably not real but hey, this is a discussion forum so

[noselfnofun]

@Joseph Maynor Yeah I use you meditate laying down, I have had some insane experiences doing it, one experience felt like a full blown dmt trip and another time I completely vanished from existence. Its funny because I don't seen or read about anyone else doing it or other spiritual teachers talk about it.