Chapter 7 of "A New Earth"

Well I sort of kept everyone hanging about "A New Earth" by Eckart Tolle and the last three chapters, so I wanted to take the time and let you in on some of what I had learned while reading this book and taking the online class with Oprah Winfrey, which is now in summer sessions--so you can still watch the webcasts.

Chapter 7

Eckart had suggeted in the clas of making a list of "Who I am not" which basically means the things you are not like selfish, self absorbed and so on then also a list of the things what I am not--could be something as simple as---- I am not artistic. As well as making a list of the things you are--loving, caring, supportive and so so, for all the catorgies list as many as possible. This one really opened my eyes.

"Knowing yourself deeply has nothing to do with whatever ideas are floating around in your mind. Knowing yourself is to be rooted in Being, instead of lost in your mind". page 186

Being sacred is being in the now. You are the observer of everything going on aroud you, you literally the witnessing presence.

"I am never upset for the reason I think" Being upset about the situation does nothing. What is more important is "What can I do".

Suffering happens because you refuse to accept the now-----

I am going to stop with this one as I want to talk a little about this from my perspective and especially the last few days I have been through. I feel that what Eckart is trying to say that by living in the past, with all of those wonderfully rich memories and instances may for a while be an OK thing but in the long run it causes pain because the situations we are dwelling on are gone, never to be repeated. In those moments we had something magical---the now but by remaining in the past we can not see the now either.

While if all we are focused on is the future than we maybe sadly disappointed that in some cases the future never arrives--the I will quit........... tomorrow, I start............. tomorrow, and tomorrow never comes. Or we plan for this really incredible experience and then the experience is not what we expected it to be.

Suffering has it real pain, that can destoy a person from the inside out. I am not just talking just physical suffering here I am also taking about a spiritual suffering and emotional suffering as well. A suffering that is profound and so deep that it rips the very core of who are out of is, leaving us with absolutely nothing for anyone including ourselves. A darkness that engulfs everything we do, everyone we meet, everywhere we go.

I think there are so many people that are exactly in this position for one reason or another just seeking a divine answer if you will. Something that will make them stop long enough to realize where they are and why. I think for me right now this book has done that--it has made me stop and realize I was, and to a degree still, in the abyss of suffering.

I invite you to share your toughts about suffering with me and maybe even with those that do read this blog, maybe somewhere along the way we all learn something to help us cope.