This book is Genius

[Plato]

OK, I'm in a rather gushing mood right now so I thought I'd take the time to express some appreciation. And maybe be instructive to other readers of the book. I don't know how well everybody understands it, but I get the impression: Not very much!

I'm a really smart guy and the book left me stony eyed like "huh?" for a long time (though, of course I PRETENDED to myself that I understood it). It's so dense, so all encompassing, so broad, and seemingly abstract that I was overwhelmed. I have to believe other people were at least as overwhelmed by the information as me.

There are three main difficulties:

1. Understanding the concept Steve is describing
2. Deciding whether I agree with what he's saying
3. The book only makes sense once you're aligned with Truth, Love and Power and have experienced the benefits of doing so.

Initially I thought it was about rationally understanding the three principles. But, the true genius of this book, that I've come to recognise, is how all three principles blend together and relate to one another in practice. And when one does it the result is just wonderful.

Through re-reading chapters of the book multiple times and gradually integrating it with reference experiences, I have come to understand this. The exercises are invaluable for accelerating the integration process.

My ultimate summation of this book is this: you have to practice it for it to make sense. All of this has come in retrospect. Through learning from many other sources, I can look back and realise the elegance of the TLP model.

Here are my big "Aha's" that have genuinely, positively got me on track with life:

1. Relationships with other people are the main mechanism for learning new truth about yourself. Relationships bring forth all the dark stuff from the depths of your consciousness. You can sit alone meditating and that's fine, but when you go down from the cave and start getting triggered emotionally by other people: that's when you learn about yourself. True feelings are 10 times as intense and 100 times harder to ignore in the company of others. Now I know to welcome this. It's an opportunity to grow, but only if I accept the situation. If I try to suppress the emerging truth I just torture myself.

2. The power of responsibility. Until recently I did not get it. People would talk about power and I did not get it, at all. Now I do. Taking responsibility really is the access point to power. Without it you play victim forever. I think of it as OWNING my results in life. In doing so I become able to respond. Response-able. It's like options open up. I feel in control of my life. It feels tremendous.

3. The importance of acknowledging my true desires and feelings. I spent years shutting down the dissatisfied, concerned voice in the back of my head. Now I realise: heeding the message of that voice brings tremendous freedom though it takes courage to do so. It's the only way to break avoidance patterns. You reach a point where you say to yourself "I've got to deal with this haven't I? I have to do this." And it's pure relief to do it. Admitting to dissatisfaction is vital. Pretending to be happy is death. As with almost everything Steve writes, it only makes sense ON THE OTHER SIDE. When you in a state of denial this is horrible to hear, and you will be tempted to deny it. After you've done it you think "WOW, I WISH I'd done that sooner. This is bliss, this is freedom, this is IT."

4. Authenticity is the only way to live. I can't pretend to be something I'm not. Although I still do, of course, it's something I can work on and I know that now. Before when somebody would say "Be yourself" I'd be utterly confused. Now I get it. At least on this current level understanding I'm at.

5. Oneness really is the combination of truth and love. When I acknowledge truth and embrace it (love) I enter a greater alignment with oneness. I literally become more "Present" in the Eckhart Tolle sense. Except rather than being a fleeting glimpse, it is a stable state. It actually took Genpo Roshi's "Big Mind" process for me to integrate this on a cellular level. In retrospect I can look back at PDFSP and say "Ahhh, I get it now."

I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg but already I feel tremendously better than I did before. And it's lasting this time. In the past I would have emotions that would come and go but something always felt off in a way I couldn't explain. When I improve my alignment with truth, love and power I find a stable state of... Intelligence (authenticity, creative self-expression, growth, flow, and beauty).

Also, it provides a clear roadmap. Now I understand at a core, integrated level what it means to be aligned with Truth, Love and Power, and have some techniques for doing it that I'm comfortable and confident with.

I recommend everyone do the "Consciousness Assessment" at the end of Chapter 7 for an aspect of their life, if they haven't already. It doesn't look like much but... well, do it. The proof is in the application.

I'm going to do it right now.

[spirit4711]

A very inspiring post, Plato! Haven't got the book yet but I've now added it to my 'must buy' list.

I'd rep you for this but I did too recently so the system doesn't allow it yet.

Muchas gracias!

[Burris5000]

Does anybody recommend Eckhart Tolle books. I am thinking of buying a couple, which of them should I read first? They are buy one get the other 50% at Border's.

[Plato]

You are too kind Spirit. It's well worth spending the few dollars to have the book. It's so dense and complicated I'm almost hesitant to recommend it to most people though. It's taken me SO long to make head or tail of it in a practical way, I can't imagine most people being able to comprehend it at all.

@Burris: Eckhart Tolle books are lovely, but I recommend some other things.

FREE Online Course Offer :: Understanding Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now

This is a free course and absolutely brilliant.
And I recommend this (also free and wonderful) course.
Transmission of the HEART - Awaken Beyond the Mind and Ego
HEARTgazing - Transmission of the HEART

It's also worth heading over to the Oprah website. You can watch her webinars with Eckhart Tolle, and her soul series talks with "awakened teachers" like Byron Katie, and other people like Wayne Dyer. Those are the ones I watched.

[cacheborn]

Great post, Plato.

I have read it a few times, some parts more. I agree completely, unless you apply the concepts and see the results for yourself, it's not going to help.

[supertom]

The books gonna make much more sense when his subjective reality book comes out. I think thats where a lot of people struggle with in understanding this book. Although the understanding works very well in an objective reality it will be much clearer in a subjective view point

[Get Inspired Today]

Very nice post!

I haven't started the book yet, but it's piqued my interest!

[brendannz]

Agreed, good post..

I'm going to re-read parts of the book tonight.

[Cochonette]

Initially I thought it was about rationally understanding the three principles. But, the true genius of this book, that I've come to recognise, is how all three principles blend together and relate to one another in practice. And when one does it the result is just wonderful.

I forgot Plato was banned. I was going to ask him(?) if Truth-Love-Power reminded him of Plato's three philosophical concepts: Virtue (truth), Eros (appetites/desire/love), and Thumos (courage/discipline). Thumos is what brings Virtue and Eros together into action. Unfortunately, I did not find Plato very helpful for putting those ideas into practice, though they were interesting to read about. I think Aristotle talked even more about discipline / the Middle Way / thumos, that thing in between extremities, but I didn't find him particularly helpful either compared to reading about Zen.

I just read the Introduction in PDSP, and the first thing I thought of when I read the three core principles was Plato. I'm sure this book does a better job at explaining thumos than Plato did.

[AlmostGodess]

I got the book today. Really looking forward to reading it!

[Gene]

Originally Posted by AlmostGodess

I got the book today. Really looking forward to reading it!

I hope you enjoy the book. I think it is quite good.

[Luvyourlife]

1. Relationships with other people are the main mechanism for learning new truth about yourself. Relationships bring forth all the dark stuff from the depths of your consciousness. You can sit alone meditating and that's fine, but when you go down from the cave and start getting triggered emotionally by other people: that's when you learn about yourself. True feelings are 10 times as intense and 100 times harder to ignore in the company of others. Now I know to welcome this. It's an opportunity to grow, but only if I accept the situation. If I try to suppress the emerging truth I just torture myself.

Wow, this is so true and so relevent to me at the moment. Just wish I knew how to accept it and grow from it.

I've just started reading the book.