"The Power of Now" Discussion Thread

[MacFly]

Originally Posted by Angela

That would be dumb advice to take, I agree. That advice, however, is nowhere to be seen in the Power of Now.

Eckhart Tolle said it in an MP3 I had (thank God I deleted all of them). He advises you to watch a cat for 2 hours to learn how to be spiritual.

A really creative way to make millions.

[theorique]

Originally Posted by MacFly

The PON is a destructive, depressing material which will not do anything good to your life in the long run.

It does contain useful things, but they are misexplained, and overall, it's a stupid perspective on the world.

To sell million copies and make millions of dollars, and telling the listener to kill his identity, stop thinking and watch a cat for 2 hours is nuthing but preaching water and drinking wine. Don't go into that ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.

Don't want to release your ego, it's all you have. your pride, your past, your personality.

OK, so let's give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that Eckhart Tolle's 3+ million selling book TPON is "destructive, depressing material", and you're 100% right.

What specific advice would you give us now so that we can live better and happier lives?

[Angela]

I have found it to be an excellent tool for feeling good. Just opening to a random page always gives me a wonderful bit of something helpful.

[theorique]

Originally Posted by Angela

I have found it to be an excellent tool for feeling good. Just opening to a random page always gives me a wonderful bit of something helpful.

Angela, I agree. That's why I am curious to learn more about the amazing alternative approach that MacFly has discovered.

[jak3b]

Originally Posted by theorique

Angela, I agree. That's why I am curious to learn more about the amazing alternative approach that MacFly has discovered.

Stay in your hole,be as misarable as possible because its all ya got!.Build up your self image with strong prideful thoughts.Meth really helps the whole process.You become Ubermann and are the master of the galaxy in no time.

[MacFly]

Originally Posted by theorique

What specific advice would you give us now so that we can live better and happier lives?

love who you are, really, I mean REALLY enjoy being who you are, have a long-term goal, and enjoy the work, enjoy the little steps you take towards your goal. that's the best one I can give you.

being in the present moment is a great thing, doing one thing at a time, being where you are, fully. but doing it in order to "diminish yourself" or to "kill your ego", or believing that you are not unique and everybody is the same because we're all "consciousness" and all have "pain bodies" are destructive and stupid.

plus, to me, looking at life as an "illusion" is a terrible perspective.

[allis1]

the power of now is a wonderful book, but it is not a one-stop guide to enlightenment. Eckhart Tolle had a powerful, literally overnight transformation. this will not happen for most of us. it's easy for someone who has had some degree of awakening to say just come present, there is nothing but now.. paradoxically enough, most need some time to deal with the ego and all the fears that keep us stuck in the past.

[Hemlock]

On a note of less effort for more effect, I've been a meditator for a few years, and so have been trying to bring that, in the now experience, into every day life for a while as well.

It's always been difficult and felt kind of forced. It's hard to stay in the now when you can't put all your focus on one thing. Or so I thought at least; I think I concentrated too much on trying to be in the now and keep a clear mind. As it turns out if I just get into the mindset of "there is no future, this moment is my last moment," which comes very easy to me oddly, I immediately get into the now, effortlessly. I'm only now getting how to stay in the now and just enjoy it without it being a hassle. It's nice.

Don't recommend this technique for anyone who finds the idea of no future alarming, but if you don't it works great.

[NickTunes]

It's an elusive state because we all focus on objects in consciousness rather than the space. One way to get a glimpse of this state is to pay all of your attention to a sound in the distance where every you may be outside. The more subtle the sound, the more attention is needed to notice it. That takes you into space consciousness, but you can't say, "Oh, there's space consciousness! I have it!" because once you do that, you've lost it again... It's like a riddle.

[theorique]

Originally Posted by MacFly

love who you are, really, I mean REALLY enjoy being who you are, have a long-term goal, and enjoy the work, enjoy the little steps you take towards your goal. that's the best one I can give you.

being in the present moment is a great thing, doing one thing at a time, being where you are, fully. but doing it in order to "diminish yourself" or to "kill your ego", or believing that you are not unique and everybody is the same because we're all "consciousness" and all have "pain bodies" are destructive and stupid.

plus, to me, looking at life as an "illusion" is a terrible perspective.

Sounds like you and Tolle are on the same page to some degree. Differences are in some of the details is all.

[MacFly]

Originally Posted by theorique

Sounds like you and Tolle are on the same page to some degree. Differences are in some of the details is all.

Absolutely. I couldn't agree more with

- doing one thing at a time
- enjoying the moment
- being fully yourself
- don't waste time on thinking about the future
- giving 100% attention and love anything you do
- don't let your emotions and fear control you
- being present and conscious

but I couldn't disagree more when he starts to talk about desires, goals, dreams and "things" as an illusion and something you should drop. and when he talks like you should drop your ego, personality, to be "quite ordinary". I'm here in this world to be special and not to drop everything I am.