Eckhart Tolle Discussion Community

Wow! Terrific post, Kiki .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhYKqblybXs

Wonderful discussion on non-duality by Swami Sarvapriyananda and Rupert Spira moderated by RIck Archer from Batgap .

waverider wrote: "The stars, the planets, the sun, the moon, the trees, the animals. They all exist and so there has to be an awareness which allows them to exist". I don't understand what you mean by this. I'll do my best to explain. The awareness that non-duality talks about is not the mental cog...

waverider wrote: But consciousness could just be a function of our body Then how do you explain the existence of all that is outside the scope of your mind/body? The stars, the planets, the sun, the moon, the trees, the animals. They all exist and so there has to be an awareness which allows them t...

Waverider: Can anyone prove that consciousness is not the function/feature of the brain? Sure! I'll try. Lets assume that consciousness is a function of the brain. Although science struggles to explain consciousness (e.g., you can google the 'Hard Problem of Consciousness'). But what is the brain? ...

Waverider wrote: In order to prove that awareness exists you must begin your investigation with the assumption that it doesn't. Good question waverider! Now let me ask you a counter question: 'Do you exist'? Presumably you would answer 'Yes' :D. No one can deny existence, can they? What you need to...

Waverider wrote: America existed long before but it was ever known Yes. I agree. Here the 'known' means 'awareness' It was known only after it was discovered Yes. I agree. Here the 'known' means known to humans after they discovered it. Are you suggesting that for something to exist it must be firs...

I think we are speaking of different things here. There cannot be existence without awareness/consciousness/knowing. But I don't know how to better express it. Apologies.

Exactly! If something exists, there has to be an awareness, consciousness or knowing of its exixstence. Not by Columbus or any other being--but by the virtue of the simple fact that it exists. This is a subtle concept--but its the foundation for understanding your true nature.

Another very good question, Waverider! Let's put the brain aside for now. In fact, lets imagine a world with no sentient beings at all. Let's just assume there are mountains on a planet. Now I have a question for you: Given that the mountains exist, how are they known? Not known to you or me or any ...

Excellent fundamental question Waverider! First, a basic assumption needs to be made that ultimate reality is infinite, limitless and unchanging. That ultimate reality is ‘Infinite’ I think is intuitive to most of us. But let’s look more closely at ‘limitless’ and ‘unchanging’ (which is your questio...

Good insight! Yup, its the same experience of happiness/peace/contentment. Its the same experience of happiness/peace you have when a desire of yours is fulfilled too (and the mind becomes calm). All these experiences are temporary though (and graded in nature). This experienced fullness or contentm...

Hi Turiya, I don't know much about Vedanta Well, one interesting thing to know is that Turiya is a Sanskrit word which means the '4th' [state] in vedanta (implying that Turiya is the real self or Brahman which remains constant during the other three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleeping :D. I...

Hi Andy and Turiya, Nice discussion! In Vedanta there is reference to a 'subtle body' (Shutla Sharira in Sanskrit) which survives the death of the gross body and reincarnates. In eastern traditions (Vedanta, Buddhism) reincarnation is taken for granted since those philosophies are based on the notio...

And a nice video by Swami Tadatamananda from Vedanta society New Jersey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGDr4tFTl4s