Poor Man's Intuition

[soham]

I have strong gut feeling that our Eckhart Tolle is reincarnation of Meister Eckhart O.P. (c. 1260–c. 1328) aka Eckhart von Hochheim, a German theologian, philosopher and mystic, born near Erfurt, in Thuringia. Both emphasize seeking God within yourself. Please see the following quote of Meister Eckhart which substantiates my claim :-
" Man never desires anything so earnestly as God desires to bring a man to Himself, that he may know Him
God is always ready, but we are very unready; God is near to us, but we are far from Him
God is within, but we are without; God is at home, but we are strangers."

[Sighclone]

I read somewhere that Eckhart acknowledged this, many years ago - that he so deeply resonated that he changed his first name from Ulrich to Eckhart.

Namaaste, Andy

[Glycine]

To me, the fact that Eckhart changed his name suggests that he was desperately looking for an identity at that time.
The idea of reincarnation sounds like a feeble attempt of the ego to survive after physical death.

[Sighclone]

The entire concept of reincarnation is certainly egoic, I agree. But there is a great deal of fairly remarkable, though anecdotal evidence that it is more than a feeble attempt. I'm not going to argue further than this post, glycine, but the work of Dr. Michael Newton ("Destiny of Souls" and others), Dr. Brian Weiss ("Many Lives, Many Masters") and Robert Snow ("Looking for Carroll Beckwith") affected my view of this concept. I recommend them to you, along with my current favorite, Nanci Danison's "Backwards."

Namaste, Andy

[Glycine]

That's a fine selection of books - thank you, Sighclone!
I browsed some of these books, but I find it very difficult to focus while reading. I feel like questioning and over-analyzing each sentence, generating a lot of thought. As soon as I find something I don't agree with, I cannot continue to read. I guess they are not for me.

[mmy]

"Backwards" is a remarkable book, very interesting. I don't agree with some of her thinking but that's ok, I take what I need and leave the rest. I think certain books find you when the time is right. I picked up PON at the bookstore so many times just to touch the cover then put it back. Years later I finally bought it, opened it, read it. It woke me up, still does.

[Sighclone]

mmy - so very true about timing...all is well!

Namaste, Andy

[Onceler]

I think I may be the reincarnation of an old farm cat....I want to sleep a lot and startle easily.

[Sighclone]

onceler - That also describes my dachsund, and sometimes, my wife. I think there must have been a ton of farm cats a few years back!

Andy

[James]

Andy said:

I read somewhere that Eckhart acknowledged this, many years ago - that he so deeply resonated that he changed his first name from Ulrich to Eckhart.

I think that is what it was too, he resonated deeply with Meister Eckhart's teaching; the fact that they both have German heritage seems to make it a sensible switch too, to stay within western culture. In the east it is sometimes traditional to take on the name of a great sage at the time of transition into enlightenment. So I would guess it was more along those lines. Additionally Eckhart sometimes speaks of reincarnation in his live talks, he tends to not give it the literal interpretation or importance that some teachings do. He speaks of it in a more mysterious way. He likes to say that we are reincarnated every time we lose sight of awareness, every time we fantasize or get caught up in a mind made me, we have reincarnated into another form.

Adyashanti changed his name too, it means (primordial peace). Some people are turned off by westerners taking on eastern names. I must confess I had the same egoic reaction years ago, when first introduced to Adya's teaching. I thought oh another American guru with an eastern sounding name, I didn't like the message either at the time; then over the years I gradually warmed up to him. Now I don't care what his name is. I think it is funny that people are quickly turned off by the name change or the eastern flavor. I guess that is one way to keep egos away. Conversely, other egos may go to an Adyashanti, Gangaji or Eckhart Tolle because they sound so spiritual, thinking that they must have a good pedigree.

I think the value of the name change is in leaving behind the conditioning and concepts of the former self, the false identity that was held in belief and thinking. A new name could be like a reminder, that one is not what they thought they were. Like a fresh start.

James

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
--Shakespeare

[Sighclone]

Eckhart's primary message, and my primary interest is awakening. I jabber on about quarks, ketchup, divorces, reincarnation, near-death experiences, koans, other members, comic asides...they're all ripples, all of them. I have idle curiosity about many things (my wife would chime in here and say "too many!!").

All fade before the primacy and immediacy of the present moment...why?...because every one of them is experienced fully there, and nowhere else.

That said, I agree with the symbolic name changes for both ET and Adya - very appropriate. I still struggle with ol' Ram Dass, however...but it's probably just a difference of style...another ripple.

Namaste, Andy

[weichen]

When I create a database table, I often add some constraints (such as some columns only accept number, and if you type in alphabet, the database will reject it). A table without such constraint (enforcement) will also work, but you will waste some precious time.

I think Tolle's name change to Eckhart is like adding such enforcement. when people call him Eckhart, it reminds him who he is.

So, I say, Nice move, Eckhart!

[randomguy]

I think Tolle's name change to Eckhart is like adding such enforcement. when people call him Eckhart, it reminds him who he is.

I like the table constraint analogy, but I must say that if Tolle prefered to be remindied of who he is based upon others using one name over another, wouldn't he be questionable as a teacher?

The name change business is a mystery to me. Why not accept your name as it is? At best it's in the realm of mere personality. In an interview Tolle shared that he had read some words of old Eckharts and "knew" that he had written them.

Oh well.

[garuda]

when people call him Eckhart, it reminds him who he is.

When I hear my own name, it reminds me of who (or what) I am NOT!

[peleke4]

a friend told me about "Many Lives, Many Masters." just curious, I thought that the ego was an illusion, totally false. but the idea of reincarnation seems to go against that. if ego truly is false, then why would the ego/personality manifest in a new lifetime? wouldn't that give some truth to ego/personality?