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As a two-dimensional, or “flat,” mystic, Tolle pushes a fragmented, or incomplete, version of Raja Yoga (the classical Hindu system of yoga) as his essential Dharma. Thus, Tolle’s fundamental teaching, like Raja Yoga, is not based on directly connecting to Spirit; instead, it is based on disidentification from the time-bound mind, which functions only in a past-future (but never a present-moment) framework. Tolle himself confirms this when he states, “…the single most vital step on your journey toward enlightenment is this: learn to disidentify from your mind.” Because Tolle views disidentification from the mind as the key to spiritual awakening, he also views the mind as the “greatest obstacle to enlightenment.” Consequently, Tolle, like many two-dimensional mystics, has nothing but contempt for man’s conceptual faculty, blaming it for most every problem on the planet, and failing to praise or acknowledge its myriad achievements. Because Tolle’s Dharma focuses on the isolation of consciousness from arising thought-forms (rather than on the uniting of consciousness with universal Spirit), his yoga of disidentification from the mind is fundamentally exclusive and reductive, rather than wholistic, in nature. His yoga, in and by itself, does not result in spiritual en-Light-enment because it is not based on connecting to Spirit, divine Light-energy. By contrast, the yoga I recommend—Divine (or Holy) Communion—is based on directly connecting to the Holy Spirit and allowing its Power, or Light-energy, to en-Light-en you by spontaneously outshining your thought-forms. Because the yoga of Holy Communion fully incorporates both branches (or vines) of the Absolute—consciousness and spirit—it is intrinsically Divine.
Full enlightenment is not merely connectedness with (the supreme) Being, it is also conductivity of the Light-energy, or Power, that stems from this Being. The supreme Being is a divine Being, meaning that it has two vines: static transcendental Presence and dynamic spiritual Power. The vine of transcendental Presence is the timeless Now, and the vine of spiritual Power is the dynamic power of Now. When you are able to truly connect to the presence of the Now, then, spontaneously, the power of Now en-Light-ens you with its radiant energy.
Contrary to popular New Age opinion, spiritual enlightenment is not, fundamentally, a psychological phenomenon; it is, first and foremost, an energetic reality. Spiritual Light is the radiance of the energy emanating from the divine Being (or Source), the eternal Now. When you consciously connect to this Source, then, spontaneously, the radiant energy (or power of Now) stemming from this connection en-Light-ens (or outshines) your primal darkness (or spiritual ignorance). This influx of divine Light-energy—which is true spiritual Grace—supersedes and
exceeds your disconnected and unhappy mind forms, replacing them with the literal Blessing (or bliss-inducing) Power…
The Buddha’s term for enlightenment is Nirvana, and the literal definition of Nirvana is “the end of becoming.” “Becoming” (samsara) means going, successively, from one conditioned (or limited and contracted) state to another. Since Nirvana is the end of becoming, it is also a synonym for permanent oneness with Being, which is a concise synonym for the immutable and illimitable Reality, or divine Source-Light, that underlies and transcends all change, all becoming. Advanced spiritual practitioners regularly experience powerful connections to the divine Source-Light, and can be characterized as conditionally enlightened. But only the rarest beings, such as Jesus, Buddha, and the late Indian sage Ramana Maharshi are able to effortlessly and permanently abide in and as the divine Source-Light itself. Such beings can be…
Can you elaborate on the meaning of the term Being? The term Being is a pithy but non-descriptive synonym for the divine Reality or Source. As earlier stated, the term divine signifies a two-vine (or two-branch) Reality—a Divinity that is at once static transcendental Presence (or Awareness) and dynamic spiritual Power (or Light-energy). The fact that the divine Being is not merely static Presence but also dynamic…
divine Light-energy outshines your bodymind, you spontaneously experience your true Self (or Buddha-nature) as…
The great Indian yoga formula—Sat (Being) = Cit (Consciousness)-Ananda (Bliss-Power)—informs us that this experience of Being is the feeling-realization of our true,…
The word Being, on the other hand, is an excellent synonym for Ultimate Reality, the Absolute. Being implies an unqualified or illimitable Existent or existence. And unless a qualifying adjective is added to Being, it remains a term that defies limiting adjuncts. Furthermore, when a spiritual practitioner achieves identity with the Absolute, his realization can most succinctly be described as the “feeling of Being,” the feeling of transcendentally existing beyond all limited states and conditions. Finally, whereas the word God has dualistic implications, the word Being doesn’t.
But this type of meditation practice did not enable me to awaken to my Buddha-nature, and it did not lead me to peace. Instead, I was constantly in conflict with myself, as I continually struggled to disidentify from arising thoughts. What I eventually discovered—thanks to the teachings of J. Krishnamurti (1895–1986) and Adi Da (1939–2008) and the traditions of Tibetan Dzogchen and Christian mysticism—is that the greatest obstacle to enlightenment, to the experience of Being, is the moment-to-moment avoidance of relationship. Krishnamurti says, “To be related is to be.” In other words, when relationship is direct and unqualified (and thereby blessed by Light from above), then it spontaneously morphs into the experience, or feeling, of Being. Terms such as oneness, unity, and communion can be considered synonyms for relationship.
AI Summary
Beyond the Power of Now by L. Ron Gardner presents key insights from the Advaita Vedanta tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.
Core Themes:
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Key Passages: Highlights 1, 3, and 10 are particularly representative.
This entry was generated from Readwise highlights. Expand with additional context as appropriate.