Eckhart Tolle: Essential Teachings

In this podcast Eckhart answers questions from an audience in Hawaii. A man asks if we actually have “free will.” Eckhart explains we won’t experience “free will” while living on the level of ego, because we are conditioned by the past. He believes until we transcend our past, we are at the mercy of our unconscious patterns. A woman who is a therapist and works with trauma survivors, asks how to deal with her resentment at God for the abuse her clients suffer. She questions how can God allow such awful things to happen? Eckhart says this view of God is actually a misconception. He goes on to explain that humans are in the process of awakening and suffering is part of our evolution. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods [https://bit.ly/OWNPods] You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN [https://bit.ly/find_OWN]

In this episode, Eckhart talks about the sense of guilt which has plagued humanity through the centuries. He says it’s part of the ego’s dysfunction: the feeling that not only is there something wrong with the world, there’s also something wrong with me. Eckhart explains certain religious traditions have interpreted this as God’s punishment - we believe somehow we are at fault when bad things happen. He says this results in a heavy pain body burdened by resentments, grievances and also the sense of being a victim. Eckhart says these are ego identities based on faulty thinking. He believes what’s needed is wisdom so we can free ourselves to find our true identity - some traditions call it our Buddha nature or Christ consciousness. Eckhart says this aspect of us cannot be harmed by what has happened to us; it is not touched by suffering. He believes we must look inside to find this timeless essence that lives within each of us. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visithttps://bit.ly/OWNPods [https://bit.ly/OWNPods] You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visithttps://bit.ly/find_OWN [https://bit.ly/find_OWN]

In this podcast Eckhart talks about the soul of the world which in Latin translates to Anima Mundi. He says when we awaken to the transcendent dimension within ourselves, we are then able to discover the soul of the world as our own soul. Eckhart says that's the essence of all spirituality and is the primary reason we are here. Eckhart then answers questions on a variety of subjects: a woman asks what the functional purpose is of becoming more aware. Eckhart explains there are many benefits to awakening - the most obvious is that our lives get easier and more enjoyable. Another audience member asks about the states of consciousness generated during dancing, drumming and meditation… she’s deeply aware of the inner world, but not the outer. She wants to know if that is the same transcendent dimension Eckhart discusses so frequently. He says we must keep a foot in both worlds because the art of living requires this balance. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods [https://bit.ly/OWNPods] You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN [https://bit.ly/find_OWN]