Posts Tagged ‘Eckhart Tolle’

Nonduality Talk: Interview with Gonzalo Fernandez

May 7, 2013

Interview with Gonzalo Fernandez (conducted by Jerry Katz)

Download/listen link:

http://nonduality.com/gonzalofernandez29april2013

Descriptive listing of tracks:

Gonzalo Fernandez is a native of Costa Rica, “the happiest country in the world.” Gonzalo organizes meetings in his country featuring nondual teachers/sharers from around the world. He spoke from the community of Moravia, a suburb of the capitol San Jose. Meet Gonzalo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gonzalo.fernandez.5437

0:00 – 10:24 Beginning of Gonzalo’s search. Milestones including discovery of J. Krishnamurti, Nisargadatta, and Ramesh Balsekar. Went to India to visit Ramesh. His realization is demonstrated to Ramesh. Roshi Phillip Kapleau mentioned. Teaching of J. Krishnamurti as too intellectual.

10:24 – 15:19 Life after meeting Ramesh. Costa Rica and nondual teachings. Spiritual practices are popular. A few years ago met people who like him were interested in Nisargadatta. Formed small groups after coming out of zazen group.

15:19 – 23:40 Eckhart Tolle comes to Costa Rica but locals were not allowed to hear him. It was too expensive for locals and the locals weren’t invited. Spirituality as a business.

23:40 – 30:41 Gonzalo’s involvement in starting groups. Eckhart Tolle group. Toni Packer’s work discussed. Sandra Gonzalez invited to Costa Rica to lead silent retreats.

30:41 – 41:26 Unmani invited to Costa Rica twice. We digress and talk about Costa Rica as a retirement destination, especially the option of living a simple life. We talk about Unmani again. Gonzalo talks about his role in bringing teachers to Costa Rica and the roles others play.

41:26 – 47:13 Elena Nezhinsky discussed. Nature of Elena’s teaching style, her visit to Costa Rica and the time spent with her.

47:13 – 49:04 The nature and humor of seeking when the answer is always right here. There are no seekers, yet seeking happens.

49:04 – 53:55 Noumenon and phenomenon discussed. “Seeking happens, but there are no seekers.” Seeing all this as consciousness dreaming and we are a dream character. I ask Gonzalo whether he has spoken as a teacher to locals and talks about that.

53:55 – 58:02 We talk about locals in Costa Rica forming their own groups without inviting teachers from the outside around the world. Is it necessary to invite outside teachers? “Are prophets not prophets in their home town?” Extreme case of Ramana Maharshi as a local teacher. You can find enlightened peope everywhere.

58:02 – 1:03:24 Encouraging a locally grown group in Costa Rica. Nature of such local groups in which Gonzalo has been involved, as confrontational and requiring the presence of someone who they see as holding spiritual authority. We talk about what it takes to form and operate an open-minded group that supports and nurtures all who are drawn to it.

1:03:24 – 1:08:27 Inviting Hashim Zaki (aka iamyou on the internet), a student of Nisargadatta Maharaj, to Costa Rica, where he is going to speak for a few days and may decide to retire.

1:08:27 – 1:11:18 Running open meetings with locals without focusing on a single teacher.

1:11:18 – 1:16:04 Light-hearted talk on the beautiful women Gonzalo invites to Costa Rica. The beaches. Nosara Beach discussed for it’s spiritual activities and women. Pamela Wilson and Jac O’Keefe mentioned.

1:16:04 – 1:25:06 Everytime Gonzalo wants to stop getting involved in inviting people, but someone comes across for him to invite. Francis Bennett mentioned and planning to come to Costa Rica. Nature of Jerry’s visit to Costa Rica discussed and marking the next step in group meetings in Costa Rica. Jean Klein mentioned as a teacher of Gonzalo. Gonzalo will let Hashim Zaki know about the local group, which Hashim might become part of if he moves there.

1:25:06 – 1:42:55 Things get personal here and I feel we’re hearing the natural Gonzalo these next few minutes aside from his work in nondual teachings. Gonzalo’s daily life in Costa Rica. His interest in farming. He prefers to walk and sit in nature. Gonzalo’s family. His minimal needs. His conversations with the farmers at a local bar. What he drinks. “Peace is the most essential thing.” Just being who you are. Friendship in its most basic sense as a sharing of being. Being social as natural. Accepting all interaction including the belief that there’s a seperate entity, thus welcoming the dissolving of the separateness. The oneness that we are. Life is nothing complicated, belief makes it complicated.

1:42:55 – 1:50:48 We express mutual gratitude and talk about the nature of doing what interests you compared to doing work in order to make money. People avoiding others who are too peaceful; they need you to be against something so they can fight with you. However, it’s nice to talk to people about things other than ultimate reality itself. We talk about some details of farming coffee. We talk about coffee and how Gonzalo makes his coffee.

Posted in Gatherings/meetings/conferences, Gurus/Teachers/Sages | Leave a Comment »
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Eckhart Tolle on The Dark Night of The Soul

February 8, 2010

Chris Hebard writes…

Eckhart Tolle on The Dark Night of The Soul

I came to know of Eckhart Tolle through his powerful book, The Power of Now. I had stumbled onto the book in profound disorientation resulting from a momentary and overwhelming “glimpse”, which had left me disoriented and absolutely clueless any longer as to what or who “I” was.

It was actually quite a frightening period for me. Many days, I wondered if i should be hospitalized.

I was shocked to read Tolle’s account of an almost identical experience. It was this revelation that gave me hope and ultimately, fueled my obsession regarding the pursuit of understanding of what had occurred. In this case, knowledge followed experience, not the other way round.

Last summer, we were invited to a very intimate setting in Santa Barabara for a week with Eckhart Tolle. During this time, the entire session was filmed for Eckhart Tolle TV. A short dialogue between us was captured; frankly, it still deeply touches me.

Enjoy this gentle and clear dialogue where Eckhart discusses the impersonal sense of awareness in his friendly, accessible way. If you find these well produced, video dialogues with Eckhart Tolle enjoyable, discover more about Eckhart Tolle TV by clicking here.

http://stillnessspeaks.com/ssblog/eckhat_tolle_tv/

Posted in Gurus/Teachers/Sages | 3 Comments »
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Namaste for the Gods, the Guru, and Kelly Ripa

September 14, 2008

I was watching Meg Ryan on the Regis show and as her interview ended she signified her departure to Regis’s co-host Kelly Ripa by bringing her hands together prayer-like in front of her forehead. That is to say, Meg presented the sign meaning Namaste.

Namaste means “my soul and your soul are one,” according to nonduality teacher Dr. Jean Klein. Further, Klein points out in the video Discovering the Current of Love, that when the hands are held at heart level it is intended for your neighbor and all people. When the hands are brought to forehead level it is a namaste for the Guru. When the hands are held over the head, Klein says, this is namaste for the gods.

On the Regis show, Meg Ryan brought her hands to forehead level, signifying to Kelly Ripa that this namaste was for “the Guru.”

So, what Guru do Meg Ryan and Kelly Ripa share or recognize? More broadly, what is the spiritual connection between Meg Ryan and Kelly Ripa?

How deep, diverse, and widespread is the teaching of nonduality throughout Hollywood? I think it is prevalent and takes the forms of Tibetan Buddhism, Eckhart Tolle-ism, Kabbala, and open Christianity ala A Course in Miracles. That’s only a few.

It’s all over the internet that Jeff Goldblum is reading Talks with Ramana Maharshi.

Acclaimed British actor Terence Stamp has voluntarily read the audio version of David Carse’s most nondual Perfect Brilliant Stillness.

Legendary Richard Beymer has written the wild and penetrating nonduality book, Impostor, a creation that should be made into a movie.

Since my work in nonduality over the last ten years has been to bring nonduality to “the people,” it makes sense that I would try to gauge how nonduality has penetrated the lives of people within certain groups. The mass entertainment group is interesting since it could spread the teaching of nonduality very broadly, if, perhaps, not too deeply.

Posted in Mainstream Media, Popular Culture | 4 Comments »
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Initiation vs the Aha Moment

August 3, 2008

What is an aha moment? How does it compare to initiation?

An aha moment is a sudden stumbling into a deeper truth. Suddenly you see a connection previously unseen. Suddenly what made no sense, makes sense. An aha moment is a turnaround. Disliking someone for a certain quality and suddenly realizing you dislike yourself for that quality, is an aha moment. Not wanting to go somewhere or do something, but saying yes, going and enjoying yourself, qualifies as an aha moment. Solving a difficult problem upon waking up in the middle of the night with an answer, is an aha moment. Being shown a bigger picture that you missed seeing; realizing you were doing something incorrectly all the while, are aha moments.

Oprah makes a big deal about aha moments. On Oprah’s website Julia Louis-Dreyfus describes an aha moment she had upon listening to Bobby Kennedy, Jr. speak about the environment and how our caring for the environment bears on caring for our children. Her aha moment was the seeing of that connection and the realization that she had to do a lot more to support the environment.

Juliette Binoche also describes her aha moment on Oprah’s website. I didn’t bother reading it. I just like saying her name. She’s the new face of Lancome, in case you didn’t know.

For purposes of the nonduality work, an aha moment is the realizing of a connection with your sense of being, with your sense of existence. Suddenly you realize the importance of the apparent fact that you exist. That’s a real aha moment. I read in the New York Times that a woman had an aha moment upon realizing she didn’t need to live in a building with a doorman. O-kay. Unless the doorman was Eckhart Tolle in a diaper, we really don’t need to dwell on those kinds of aha moments.

An aha moment happens without apparent assistance. An aha moment is like spotting a rare bird in a tree.

Initiation is like someone pointing out to you where the rare bird is located. But you still can’t see it. So the initiator takes your head in hands and directs it toward the rare bird and also points in the exact direction and say, “See?!” And you see.

The initiation is more personal and powerful than the aha moment because the force of the hands on your head and the precisely pointing finger never leave. Therefore you have been shown and are forever guided. Initiations are always long-lasting. Aha moments may be long-lasting, but usually they are more superficial. Initiations strike you at the cellular level. They change you from deep within. Aha moments strike at the level of personality, feelings, emotions, mind, and aren’t as penetrating.

A depiction of the aha moment experience:

Aha moments are new directions. Initiations are redirections. Aha moments add to your inventory of spiritual experiences. Initiations discard a mess of spiritual experiences. Aha moments take you in many directions. Initiation takes you in a single direction. Aha moments form a rainbow. Initiation is a beam of white light. You can sell aha moments. No one really wants an initiation. Aha moments are fascinating. Initiation can be frightening, painful, and sickening, since there is often resistance to the process of initiation. Aha moments are usually pretty cool. Initiation isn’t cool. You can share an aha moment. It’s hard to talk about an initiation.

A depiction of the initiation experience (see the difference?):

That’s all I really wanted to show, the difference between an aha moment and an initiation. I tried to include at least one aha moment. And it’s all initiation, right? Every letter.

Posted in Spirituality, Stumbling | 4 Comments »
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Alternatives to Eckhart Tolle That Meg Ryan Might Not Have Mentioned to Oprah … Yet

May 8, 2008

I read that actress Meg Ryan introduced Eckhart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now, to Oprah. Tolle is only one of the excellent communicators of nondual teachings. There are many others. The huge majority is very little known in the world.

As this blog unfolds there will often be the mention of one or another teacher of nonduality, as there already has been such mention.

For now, I want to give you access to listings of hundreds of teachers, sages, and gurus. Many are living and accessible to you. Some are living and not so accessible. Some are reclusive. Many are dead, some are legendary or mythical, but their works and the works about them are tremendously valuable.

By giving you access to hundreds of alternatives to Eckhart Tolle, do I want to overwhelm you? Yes, sort of. I want to convey abundance.

I want you to realize that an intimacy with the teaching of nonduality is not rare. I want to show that the universe, or at least the bookstore, is offering you almost endless ways of “getting” the teaching of nonduality. I want nonduality, nondual, nondualism, to be your new household words.

Here are the links that will introduce you to scores, perhaps hundreds, of nondual teachers. I need to emphasize that each teacher speaks in a different way, emphasizes different aspects of the teaching of nonduality. Some of the following links will try to clarify those aspects for each teacher.

Sarlo’s Guru Rating Service – Rich with teacher listings, ratings, opinions, and supported by a very active email forum.

Some Teachers of Advaita – Dennis Waite’s fine, carefully constructed list of teachers with brief commentary, photos, quotations. An important Advaita/nonduality site.

Ramana and Other Advaita – The original list of teachers.
Some excellent writings.

Teachers, Gurus, Realizers, Confessors – Valuable list that formed the foundation of most other lists of gurus, however no longer kept up to date.

Builders of Culture – Eric Paroissien’s commendable list with photos and links.

Divine Inspirators – Many Indian sages that few have heard of. Video clips too.

Strictly Spiritual – Includes ratings of gurus and teachers; actively kept up. Good message board. Informative articles.

Satsang Worldwide – Access living teachers by clicking on a map of the world. Very well done site.

I highly recommend devoting as much of your life as possible to the teaching of nonduality in the way that is right for you, regardless of what teacher or books you are drawn to.

I have no single individual to recommend for everyone. You must discover the right teacher, readings, and approach for yourself.

To stay in touch with the teaching of nonduality, three doorways will lead you into the big world of nonduality:

– read this blog often.
– subscribe to the daily free letter, Nonduality Highlights.
– explore the links at Nonduality.com

Additionally, my book, One: Essential Writings on Nonduality, brings a selection of diverse writings. I designed the anthology to give you practical guidance in realizing your nondual nature, and to demonstrate how various scriptural works and self-realized people describe nondual reality. You can also buy the book off the shelf at most large Borders Stores.

And write me if you have questions.

Posted in Gurus/Teachers/Sages | 1 Comment »
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Branding Nonduality: Part Two

May 6, 2008

Since I posted the first part of this article on January 9, 2008, Eckhart Tolle and his particular teaching of nonduality have been raised in public consciousness.

In the earlier article I asked whether Eckhart Tolle was as strong a brand as Deepak Chopra. At this point it is clear that the name Eckhart Tolle is a very strong brand. A few months ago I might have thought that “The Now” was a stronger brand, but I no longer think that. Although the Deepak Chopra brand goes back decades, in current times Eckhart Tolle is as strong or stronger a brand name.

Also in the earlier article I felt that the Ken Wilber name was a stronger brand than the Peter Fenner name. I don’t think that’s as true any longer. Fenner’s Radiant Mind — the book and course — is becoming more well known. And I feel it is easier to find one’s way from Tolle to Fenner, while not so easy to find a bend in the Tolle road that leads straight to Wilber.

The other update is about the 9choirs.com site. It has improved its look and name and thereby strengthened its branding. Now the site is called SoulsCode: Everyone’s a guru. I like the site and branding much better, although I still don’t easily grasp its focus or niche.

There are hundreds of other examples in the nonduality field that could be discussed in terms of branding. I’m only giving my impressions and have no hard evidence to back them. My main purpose is to get you to think about the business of nonduality in terms of branding. The question you might ask is whether you are optimally branding your work in nonduality.

Nonduality needs to be run as a business in order to communicate it worldwide. Take the most low-profile nondual people in the nonduality racket, for example a guy like david carse who doesn’t teach, doesn’t encourage personal contact, doesn’t even copyright his popular book, Perfect Brilliant Stillness: beyond the individual self: he still has to run a business, ship books, advertise, deal with publishers, printers, distributors, banks, etc.

And I have to say, if david has a brand it is david carse himself, the reclusive Vermont carpenter who writes brilliantly about the nondual state and claims no ownership of his writing. What a job of branding!

Posted in branding | 6 Comments »
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Eckhart Tolle: The Tip of the “New Spirituality” Iceberg

April 28, 2008

Those who have been into the new spirituality, also known as non-duality or nondual spirituality, for the last several years, recognize Eckhart Tolle as only one of the very good communicators within that spiritual niche.

His communication or expression of nondual spirituality (or nondualism) is neither greater nor lesser than many other men and women. It’s different. All the versions of the teaching of nonduality are different.

I would like to suggest that there are ways to supplement the works of Tolle. There are other voices, other ways of saying what Tolle is saying.

I want to recommend one author today. Chuck Hillig. Chuck wrote a classic book that has been praised by Deepak Chopra, Dan Millman (The Way of the Peaceful Warrior), The Los Angeles Times, and numerous others. That book is Enlightenment for Beginners. Chuck has written three other books that will take you further in your understanding of your true nature and the reality of the world.

To find out more about Chuck’s books, please visit this page.

If you have the time, also investigate the sponsors’ links in the column on the left hand side of this page. There are many excellent offerings and good people within the “new spirituality” of nonduality. Please leave comments or write me privately if you have any questions.

Posted in Book Reviews | Leave a Comment »
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Branding Nonduality

January 9, 2008

Who is doing a notable job of branding in the nonduality genre? Ken Wilber has a solid two-part brand: his name and the term “Integral.”

Recently Peter Fenner has been branding Radiant Mind very clearly with both a book and a course of the same name. “Peter Fenner”, the guy, is less of a brand than “Ken Wilber”, in my opinion.

Deepak Chopra is in Oprah territory with his branding.

Eckhart Tolle? He sells a lot of books, but how’s his branding? Is Eckhart himself as strong a brand as Oprah or Chopra? The “Now” was a budding brand, but has he followed through with it? Compare Tolle to Oprah and Chopra and you decide on the strength of his brand, or even what his brand is.

Dennis Waite is doing an excellent job of sticking to “Advaita” as his brand. His books have Advaita in the title. He is a moderator of the Advaitin email forum. His website is advaita.org.uk. He writes for other Advaita websites. Strong, smart branding. When you think of Advaita, you think of Dennis Waite (among others, of course).

A branding effort that has me puzzled is that of a new and beautiful website, 9choirs.com. It is truly a mainstream nonduality website. They have cool articles. But when you first land on the site, do you know what it is about within the first two or three seconds? 9choirs mentions beliefnet.com and yelp.com as the types of websites they do not want to be like. However, if you land on either of those websites, you will know within a couple of seconds exactly what they are about. 9choirs, in my opinion, could use stronger branding. A brand has to stand for something immediately identifiable.

A purpose of branding is to effectively and efficiently distribute the information your audience wants and needs.

That concludes this brief series on branding.

Posted in branding | 3 Comments »
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