Summary

The article discusses the common misconceptions about enlightenment and the reasons why people struggle to achieve it despite reading Eckhart Tolle's teachings.

Abstract

The author of the article reflects on the widespread difficulty in grasping the concept of enlightenment, as taught by Eckhart Tolle, despite its popularity. The article emphasizes that enlightenment is not about intellectual understanding but rather an experiential state that transcends the ego. It criticizes the tendency to idolize enlightenment and suggests that people often fail to truly internalize and live by the teachings of spiritual leaders like Tolle, Buddha, or Jesus Christ. The author argues that enlightenment is attainable for anyone, not just spiritual figures, and that it involves a profound shift in being rather than doing. The article also points out societal laziness in seeking quick answers rather than engaging deeply with spiritual texts or practices, and it encourages individuals to seek enlightenment actively and personally, without underestimating their own potential for spiritual awakening.

Opinions

Enlightenment should not be put on a pedestal; it is an achievable state for anyone, not just figures like Buddha or the Dalai Lama.
Intellectualizing enlightenment is a trap; true understanding comes from experiential learning rather than thinking.
People are often lazy in their pursuit of knowledge, preferring summaries and quick answers over in-depth study and personal experience.
The teachings of Eckhart Tolle, along with ancient texts like the Bible and Tao Te Ching, provide clear guidance on achieving enlightenment, but they require personal engagement and understanding.
A true believer is one who reads spiritual texts with the heart and soul, not just the head, and believes in their own potential for enlightenment.
Enlightenment is characterized by a lack of reactionary behavior, emotional turmoil, and negative patterns such as fear, hatred, and the need for revenge or material compensation.
The author believes in divine timing for enlightenment and suggests that preaching or forcing the pursuit is unnecessary; it will come naturally to those who are ready.

The Reason Why People Read Eckhart Tolle and Still Not Getting It

It’s Not Because We Have Too Much Pain, Definitely Not

It was an instant moment for Tolle.

If you read the Power of Now, it’s important that you read the introduction. He was depressed and sad about life for a long time, until one night he said to himself (or perhaps praying), that he can’t deal with himself anymore.

Then he was enlightened.

Because he realised that his ego and his being are separated, and he can move on from his ego.

A few years ago in a house party, a person who I met in an ontology course laughed at me for thinking I am enlightened. He mocked me for my whole night, whatever I did, he asked: “are you doing that because you’re enlightened?”

No, it’s not what I did that makes me enlightened, but I don’t do.

Let’s all get enlightened by not doing.

What really is enlightenment

People are very funky about this when someone said they are enlightened. It’s because we have this image of Buddha or the Dalai Lama when we talk about this big topic.

But frankly, Eckhart Tolle, an ordinary man, is enlightened. Oprah Winfrey is enlightened. Anyone can.

Pain brings you to enlightenment, not delay it. Start looking at it this way and you might find a way in to connect with the truth.

So the first thing I really don’t do: I don't put enlightenment on a pedestal.

The answer has already been presented to you, many times

Everywhere you go, enlightenment is presented to you. The what, the why and the how. The many questions you ask, it would always lead to the same answer: the separation of your ego and your being, then align your being with the universe. In the Holy Bible, it provides a more graphical answer: the trinity.

The reason we keep listening to this and keep failing to fully grasp the concept is that we reduce this to an intellectual concept — a trap that many thinkers and philosophers fall into.

So the second thing I really don’t do: I don’t keep using my head (the thinking mind) to understand enlightenment.

Enlightenment is experiential, that’s the only way to achieve it, the more time you spend thinking about it, the more blockage you create for a full-body, soul and mind experience.

We are so lazy

Walking away from the academic world (sometimes even within it), I have noticed that people really like their answers given to them.

Instead of reading the book, they like Blinkist to summarise the key points for them; Instead of doing the research, they like to be told the answer.

Eckhart Tolle has given us the answer, in fact, from the ancient time, the Tao Te Ching, the Bible, Buddha’s teaching have given us the answer. Tolle simply understood them and put it in an easy-to-read format because people don’t read the texts.

So the third thing I really don’t do: I don’t ask others for answers, I seek it myself.

The bible has already told you: Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all will be given unto you (Matthew 6:33)

This is what a true believer means

I have joined the church since I was quite young, and I observed the people at churches. Most of them don’t even read the bible, some of them read the bible with their heads, a rare few read the bible with their heart and soul. But even within this little group of people, not many seem to believe they are enlightened.

It could be because they don’t know what enlightenment really is, or they have put this concept of enlightenment on the pedestal. So they don’t believe they can do it.

A brother at church once told me, “we will never be Jesus.” This statement baffles me. Does he say this because he thinks we never be Jesus in terms of getting crucified, or because we will never be truly knowing, like Jesus, about the secrets of life?

Many of us have idolised Buddha and Jesus Christ, so much so we made a religion out of it when neither of them asked to be worshipped. They shared their knowledge and healing, hoping more people will understand. Instead, people just thought they can get a quick answer from them, again, lazy.

So the fourth thing I really don’t do: I really don’t underestimate my calling.

I think everything will come at the right time, it’s sometimes called divine timing. So there’s no need to preach, or to force anyone to seek enlightenment. One day when your time comes, perhaps you will experience life outside your head, have true clarity and achieve enlightenment.

At this point, I question why am I still writing if you won’t get clarity even after you read this if you time hasn’t come. But oh well, just in case this article speak to someone specific. I am just a messenger.

What we don’t have when we are enlightened

When we are enlightened, you have everything and we don’t do/have anything you don’t need:

We don’t react to situations
We don’t get taken over by your emotions
We don’t hold on to things that should’ve been let go
We don’t fear
We don’t think negative thoughts automatically
We don’t auto-pilot life
We don’t hate others
We don’t lie
We don’t need a lot of things to compensate for the emptiness in our lives
We don’t have jealousy, need to revenge, greed or other sensual things that hinder us from peace

Do you believe you are enlightened now? I invite you to let me know in the comments below.

If you like my articles, please follow me on Medium, Instagram and Twitter! Feel free to sign up here for my fortnightly nourishing newsletter called Wild Openings.