Examining Tolle
Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:55 pm
Dan quoting JJ writes:
"Then there are several things where he is actually
speaking around true principles but comes to an erroneous conclusion -- or
perhaps one could say they could lead a student in an
illusionary direction."
Dan:
"The second perhaps but anybody can be lead in an illusionary
direction by anything if they do not pay attention and judge for
themselves -- as you have taught. This should
be more of an indictment of the student, not the teacher."
JJ:
Yes, if the teacher clearly gives the principle this is true, but if
the student understands the teacher, and the teachings project
illusion, it is not.
Dan:
"One could easily be mislead by your teachings as well, if they did
not read closely or if they only skimmed the archives or if they have
preconceptions. Many have been and will continue to be. Even long
time students have misunderstood your teachings for various reasons."
JJ:
I'm not talking about misunderstanding the teacher, but taking what
he says and seeing illusion if you take him at his word. An
exception could be one who reads him through the soul.
Dan quoting JJ:
"Tolle reinforces this paralysis that many new age people
have in their actions by emphasizing that 'the present is all there
is.'"
Dan:
"I disagree, see quotes below."
[Editors Note: Due to the length/number of the
quotes, they were not included in this article. However, they can be found in
Dan's posts made to The Keys Spiritual Discussion Group.]
JJ:
Yes, of course every teacher in the universe will advocate action on
some level. It is impossible to teach without directing students to
some type of action and I never said Tolle did not advocate taking
action. I said that he emphasized that the present is all there is
and this was a correct statement. Without going into the value of
seeing the past and the future and taking them into consideration in
making judgements then the student is likely to ignore the wisdom to
be gleaned from the past or the promise of the future.
His teachings on action are somewhat paradoxical like those in many
Buddhist and Hindu writings. One of the effects of these teachings
past is the lack of action and development taken by the nations
dominated by these teachings.
Don't get me wrong, there is truth in these teachings, but their
teachers place an incorrect emphasis on inaction and just going with
the flow and this is one of the reasons why India has remained as a
third world nation for so long.
As a prime example Tolle gives the story of a guru who was wrongly
accused of impregnating a lady and he did nothing but yield to the
accusations. Then he was told to raise the kid and he just accepted
what others told him to do and raised him. Then he was told he had
to give the kid up and he did so without consideration of the
feelings of the kid. He just did what he was told to do. This story
Tolle gave as example of what he sees as right action and right
surrender. It also shows no judgement. The guy just did what he was
told without using any of his god given power of judgement.
I thought this was a terrible example of how we are supposed to
surrender judgement and acquiesce to what is going on around us.
Would this guru also have done what Hitler told him to do? You get
the impression he may have.
Even though I see Tolle here as giving a misleading emphasis he was
talking around a true principle of acceptance so if one reads this in
the light of the soul while retaining his power of judgement he can
still get some truth from it.
Tolle does speak of right action, as all teachers do, but this prime
example gives us an idea of what he really admires as being right
action which is not much different from the yielding of the Hale Bop
followers to the instructions of their guru. How far would this guy
in the story have to be pushed before he would use judgement and say
"enough!?"
Dan quoting JJ:
"What seems to be missing from Tolle's teachings on the
present, good and evil, duality, etc., is The Second Key of Judgement."
Dan:
"I disagree, see quotes below."
[Editors Note: Due to the length/number of the
quotes, they were not included in this article. However, they can be found in
Dan's posts made to The Keys Spiritual Discussion Group.]
JJ:
Yes, he teaches non judgement but then cannot say much without
indicating that judgments must be made. This is true of all teachers
who teach acquiescence. They cannot say much without contradicting
themselves and then seem to be advocating judgement.
For instance we've had people come on the list condemning us for
making judgements and then judging us as being unloving. No one can
say much without judgement entering in.
The story he gives shows actual action he admires and that action is
void of judgement or recognition of response to good or evil.
A truth to be gleaned from the story is that we can turn lemons into
lemonade. The problem is that we shouldn't allow every person and
his dog to give us lemons as the self has his own right to accept and
reject what others want him to do.
Tolle did not accept his given name that his parents wanted for him.
If he followed the example of the guru in his story then he would
have.
True he says a lot of good things, but then I see other things where
he contradicts himself. Sometimes he explains the contradictions as
related to the self and not self but other times he does not because
they appear to be true contradictions.
JJ:
Tolle says we should not fight evil.
Dan:
"I disagree, please see quotes below."
[Editors Note: Due to the length/number of the
quotes, they were not included in this article. However, they can be found in
Dan's posts made to The Keys Spiritual Discussion Group.]
JJ:
The bottom line is this. Even though some of the ways that Tolle
words his presentation rubs me the wrong way I would in no way
discourage anyone here from reading him and incorporating into their
lives that which seems right to their souls.
You seem to think my problem with him is that I just glossed over his
teachings, but I think I absorbed them pretty well.
That said I want you to resist a black and white interpretation of my
comments on him. I am not saying "me right and Tolle wrong."
Overall, he is a good writer and has some productive things to say.
Even the things I see as wrong emphasis have truth behind them if
seen in the light of the soul. I think his writings are better than
"The Celestine Prophecy" and "Conversations with God."
It would be boring for me to just list all his teachings with which I
agree, but it is more thought provoking to point out where wrong
directions may lie. This gives us food for thought and stimulates
our own power of judgement.
Again, I would bet if you specifically tell me of truths you gleaned
from his writings that I would agree with you.
Copyright © 2008 by JJ Dewey, All Rights Reserved
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