Saturday, August 11, 2018

Interrogating the Enlightened Man, a digression on Eckhart Tolle


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Eckhart Tolle--One of my Favorite Hypocrites

I am not against the earning of money by "spiritual"or any other means if done through the free market by voluntary exchange. I am not criticising Tolle for making money, but--if the information by Titmuss quoted below is true (and if it is not it would behoove Tolle to reply to it as untrue)--for his hypocrisy, that is saying one thing and doing another.

Here is what Titmuss wrote below, germane to my claim about hypocrisy being the issue I am addressing here:

It is surely appropriate to question whether his [Tolle] growing personal wealth, and his desire for more, is compatible with his spiritual teachings. If the thought of such transparency is too difficult for you [Tolle] to handle, then I have a small suggestion. You are on the world’s Rich Man List. You are very wealthy. From now on, please offer all your public talks and retreats on the basis of dana  (a Pali word meaning the act of giving, the offering of a donation) and minimise the price of your books, cards, calendars etc.

When younger (even!), say 20 to 30, having gone through a lengthy and various "Spiritual" life "Researching" about, more than "Searching" for, "Enlightenment", meeting a few "Top Gun Gurus" in person, becoming a minor “Guru” myself, forming or joining new Communities committed to "Enlightenment", getting "Enlightened" myself...etc...I think perhaps some of my comments and quotes on "Spirituality" might prove useful to others pursuing "Spiritual Enlightenment", etc. (Note: I place quote marks “-” around words to signal that the conventional, traditional, mass media meaning of these words is very different from my meaning of them.)

The term/concept I have found most applicable to the "Spiritual" INDUSTRY (Yes, Virginia, it is!), is HYPOCRISY. What a wonderful word!

Here’s the etymology: hypocrisy (n.) c.1200, ipocrisie, from Old French ypocrisie, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Greek hypokrisis "acting on the stage, pretense," from hypokrinesthai "play a part, pretend".

Some quotes on it:

HYPOCRITE, n. “One who, professing virtues that he does not respect, secures the advantage of seeming to be what he depises.” Ambrose Bierce

“Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The essence of immorality is the tendency to make an exception of myself.” Jane Addams

“Go put your creed into your deed.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The hypocrite's crime is that he bears false witness against himself. What makes it so plausible to assume that hypocrisy is the vice of vices is that integrity can indeed exist under the cover of all other vices except this one. Only crime and the criminal, it is true, confront us with the perplexity of radical evil; but only the hypocrite is really rotten to the core.” Hannah Arendt

“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” Socrates

It seems Eckhart Tolle is near number Uno in the current rank of “Spiritual Gurus or Leaders” worldwide. All persons I put in the category of “Guru” are GRUESOME! Some are malignant growths, others are benign. Among the former I would put Da Free John, L. Ron Hubbard, Muktanada, Jim Jones, Sai Baba, and Rajneesh. Among the latter, Tolle, Gurdjieff, Dalia Lama, and Krishnamurti.

The questions to ask of the “spiritual gurus” such as Tolle SHOULD NOT BE:

What is God, Truth, Reality, etc.,
but SHOULD BE (as Titmuss does below):

How much are you worth, your total assets?
How do you earn your money?
Are you sexually active and with which sex and why or why not?
Do you believe in monogamy and why or why not?
What do you do with your money?
Do you use psychotropic substances and why or why not?
Do you support governments? Which kinds? Why?
Do you believe in disembodied spirits, life after death? If so, why?
Ask real SEXUAL/FINANCIAL/PERSONAL Questions and get REAL ANSWERS.

Below is first the mainstream, then the critical alternative, views of the "Spiritual Hero" Eckhart Tolle (note the dates):

“He says he doesn’t pay much attention to money, although he jokes that he “should pay more”. He has used his new-found wealth to buy a flat, which overlooks wild parkland, and a car. He says that while he has no intention of setting up an ashram or centre, “it could develop organically”. Still, he has no plans to create an empire or “a heavy commercial structure”.

Munro Magruder, assistant publisher at New World Library, the American publisher that picked up the American rights for Tolle in 1999, says: “The last big best-seller we had was The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra … One of those laws is to practise detachment, but Chopra doesn’t. He is very involved in the business.

(But) Eckhart truly practises detachment. “He’s never asked how many copies of his book we’ve sold, nor enquired about the marketing campaign. He couldn’t care less. He’s only interested in being a teacher, and people resonate with that. He’s the genuine article.” Telegraph Magazine http://www.inner-growth.info/power_of_now_tolle/eckhart_tolle_teleg_mag.htm 2003

"Whatever you think people are withholding from you praise, appreciation, assistance, loving care and so on give it to them. Soon after you start giving, you will start receiving." Eckhart Tolle http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-04-15-tolle15_CV_N.htm 2010

“Money is a good example. An enlightened person or business is not concerned primarily with making money, because when you are concerned with making money you want the future more than the present.” Eckhart Tolle http://rayhemachandra.com/2010/09/25/eckhart-tolle-on-making-money/ 2010

“When asked about his wealth some of his replies seem evasive. I noticed he once justified the price of his seminars with some comment about it costing a lot to organise such things. But this failed to address the obvious point that the tours are raking in a fortune. It actually seemed like a slightly dishonest answer from someone trying to defend their self-image. He also reacted by making some vague comment about the possibility of setting up a foundation to help people with his money. However to my knowledge he has held onto vast reserves of cash he could never possibly need for well over a decade.” Blog http://www.howtoforgivepeople.com/eckhart-tolle-criticism-2 2013

“Eckhart Tolle has established a huge worldwide commercial enterprise through his business company, Eckhart Teachings. Last month, Watkins Bookshop in London named Eckhart as the world’s second most influential spiritual teacher after the Dalai Lame and immediately ahead of Pope Francis. He has become one of the best known spiritual teachers in the Western world offering retreats, public talks as well as appearing on various television programs. Millions have read one or more of his four books: The Power Of Now; The Practise Of The Power Of Now; A New Earth; Stillness Speaks. Published in 35 languages, these four books have gone onto sell some 12 million copies or more between them. His commercial activities in the UK alone include Eckhart Tolle TV Live Stream for six months. $99.65, New Earth Card Deck for £19.00, New Earth Calendar for £11.00, Inspirational Selections from A New Earth £18.00, Eckhart Tolle’s Findhorn Retreat (2 DVDs and a book). £27.00, Eckhart Tolle’s Music to Quiet the Mind £13.00, In the Presence of Mystery (Audio) £22.50 and much, much more. Eckhart charges individuals between the cheapest seats at £50 to £75 for the “platinum seats” to listen to him give a two hour talk with questions and answers.

Eckhart gives talks addressing the suffering of clinging to ownership. Yet, it is stated on his website: “Absolutely no recording devices of any kind are allowed at the retreat.” Eckhart Teachings keep a tight control over recorded access to his words. In A New Earth (page 46), Eckhart writes about the problem of the ego. ‘I don’t have enough yet’ by which the ego really means ‘I am not enough yet.’ ‘Having – the concept of ownership – is a fiction created by the ego… Wanting keeps the ego alive much more than having. It is an addictive need….’Fine words, Mr. Tolle. You have made $millions in the last 15 years. Do you really need to own so much money? Why do you still want to make even more money?

Please explain to your many followers how your desires and needs to make so much money from your talks, retreats and commercial sales contribute to a new Earth.
Please let your followers know what you do with your immense wealth?
Do you use your money to create a better life for people? If so, what organisations, trusts, charities do you give to?
Do you invest you invest your money in the financial markets? If so, which?
Do you leave your money in your bank? If so, why?
It is surely appropriate to question whether his growing personal wealth, and his desire for more, is compatible with his spiritual teachings. If the thought of such transparency is too difficult for you [Tolle] to handle, then I have a small suggestion. You are on the world’s Rich Man List. You are very wealthy. From now on, please offer all your public talks and retreats on the basis of dana  (a Pali word meaning the act of giving, the offering of a donation) and minimise the price of your books, cards, calendars etc.

Your teachings have given much support to the spiritual journey of your followers. You deservedly receive a lot of goodwill from people. You can make a contribution towards developing trust in spiritual teachers and their teachings. Your practise of dana would dispel the growing widespread disillusionment with spiritual teachers who accumulate vast sums of money. This is not a hair-shirt philosophy but an act of kindness and support for all regardless of their financial status.

If you developed trust in dana, you would show to yourself and your followers the power of now to let go of old desires. I am sure you would agree.

http://christophertitmuss.org/blog/eckhart-tolle-is-on-the-rich-mans-list-is-this-the-price-of-enlightenment 2014

To Conclude:

Ask not for whom the Bell Tolles as you toil for his Toll, same as you pay your Tax to the other Guru or God called Government.

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