This from a dear fellow traveler, Andy Hoye from WA, who is deeply involved in Eckhart Tolle's work.
Namaste.
I spent a few hours wrangling in thought about my "soul." Then I decided to ask my friend Gary. But before that, I decided to ask myself. What came out was something like "to the extent that there is a thinker and worrier about souls," there is a soul which can emerge on the astral plane after death, march around there, have friends, maybe reincarnate, maybe drink a beer.
But that entity is no more Atman / Brahman than a leaf on a tree.
I was pretty happy with my "understanding" and then I decided to pick up "Happiness Beyond Thought" again and flip through the pages. The first section I opened (typical synchonicity) was your fine distillation of Shankara's Nirvana Shatakam, and especially the fifth passage about having no family, father or mother, not being born, etc. Rather than being difficult for me, as you suggested it might be for even advanced students, it was exactly totally comforting.
The "I" does arise in me in curious ways -- and I don't mean the "I" who still has a job and financial responsibilities, and golfs and exercises and eats -- he just does that stuff. No, rather it is a more subliminal, more subtle "I" who wonders about deep things. It is a kind little "i," a loving little "i," and an expressive "i" who can feel good when a phrase is well turned, a guest amused, or a friend grateful for a gesture.
But even he is a wisp, a passing bird (or airplane.) I say airplane, because my earliest experience with Unity Consciousness was when I was about six years old, lying on my back in our front yard. A small airplane flew over, and in its passing everything was somehow perfect and wonderful in the world. That moment has stayed with me, just as did your reading of that line from Zen poetry.
The power and brilliance of Shankara, from your transliteration..."made my day." And it is a good day, as are they all until there are no more days. And that will be a good day, too.
Stillness.
Namaste.
I spent a few hours wrangling in thought about my "soul." Then I decided to ask my friend Gary. But before that, I decided to ask myself. What came out was something like "to the extent that there is a thinker and worrier about souls," there is a soul which can emerge on the astral plane after death, march around there, have friends, maybe reincarnate, maybe drink a beer.
But that entity is no more Atman / Brahman than a leaf on a tree.
I was pretty happy with my "understanding" and then I decided to pick up "Happiness Beyond Thought" again and flip through the pages. The first section I opened (typical synchonicity) was your fine distillation of Shankara's Nirvana Shatakam, and especially the fifth passage about having no family, father or mother, not being born, etc. Rather than being difficult for me, as you suggested it might be for even advanced students, it was exactly totally comforting.
The "I" does arise in me in curious ways -- and I don't mean the "I" who still has a job and financial responsibilities, and golfs and exercises and eats -- he just does that stuff. No, rather it is a more subliminal, more subtle "I" who wonders about deep things. It is a kind little "i," a loving little "i," and an expressive "i" who can feel good when a phrase is well turned, a guest amused, or a friend grateful for a gesture.
But even he is a wisp, a passing bird (or airplane.) I say airplane, because my earliest experience with Unity Consciousness was when I was about six years old, lying on my back in our front yard. A small airplane flew over, and in its passing everything was somehow perfect and wonderful in the world. That moment has stayed with me, just as did your reading of that line from Zen poetry.
The power and brilliance of Shankara, from your transliteration..."made my day." And it is a good day, as are they all until there are no more days. And that will be a good day, too.
Stillness.
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