Well, I finished my reading and my review a day early even though I struggled all week to get through chapter 2 of A New Earth. It was not because Tolle had tried to render the Christian faith useless again, but his views on the inner and outer being and the ego just struck me as…well…junk. Tolle’s views on the world have foundation, but he pushes them too far in trying to maintain his inner light theories. But I am getting ahead of myself. Hit the jump and check it out for yourself.
CHAPTER 2: Ego: The Current State of Humanity
Open Review
This chapter focuses on the conflict between mind and spirit. Tolle suggests that our mind, or ego as he calls it, controls most of our lives. It is in so much control that it will not allow us to see the true world that we live in and the inner body that lies in each of us. Eckhart points out that from birth we are conditioned to identify with things, our bodies, and our world by putting labels on things. In doing this, we cover the true meaning and spirit of the object with a false label that cannot possibly explain all the complex layers within that object.
With this, we label ourselves: male, female, pretty, fat, skinny, ugly, and so forth. With objects we also label them to fit within our worlds. Things like a toy become “my toy” to help the ego build itself up. We keep adding label upon label to ourselves until we can no longer function without these labels because they define who we are.
There is truth in what he says, to some degree. People do tend to label things almost instantly and that label sticks. Remember first impressions are the lasting ones right? That is because you label them and they label you and it is hard to break those in our minds. “Wow that guy was a slob! I won’t be hanging out with him!” But in truth, he was just having a bad day and they two of you would have been best friends with a lot of the same interests and points of view.
Tolle also brings up the points of how the mind blocks our true view of self. He brings up the case of bulimia and/or anorexia. The body cries for food because it needs the nourishment but the mind only tells you how fat you are and that you need to starve yourself or throw up what you forced yourself to eat. This part is true.
Biblical Review
A New Earth does not cover much in the religion area in this chapter; however there are a couple points of interest. At the top of page 26, you will read “Even a stone, and more easily a flower or a bird, could show you the way back to God, to the Source, to yourself.” This is a good statement if we can just cut off the last part. Every stone or flower or bird should remind us of the wonderment God placed in our world; it should tell us of the beauty of God and all that He created. The issue is that Tolle links the return to God as a return “to yourself” placing you in the spot of deity.
On page 43, he turns Jesus sermon to the disciples from Mathew 5. He twists Jesus’ message just a bit to fit his own purposes:
Blessed are the poor of spirit, for theirs will be the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mathew 5:3
Tolle tells us that what Jesus meant by the “poor of spirit” is that they do not have all these labels and identification that others carry with them. This is not the case at all! Jesus was refering to those who admit that they are poor of spirit or sinners. It is those that know we do not deserve the gift of Heaven and ask God for forgiveness that reach Heaven. He then follows this twisting of the bible on page 56 where he uses only part of the verse
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7
He completely leaves off the most important part which is the ending “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” He just stops it where he wants to and makes it sound like it is referring to his view of inner being instead of the power of Jesus Christ.
That is about it for the biblical errors in this chapter. My biggest issue with this chapter is not one of religion, but of Tolle reaching way too far to try to convince you of his Ego theories. He does have some good ideas about us placing too much stock in what we look like or the things we own. The bad part is he tries to use this to “enlighten us” on how to turn inward “and feel the life force in our fingers”. I find this to be complete hooey! While I admit that God has breathed life into us, and we all have a spirit or soul within, the glory is not to be placed on ourselves for containing such a wonderful thing. Our eys should be turned to God for giving us life, creating these beautiful souls, and allowing us to know Him, through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.
Don’t close your eyes as Tolle suggests, but open them!
God Bless,
Hunter
Dear Howard,
I have been reading the course in miracles since 1985. I have been reading Eckhart’s books since 1999. I have been reading the Bible my whole life. I still read all three daily. They are all gifts of the Holy Spirit.
My concern is that you are making of the Bible a false god and are consequently unable to experience “Jesus”, through the heart, as he would have you. Jesus said the same thing: it is within you.
For years I have been studying the Course in Miracles and the Bible. I have been baffled by some of Christianity’s inablility to embrace them both. It is through the Course In Miracles that I experience salvation. It was through the Course in Miracles that I was born again. Having been born Christian, I had gone far astray. Through the Course In Miracles. Jesus brought me home. Thank you Jesus.
Today I read them both on a daily basis. Books like Eckhart’s are also very helpful in evoking the Holy Spirit’s presence. They also can be very effective in helping me to realise the many blocks my ego personality has developed thus enabling me to let go of the blocks, return my mind to the Holy Spirit. It’s a beautiful thing.
The Kingdom of God is within You.
Why argue about words?
Blessings, Mary
Mary,
I am not making the bible a false god. I am merely using it as the word of God to show that Tolle is clearly off the mark. As I have said before, I have not read A Course In Miracles, but I have heard about it and since I am delving into Oprah’s other favorite book, I must say I believe what I have heard. I will get to A Course In Miracles later. This is about A New Earth.
I am glad that you came back to God, but I am forced to question which god. The only god Tolle talks about in his book is ‘yourself’ which is not what the Bible teaches at all. Placing yourself about God is the original sin and Tolle’s book is steeped in it.
The kingdom of God is not only in me, but all around me. It is not only within us but all around. Why argue about words?….you commented first ;0P
Again I ask you how, as a Christian woman, you match up what is in your Bible with what Tolle says as far as the things I have pointed out in these last two chapters? You keep mentioning how Tolle brought you back to faith; great for you. But with the things he is teaching and how far they are off from what the Bible tells us, I again have to question what faith you have found when you praise the words that lead those from Jesus Christ.
I hope you find your way,
Hunter
Dear Howard,
Many Christians have found that Eckhart’s books have brought them closer to God. Clearly, this is not the case for you. I find it interesting that you even bother to keep reading. I doubt that I would stay with a book that I found so contrary to my interpretation of the Bible as this book seems to be contrary to your interpretation of it.
I’m not going to pick apart your blogging. You are entitled to your opinion. It is not my intention to discount it.
I did not say that Eckhart’s book brought me back to faith. I returned to faith a long time before Eckhart’s books came out. I said that it did so for a lot of Christians that participated in the class. When I suggested that you read it I thought that possibly it could deepen your experience as it has for so many others. I was obviously wrong.
I hope that your readers will have the courage to read the book for themselves. Many Christians, although you are not among them, have found it very beneficial to read. It has enhanced their walk with God, not taken away from it as is your concern.
Have a wonderful vacation. Many blessings on your journey.
Mary
And many Christians find this work offensive and belittling of the Christian faith. I do not stand alone in this endeavor, but I do think that the word needs to be spread that this is not a Christian book, despite what Oprah and Tolle say. I was in Barnes and Noble this weekend and looked over all of Tolle’s books; on the very next shelf was ‘The Complete Guide to Witchcraft!’ As I have pointed out, booksellers, churches, online Christian communities, and more are all coming together to “enlighten” those who have fallen under this ruse.
That is why I continue to read it; because like you said, I should know what it says if I am going to prove Tolle wrong and lead people back to the light of God and Jesus Christ instead of their own personal self-god as Tolle is trying to create.
Mary, simply look at the passages I have pointed out, or read it again and compare it to what the Bible tells you. You too will see that they do not match.
God Bless and it is still not Howard,
Hunter
Dear Hunter,
I’m so sorry for name mix up. I don’t know where I got Howard from. Thank you for correcting me. My apologies…..
Blessings, Mary
Tolle is not stating that we are a self-God, but that we can re-establish our connection with God by not identifying with our ego-self (i.e. false God). This has to happen from within and not through outer authority.
The kingdom of God is within you.” [Luke 17:21]