Why is it that more people aren't questioning this book?

One of the longest threads on Oprah's message boards is the one titled "Why is it that more people aren't questioning this book?" Interestingly, here at Tolle Teachings, we have received a lot of feedback from licensed psychotherapists who seem to be upset with Eckhart's teachings from a number of perspectives.

One is that the notion of egolessness may be a worthwhile goal for those whose egos are well-developed, but not for those with deeply troubled childhoods that caused their egos to suffer from arrested development. In the latter case, this kind of advice might have catastrophic consequences. Eckhart himself achieved self-realization during a period of extreme suicidal ideation. Should he have had a psychotherapist turn him in to a suicide help-line or should he have been left alone as he was & achieved enlightenment?

This week Eckhart will be talking about the Pain Body, which many spiritual commentators consider his most significant contribution to "New Thought". Yet, one psychotherapist wrote to us & said that she thought the notion was "demonic". She says the Pain Body concept suggests the planet is swathed in some kind of dark cloak from which we can not arise – a depressing prospect she would not share with her patients.

We'll see what Oprah & Eckhart have to say about the Pain Body as this is the topic for this week's webcast- one that Oprah has said there is much excitement about.

Leave us alone!

Yesterday we talked about the Christian fundamentalists attacking Oprah via message boards & on the comment sections of our very own YouTube clips of the webinar.

Today we're happy to report that Oprah chose to deal with this problem immediately, at the top of the show, before she & Eckhart even started Chapter 4.

Oprah handled the issue in a clever & effective way. Instead of calling out the fundamentalists on the inappropriateness of their fixed beliefs & need to convert unbelievers, she referred to the many messages she received from the webinar student body who asked, "What should they do when a friend or loved one does not respond to the Tolle teachings?"

The response from Eckhart & Oprah was the same. "Leave them alone! We are not promoting a new belief. We do not need to convert anyone. Others may resonate with the teachings later or never. It doesn't matter. What does matter is your own spiritual path & your own spiritual work."

This paraphrase from the top of the program has, of course, a more deliberate application. If that is true for Tolle's teachings then this also applies to fundamentalists all of faiths & denominations. "Leave us alone! You have your path. Follow it, but do not make us follow."

It's like the Oprah.com message board respondent who said. "I don't picket churches on Sunday, so please leave us alone to worship as we please!"

It's all in the 1st 10 minutes of the March 25th program.