In this podcast Eckhart answers questions from a live audience, including one about how suffering can lead to awakening. Eckhart says we need challenges in order to evolve. The great paradox is we are liberated when we surrender to life’s difficulties. Eckhart says eventually we can become grateful for our suffering because it pushes us to become who we are.

Suffering and Awakening

Oprah Winfrey is delighted  to introduce a new weekly podcast series from one of the great spiritual thinkers of our time: Eckhart Tolle.  Eckhart’s wisdom will help you learn to quiet your mind, separate your ego from your true self and live a fully present life.  Essential Teachings by Eckhart will provide a path to discover an enlightened state of consciousness. Oprah says Eckhart transformed her life and hopes these Essential Teachings will inspire you to seek your own higher purpose.

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In this podcast, Eckhart talks about the coming changes for humanity, including a shift to a different level of consciousness. He explains collectively, we are going through difficult times now, because real change only occurs when society is pushed to the brink. He says without adversity, there is no transformation. He believes we need not be afraid when hardship strikes because that too will be a catalyst for more spiritual growth. Eckhart says historically, humanity has gone through many regressions and collective disasters. He explains they are intrinsic to the process of awakening because every setback is part of the journey. 

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Every Setback Is Part of The Journey

In this podcast Eckhart talks about the pitfalls of the ego and the need to feel superior. He explains we seek an identity through external distinction like wealth, fame, even our nationality, to dispel the anxiety that we’re not enough. He says the focus on image creates a false sense of self. He shares examples from his own life. Growing up Eckhart’s family struggled financially, which left him with low self-esteem. He asked why bad things always seemed to happen to him. To bolster his feelings of inadequacy, Eckhart says he pursued intellectual achievements which came easily. But his sense of superiority soon vanished in the wake of his negative thinking. Eckhart says for a time, he sought refuge in complaining and victimhood. But after he experienced an awakening, the old patterns gave way to something greater, and his self-hate evaporated. He explains he finally understood the meaning of Buddha’s teachings about suffering and the end of suffering and how liberation emerges when we release the ego’s grip. 

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You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN

Releasing The Ego’s Grip

In this episode, Eckhart laughs with his audience. He exclaims there’s hope for humanity when such a big crowd seeks greater consciousness. He also explains that inspiration can quickly turn to perspiration when we encounter obstacles, especially with the people in our lives. He quotes existential philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre who famously said: Hell is other people. While Eckhart believes that is an ego-based perspective, many of us feel that life is full of experiences we shouldn’t have. We think something is wrong with us or that God has a grudge when misfortune strikes. Eckhart says the greatest part of unhappiness comes from our minds and the stories we tell ourselves. He says the answer to life’s struggles will never be found in our thinking. He believes we find freedom when we release our inner baggage, unencumbered, to discover the bare naked is-ness of the present moment. 

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You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN

The Bare Naked Is-ness of the Present Moment

In this podcast, Eckhart says it’s vitally important that we become familiar with the mystical aspect of our lives. However, he explains it is not something we can easily define, nor can we truly understand sacredness until we catch a glimpse of it. For that to happen, Eckhart says we must learn to stop the mind with its incessant thinking and labeling so we can become present. Eckhart reveals that on a deeper level, presence is actually the presence of God. Not the traditional idea of God, but a vast intelligence that permeates the entire universe. For many he says thinking and objectifying others, as well as ourselves is a barrier to this direct experience. He explains the concept is beautifully illustrated by the Greek myth of narcissus.

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You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN

Glimpsing What Is Sacred

In this episode, Eckhart explains to a live audience that a deeper movement has brought them together and the goal is to help them awaken. He says many ancient spiritual teachings point to this timeless idea of metamorphosis including the parables of Jesus and others. He explains the root of the word Buddha means to be awake in Sanskrit. Eckhart explains when we shift to higher consciousness, we have access to wisdom which is far deeper than intelligence. Ironically, he says more knowledge will not save us. In fact, intelligence often works in service of madness, technology, war and weapons of mass destruction. He believes only wisdom together with right action will help our ailing world and these can only spring from awakened consciousness. 

Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods    
  
You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN

Suffering and Awakening

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