Re: what is it about Ekhart Tolle...(edited)

You see, that is exactly the point. Failing to say that there is a very rich and inspiring body of knowledge out there makes people dependent on buying and reading HIS books to enliven again and again the inspiration. Because this is what everybody desires to do until a teaching is completely absorbed and becomes a second nature, this is also what we do regarding LOA BTW: read, listen, read again, search inspiration, until one day we'll feel we don't need that any more.

I remember the first time I went around watching trees without labelling, it was years ago after I read my first spiritual book, Freedom from the Known of Krishnamurti (that's why I mentioned him, I don't even like him too much actually, as comparing to the zen teaching he's really a bit flat, not to say that he spent far too much time teaching that we shouldn't follow teachings, which is a bit funny). I will never forget that afternoon, and I seriously thought back then that my life wouldn't any more be the same. But then what happens is that life goes on and you kind of forget, or get distracted, but dang you read another book and you're back there, and another book again, and then you try also other things, I couldn't find in Milan a master zen convincing enough so I read a lot a lot, all the books I could find, and meditated hours and hours, zazen shikantaza that is (arguably) the most beautiful, the purest form of meditation ever conceived. (And incidentally, hours of zazen means deep pain in the knees until you feel they are broken. Encounter with pain IS a very important part of the contemplative way and this I bet ET doesn't say on TV. Anyway.) My point is that YOU NEED that big body of knowledge, you need them all those teaching to carry you beyond the lands of ego. ET must be mad to think that him alone and his 2 books can carry humankind to a shift of consciousness. He's delusional, and hilariously full of ego for thinking so.

But as I said I am very interested on the event, I like Oprah and her exhuberance (although she should get prepared a bit better, ah ah! that "father of now" did make me jump from the chair...) and yes, as I said, it is all good but he's a phony.

Monica, if you're inclined to read, look for something of master Suzuki Roshi. Maybe not Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind to begin with, that one leave it for later. Oh, how I love his face!

edit: wanted to add that emule is full of lectures of Alan Watts, who was a splendid soul, all for free
new edit: also youtube is full of stuff of Allan Watts, like this you can also see how sexy he was. Tweet