Eckhart Tolle discusses the limitations of free will and the role of suffering in human evolution. He addresses a therapist's resentment towards God for her clients' abuse and explains that suffering is part of our awakening. The chapter also explores the concept of channeling spirits and the existence of suffering in relation to awakening consciousness.
True freedom emerges when we transcend our ego and conditioned patterns, allowing us to choose actions based on presence rather than conditioning.
Suffering is seen as part of our evolution and awakening, and God is not a controlling figure but a consciousness that gradually awakens within each person.
Deep dives
The Illusion of Free Will
Eckhart Tolle discusses the concept of free will and explains that true freedom only emerges when we transcend our ego and conditioned patterns. He emphasizes that as long as we are identified with our past and conditioned by our unconscious mind, we won't experience free will. However, as we awaken and become more conscious, we gain the ability to choose actions based on presence rather than conditioning, leading to a greater sense of freedom.
The Misconception of God
A therapist working with trauma survivors raises questions about the suffering caused by abuse and the role of God in allowing such terrible things to happen. Eckhart Tolle challenges the traditional view of God as a controlling figure and offers a different perspective. He suggests that suffering is part of our evolution and awakening, and that God is not a separate entity with power over our lives, but rather a consciousness that gradually awakens in every human being. He encourages a deeper understanding of suffering and the possibility of finding redemption and acceptance within it.
The Nature of Suffering and Awakening
Eckhart Tolle addresses the issue of suffering and its role in awakening consciousness. He compares Jesus on the cross as an archetype of suffering and suggests that identifying with Jesus' suffering can lead to redemption and acceptance. Tolle sees the suffering in the world as part of the birthing process of the divine consciousness in humanity. He rejects the idea of a controlling God and instead emphasizes the gradual awakening of consciousness within each person. Tolle also acknowledges the possibility for suffering to lead to deep realizations and eventual transcendence.
In this podcast Eckhart answers questions from an audience in Hawaii. A man asks if we actually have “free will.” Eckhart explains we won’t experience “free will” while living on the level of ego, because we are conditioned by the past. He believes until we transcend our past, we are at the mercy of our unconscious patterns. A woman who is a therapist and works with trauma survivors, asks how to deal with her resentment at God for the abuse her clients suffer. She questions how can God allow such awful things to happen? Eckhart says this view of God is actually a misconception. He goes on to explain that humans are in the process of awakening and suffering is part of our evolution.