Wednesday, May 28, 2008




You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. The ego is like an old dog. Jill Bolte Taylor had to have a brain hemorrhage to lose her ego. Something similar happened to Ram Dass. Eckhart Tolle had to be driven close to suicide before the ego lost its grip over him. There is such enormous power in ego. That is why we humans won’t ever change our evil ways. Words, books, seminars, weekend retreats, psychotherapy, years of meditation practice, nothing seems to do the trick. We will simply not change, even though it is possible. It is possible to give up smoking, and drinking; it is possible to change eating and thinking habits, but still, we won’t do it.

It is too difficult to break habits. So, stop trying to change anything, the world, your friends, your husband or yourself. Don’t try to be positive or realistic or optimistic. Do what you like or do what you don’t like. It makes no difference. Believe in whatever pleases you. I have given up the fight now. I have surrendered to an overwhelming enemy.

4 comments:

:Doreen said...

But you never include Grace. What about Grace? This is the point. You can't do ANYTHING with your little mind. IT happens to you through Grace. Once "IT" happens you can "think" about it. But the "thinking" will NEVER CHANGE ANYTHING. YES, it is a surrendering. But not through THINKING! All stress gets generated in the mind; peace gets generated in the "no mind" or through the "heart mind." Or just through the heart.

:Doreen said...

Also, if you continue to "believe" in something, no matter what it is, you will continue to be trapped in ego. All that is needed is realization, awareness...then you are on your way. It is not that people will never change, of course they will change, just not in the way you "think" it will happen. If I have been awakening and you have been awakening, then why not others? Isn't that your ego saying that they don't have the same possibility. Obviously, each person's experience will be different. If you can read ET's book, you are changing. Simple.

:Doreen said...

Well, there IS a simple "practice" that Eckhart recommends. It is to do very ordinary tasks with "presence" or awareness. Be completely aware while washing your hands or dishes; walking to work; slicing vegetables; eating; looking at birds.

:Doreen said...

Teilhard de Chardin said: "Change yourself and you change the world."

That is true, but you can't change yourself through thinking.