J. Krishnamurti & Eckhart Tolle & non-dualism

[Michel]

A friend sent me this quote, for which I do not have sources, so I do not know how authentic it is, but I believe some of you will recognize its significance here.

"It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted
to a profoundly sick society."

If you haven't had a psychotic reaction to living amongst the well-adjusted to this profoundly sick society, then perhaps it is you who are mad.

[Michel]

I found the below passage from Eckhart Tolle rather interesting. He seems to think that the Buddha's 3rd Noble Truth, which is the origin of angst (dhukkha) is craving (thanha), is not the root cause of our suffering.  He argues that it is one's "ego" that is at the heart of our dysfunction, the cause of our fear, greed and the desire for power that leads to our suffering.

I think he is saying that if we can overcome our ego, then we can we can overcome our fear, greed and the desire for power. Is this what the Buddha was also implying, though less directly? If I understand correctly, the full liberation of an individual implies that they have totally destroyed their ego.

Fear, greed, and the desire for power are the psychological motivating forces not only behind warfare and violence between nations, tribes, religions, and ideologies, but also the cause of incessant conflict in personal relationships. They bring about a distortion in your perception of other people and yourself. Through them, you misinterpret every situation, leading to misguided action designed to rid you of fear and satisfy your need for more, a bottomless hole that can never be filled.

It is important to realize, however, that fear, greed, and the desire for power are not the dysfunction that we are speaking of, but are themselves created by the dysfunction, which is a deep-seated collective delusion that lies within the mind of each human being. A number of spiritual teachings tell us to let go of fear and desire. But those spiritual practices are usually unsuccessful. They haven’t gone to the root of the dysfunction. Fear, greed and the desire for power are not the ultimate casual factors. Trying to become a good or better human being sounds like a commendable and high-minded thing to do, yet it is an endeavour you cannot ultimately succeed in unless there is a shift in consciousness. This is because it is still part of the same dysfunction, a more subtle and rarefied form of self-enhancement, of desire for more and a strengthening of one’s conceptual identity, one’s self-image. You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you, and allowing that goodness to emerge. But it can only emerge if something fundamental changes in your state of consciousness.

The history of Communism, originally inspired by noble ideals, clearly illustrates what happens when people attempt to change external reality – create a new earth – without any prior change in their inner reality, their state of consciousness. They make plans without taking into account the blueprint for the dysfunction that every human being carries within:  the ego.

Tolle, Eckhart (2006-08-29). A New Earth (Oprah #61) (pp. 12-13). Penguin Group US. Kindle Edition.

[Jhanananda]

While I understand that Eckhart Tolle really does not understand the 8 stages of the religious experience (samadhi); nonetheless, I agree with his statement, only if we understand that the 8 stages of the religious experience (samadhi) are shades of none-duality; and that the second stage of the 8 stages of the religious experience (samadhi) is the stilling of the mind; and it is that stage that Eckhart Tolle has been marketing all along. 

Thus, the Buddha was correct regarding the 4 Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path leads to the cessation of suffering through the attainment of the 8 stages of the religious experience (samadhi), which is the 8th fold, which has, sadly, been mistranslated in Buddhism for more than 2,000 years, which explains why religions, especially Buddhism, tend to not lead to the cessation of suffering; however, if you are willing to take a lobotomy for any religions, then you might find wealthy fundamentalists of that religion who are willing to fund you not doing anything, and thus reduce your suffering, if you are willing to prance around in a ridiculous costume and repeat nonsense for the rest of your days.