Stillness Within August 12th Meetup – Eckhart Tolle:  Being Alone  

For the August meetup, seven of us got together to listen to a recently released Eckhart Tolle talk titled “Being Alone”. Eckhart discussed some of the gifts of being ‘with oneself’… and in particular, finding joy in knowing one’s quality of inner spaciousness.  This quality is something that can be more easily deepened when we are alone, by attuning to the gaps between thoughts or the moment by moment changing sensations, beginning to sense an unending connectedness to each individual passing sensory-experience.

Of course, being with others can seem to fetter this sense of gentle ease… and some members noted that there can be a challenge in bringing a deep peace into current or past encounters, especially where there’s been emotional pain.  Eckhart indicated that the more we practice inviting stillness, the easier it is to bring that stillness into our interactions… He emphasized the value of remaining conscious when we are in conversation with others – simply observing without applying judgement:  passing thoughts, emotion or shifts in the body as well as the person you are with. 

 Krishnamurti also notes the subtle gift that can accompany simply noticing in a relaxed way…   

“Observe without past memories and reactions projecting themselves immediately in observation; observe purely, without any direction, without any motive; then one will find, if one has gone into it deeply, that thought does come to an end… This is real meditation”   Brockwood Park, 1st meeting 1980

 We finished the gathering in a shared space of silence, lovely and whole!

Thanks to the Krishnamurti Centre for hosting us this month!