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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by john berk on December 27, 2005, at 13:47:47
hey everyone!
I just picked up an awesome book called "The Power Of Now", by Eckhart Tolle", it is supposedly a guide to spiritual enlightment, but has many practical observations and suggestions for evey day living!! i have ocd, depression and alcoholism, and this book is beginning to give me some much needed tools for living in the present moment!!one chapter is entitled "nothing exists outside the now" and basically the book proposes that much of our suffering is thinking obsessively about the past, as a way of defining who we are, or who we think we are!!
it is a great read, i highly recommend it, has anyone read it, any feedback? peace...john
Posted by Declan on December 29, 2005, at 21:09:27
In reply to The power of Now, posted by john berk on December 27, 2005, at 13:47:47
Yeah, I've read it, most of it, and am familiar with the basic idea anyway.
Ummmm, my general question is 'what exists outside the now?' Clearly one answer is 'nothing'. And then again it seems to me there's bugger all in the now, just this word and these fingers typing and this bum on this seat etc.
There's another person who is highly spoken of who I've only read a little about....Byron Katie who has this thing called 'The Work'.
But the one I enjoyed most is "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism" by Chogyam Trungpa.
Declan
Posted by pseudoname on January 2, 2006, at 14:53:21
In reply to Re: The power of Now, posted by Declan on December 29, 2005, at 21:09:27
...I just bought "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism". A good New Year purchase, eh?
I've read a lot of that sort of stuff before, and gotten a lot out of it, but I could never get any application of it into my life.
But now that I finally have an effective antidepressant (my buprenorphine), I'm able to ACT ON a lot of previous insights that used to be just insights. And I can face a lot of issues it was impossible for me to face before no matter how much detachment or meditation or "observer-mind" or whatever I employed. Or benzos or alcohol.
But I'm having to confront the complete lack of "meaning" or lasting, worthwhile significance in any of my fondest goals and dreams, even if I could achieve them spectacularly.
I'm getting cured of depression to where I have to make choices about what I will do with the rest of my life, where I will live, what friends I will have, etc. And I'm finding that the only way to keep from committing suicide when confronted with those choices (Not joking!) is to take a sort of non-directive position, like that in Tibetan Buddhism (and elsewhere, of course).
So the title you mentioned intrigued me. Then I read a little of it on Amazon, and it met me where I am. Although where he talks about "religion", I substitue "psychotherapy" & "scholarship" & "meaningful relationships" & "helping humanity" & so on, since I'm not a religious guy. I've got my own deceitful institutions, LOL.
Serendipity! Thanks, Declan. Have a good year.
(P.S. This post may sound like I'm in a crisis, but I'm okay.)
This is the end of the thread.
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