Bringing consciousness to this world. In this podcast, Eckhart talks with a live audience about

his belief that we are meant to bring consciousness to this world. To do that, he says, we must keep

the pathways clear. We rise above thought, not fall below it, which is what happens when we use substances like alcohol,

drugs and thinking.

Once we become free of that, Eckart says, we realize the essence behind the personality,

which is pure presence.

You are connected to the depths of yourself to a consciousness that arises from a place that

is deeper than the human mind, so that the human mind is really only a receiving instrument

of a deeper universal consciousness that pervades the entire space around you.

So the I amness, realizing that as the presence that is perceiving this room in this case,

here or wherever you may be, and you develop the ability of refraining,

especially when you don't need it,

refraining from always interpreting mentally,

imposing thought on everything.

That's the essence, for example, of some of you may be familiar with Zen.

That what I'm just describing both in words and pointing to experientially.

That is the essence of Zen.

The essence of Zen is quite simply,

Ringuish thought, but stay awake.

You're not going to sleep.

You can relinquish thought, you can get out of the being trapped in thought

either by going to sleep tonight.

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