Discovering our true nature. In this podcast, Eckhart talks about our dependence on people, places, things, and concepts as the source of our identity. He says most of us derive a sense of self from our attachments, but the essence of who we truly are is much deeper. Eckhart calls it the alive stillness at the center of our being. Once we

become aware of it, our attachment to external things fades, and we discover our true nature. Eckhart

illustrates this idea with the story of a Buddhist monk who sought to release worldly things. His

difficulties were great until he let go.

Absolutely.

Years ago I spoke to a Buddhist monk.

He was a Westerner and he became a Buddhist monk.

He still is a Buddhist monk.

He's been a Buddhist monk now for over 55 years.

But that was many, many years ago.

I talked to him.

And when he became a monk,

and the monks in the Buddhist tradition,

and it used to be like that,

perhaps in some place it still is in the Christian tradition.

Definitely in India, there's a tradition of letting go of everything.

You become a mendicant or you become an ascetic.

So in Buddhist, you can't own anything in most Buddhist traditions.

This happened to be the Terawada tradition in Southeast Asia. You let go of possessions. You're not allowed to even touch any money.

You can't touch a bill or a coin. You're not allowed to touch.

You let go of your usual dress, the clothes that you wear.

You have to use the monks, there are nuns too,

...