Life Without Unnecessary Suffering.

In this episode, Eckhart sits down with an audience in Paris.

He encourages participants to explore the experience of his talk beyond the words because it holds the seeds to awakening he also talks

about the obstacles presented by the ego which he illustrates with the ancient Greek

myth of Narcissus a beautiful young man who drowned in a pool of water gazing at his own

reflection. Eckhart explains there's a deep truth to the story which is still

relevant today. He says we risk a similar fate if we identify too closely with the ego and its insatiable demands.

He ponders the possibility of resisting the pull to turn life's difficulties into suffering.

He explains that challenges will continue, but we don't have to turn every problem

into unhappiness.

Eckhart asked the audience to consider, is it possible to go through life without creating unnecessary suffering for ourselves and others?

It has taken a long time, but finally I'm speaking here in France and in Paris and I'm very happy to be here with all of you.

Our evening operates on two levels.

One is the conventional level.

Words are spoken, concepts, mental concepts.

And to some extent you can understand those concepts, you listen, you understand,

but the essence of our evening does not happen on a conceptual level.

Conceptual understanding of what I'm talking about

will not be enough to make this evening enjoyable for you.

Conceptual understanding will not be enough.

It is more a question of inviting you by using concepts as signposts, inviting you to actually experience

for yourself or realize for yourself what it is that I'm talking about.

...