The crack is how the light gets in.

In this podcast, Eckhart talks about suffering

and how to transcend it.

He says, suffering is everyone's spiritual teacher

because it drives us to a kind of willingness.

He believes it cracks open the hard shell of the ego,

suddenly allowing the light to shine through.

Eckhart mentions the legendary singer Leonard Cohen

who wrote a song about this universal experience he sings.

There's a crack, a crack in everything.

That's how the light gets in.

Eckhart also uses the example of Buddha

who's suffered by becoming obsessed with doing

and attaining enlightenment.

Eckhart explains how Buddha put himself through extreme practices

and nearly died until one day he decided he'd suffered enough.

This is the moment Eckhart says

the Buddha's ego cracked open

and fulfilling enlightenment poured in.

Eckhart says we all will suffer

until we realize we don't need to anymore

to grow spiritually.

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