FOOD FOR THOUGHT About Truth and Opinions: Stop Cherishing Your Opinions!

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Food for thought today is about truth and opinions from Eckhart Tolle. In short he says to stop cherishing your opinions. 

In other words, do not hold onto yours for dear life as if it is something sacred, and allow others to be who they are and think what they like without getting into an argument over a difference of opinion.  

Before we get into Eckhart's teachings however, I want to remind you of an affirmation from Abraham-Hicks about allowing:

It matters not what others choose or what others think about what I choose, what's important is that I am pleased with me. And as I see myself, I certainly am. 

I can allow others to be, do, or have whatever they want. I do not have to take anything from their experience that I do not like.

Now, to Eckhart:


Your First Responsibility  
 

Your first responsibility is not to identify with a position.  Everybody has to practice that one way or another.  It’s a beautiful practice.  It’s expressed in Zen.  I don’t remember who said it, some Zen master said, "Don’t seek for the truth – just cease cherishing opinions".  And that’s enough.  

Stop Cherishing Opinions

Many spiritually inclined people look for the 'truth' – hopefully at some point within, but first it starts outside.  But don’t look for the truth, not even within, just stop cherishing opinions.  

Cherishing, not having.  It doesn’t say stop having opinions because that would be difficult – maybe a very advanced practice.  Even I have some opinions, about Fox News, and so on – but cherishing means to identify with the opinion, to be in the thought.  

And then it gives you your sense of "I"  Then anybody who has a different or conflicting position becomes a kind of enemy.  Then you’re trapped in form.  This is a very common human condition.  

Identifying with Your Thoughts

Most humans on the planet derive their identity from their thoughts.  So the thought is invested with self.  Maybe this is another way of speaking about the essential truth of the Buddha, who discovered that this sense of 'self' is an illusion.  

You derive your sense of self from form – because every thought is a thought-form.  It’s an energy field.

If this were your only spiritual practice, it would be enough.  If you can try, for example, talking to the questioner, your husband can then become your spiritual teacher because he can continuously remind you not to be identified with mental positions.  

Resisting another's mental position (opinion)

Then, you don’t resist the other person’s mental position, because you don’t need to – you allow it to be.  

You can even allow your own mental position to be.  If you resist someone else’s mental position, you only strengthen it.  Try arguing with him about Fox News or Sarah Palin, and you’ll see what I mean.

Now this is a practice worth doing, don't you think?! And I cannot suggest strongly enough that your read Eckhart's A New Earth: it widened the path I was on and Chapter four changed my life.

You will know if you are ready for this book if it grabs you immediately; if you think it's nonsense that means you are not ready. Give it to someone who might be interested.

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