A New Earth - Oprah's book club and class

Hey all you spiritual lovers! I am reading this book and "taking" this class online, is anyone else? I have to confess that I have only done the first class so far. I was kicked off the website the first night and it was so choppy for me anyway, I decided I would watch the archives. I am planning on doing the second one this weekend and then regularly keeping up with it. I have gotten through half of the book though. Want to discuss?

Tags: books, oprah, spirituality

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Permalink Reply by Laura on April 12, 2008 at 8:28am: I believe in the power of dreams to clarify issues in my life. I had a dream (that I am just waking from) that illustrates the ego/pain-body quite learly (I think). Bear with me I'm groggy!

The details are getting fuzzier as I wake, but it went something like this:

It was two rival Asian guys (very kung-fu movie style dream) that were fighting over something. What they were fighting for isn't important but it was intense. At first they were fighting face to face - shouting their demands at each other. Then out came the kung-fu! Then all of a sudden they were on the run and the 'evil one' was taken down or held down (fuzzy dream part) but his spirit (the animating essence) left his body. So his body looked dead, but our hero knew that his foe was still nearby - but invisible. This is when it gets interesting.

Their were campers nearby (why in a kung-fu dream? ask my subconscious, it's just as weird to me). And the spirit went into one of the teenagers who was just innocently there (making s'mores). All of a sudden this teenager has the capabilities of the kung-fu master and a bad attitude, with a different exterior! Which was interesting because with the disguise the 'evil master' was no longer on the defensive he went offensive, because he could animate any form, thus confusing his foe. It took Good Kung-Fu a while to realize that it was not a multitude of foes, but one in many forms. Once the campers realized what what happening they started shouting at the person inhabited to wake up and come through, so Bad Kung-Fu would lose power over them.

And the moral of the story:
The Good Kung-Fu had to recognise when it was not an innocent bystander that he was fighting, but the spirit of his evil nemesis. He had to see through the exterior to what it was that he was really fighting. (it took him a few car chases to get that - that part I do remember)

And so I think that we can all learn from my blockbuster dream: It's not your mother or spouse or child or boss that you are really up against - it is the ego (which feeds on the pain-body) within them that they are unaware that has taken over them. And for that we can recognise and relax. I know that I am able to be patient with people who are unaware, because I know when they are throwing a roundhouse kick at me it's not them but an evil kung-fu master that has inhabited them for a moment.

I hope my AHA moment has helped you all as much as it has helped me (to want to giggle at the idea of a kung-fu master alive in my 18yr old brother when he is rude to me).

Laura; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Laura on April 14, 2008 at 11:44am: Did I kill it? Was my dream so outlandish that no one knows what to say? (feeling self-conscious)

I am just reffering to my aha moment about pages 188 - 189 in "A New Earth" where Eckhart talks about the more deeply entrenched you are in your ego the more you react to the ego in others. Instead of looking through it you see it more clearly reflected back at you. Our goal is to become more aware of our own ego so that we can begin to see it's transparency in others and stop reacting to it, which is to stop feeding it, so therefore it weakens and dissolves (in us and in others).

Thoughts?

L.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Chris kB on April 14, 2008 at 12:07pm: Laura, your kung-fu dream did not kill anything! I read your post and thought it was a great visual. Thank you for sharing. I'm not as far as you are in the book - but I get what you are saying...and I can already think of instances where it has happened. Your dream helped put a picture in my mind when I see an ego doing its dirty work in someone else or myself. In fact, lately I feel like I've had a bad case of the "wants" - I am trying to remind myself that it is my ego talking and it (the ego/wanting) that is causing negative feelings. Knowing this does make me feel better and decreases the feeling of wanting. I then remember that I already have so much - I don't lack for anything that I truly need and I really, truly appreciate the beauty of that abundance. Do you know what I mean? When I remove the "villian" I can see the true essence.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by K on April 14, 2008 at 12:19pm: Laura, I love it! What a great/crazy dream! Dreams are the best I think, at clarifying what you are thinking about and yours really hit the nail on the head! It's so true that the ego is like an evil kung-fu master taking over someone's true self. Thanks so much for sharing! I have found now that when I get upset and someone or even more so, when I am trying to feel superior to someone, its like I can tell its not really me, that my ego is taking over and trying to build itself up. It is such a strange feeling to be so aware of it now. At least now I can laugh at it as I picture it as an evil kung-fu master! Maybe with one of those great mustashes that are really long and skinny! haha!
K; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Laura on April 14, 2008 at 12:23pm: Long skinny mustache, and lips moving out of time with the sound! haha!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by K on April 14, 2008 at 12:52pm: Hahhaa! Absolutly lips moving out of synch. Like its me actually saying something but my evil kung-fu master ego is saying something different!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Linda on April 14, 2008 at 1:32pm: I feel myself changing as I move forward into the book... more alert and less reactive... I´m loving every word, simple and profound.; ▶ Reply to This