A New Earth - meditations (request)

TenLeftFingers

I'm travelling in India for a few weeks and I forgot to bring my New Earth meditations (Kim Eng) with me!!

Would someone be willing to emailing me an mp3 of the Inner Body meditation? I did buy the CD and I'm kicking myself for not putting it in dropbox before I left.

Dagon

I don't have it, but I've read his books and "A new earth" is absolutely awesome! If you're travelling through India though, why not try the real deal? There are Vipassana centres all over the place, and this is basically identical to what Eckhart teaches and I think he's done those courses himself while he was researching the books.

TenLeftFingers

Hi Dagon! Thanks for the advice. I'm back home now, but I did pick up a copy of the book while I was over there. It was only a three and a half week trip so I didn't want to put ten days of it towards vipassanna, although I did seriously consider it.

But I've found a place in Ennis that does vipassanna. http://www.ie.dhamma.org/

So I'll be starting that at the end of March. Have you tried it yourself?

Dagon

That's cool, I'm also going to be on the 10-day meditation course at the end of March so I'll probably see you there

I'm planning a trip to India and Thailand later this year and I'm hoping to do a few Vipassana courses there also. Some friends of mine have said it's a great place to practise!

Have you also read Stillness speaks by Tolle? It's next on my reading list...

TenLeftFingers

Well that's a pity Dagon - I've had to cancel because of work so I won't be there this time. They only run about three every year so I'm looking elsewhere to see what suits. I've found some good places.

I certainly have read Stillness Speaks. I've also read A New Earth and The Power of Now. A vipassana head I met in India also recommended A Course in Miracles. She said it was a real ego breakdown kit.

By the way, I don't think the ego is bad. It's only when you think that that's all you are that problems arise. Like your mind, it makes a terrible master, but a great servant. Your ego is your vehicle for experiencing this physical reality so it deserves a balanced appreciation - not a bashing

They're only my beliefs though. Let me know how the course goes will you?

Dagon

Of course, I would never describe the ego as "bad". It's a vehicle as you say, and it appears to be impossible to live in this material reality, this field of mind and matter, without some form of ego. Buddha himself went to the "egobashing" extremes of asceticism, but he found that the ascetic way of life did not lead to enlightenment.

Best of luck finding a place to practise

dermothickey

just bouncing in here...the ego the "I" is the illusion which makes you a seperate being from the creator...when we return there will be no separation so the ego will finally dissolve...From my understanding it's something not to be fought against but to be recognised and let the divine take care of it as for sure if "I" think "I" can do something about it..it is surely the ego controlling the ego very tricky

Nevyn

We need a healthy ego imho, it makes use aware of who we are and take responsiblity for our actions and see what good and postive works we can do for ourselves and others.

dermothickey

Thaedydal wrote: »

We need a healthy ego imho, it makes use aware of who we are and take responsiblity for our actions and see what good and postive works we can do for ourselves and others.

Ahhh understood, from another angle though if all your good works stem from the ego (the false) you..can you really say that they were done out of love or out of your desire/ego to help others.. There is nothing wrong with helping others but doing it from your ego kind of defeats the purpose. In my opinion

Nevyn

I never said they came from the ego but to subsume the ego leads to as many problems as not keeping the ego in check.

dermothickey

For sure keeping the ego in check is important. The ego is tricky if for instance having control over the ego usually means the control is the bigger lobster behind the rock.:)

TenLeftFingers

The Ego, left unguided is like a chicken with it's head cut off. It can maybe still run around, but it's efforts would not be as fruitful as if it had a head.

Similarly, the head needs the body to deliver on the tasks it wants to carry out. The body has genuine needs too, it is not simply the servant of the head.

That's enough of that analogy, but a healthy relationship between the Ego and the Self is what enables us to live the life that we really really want. The life that our Ego thinks is not possible and would never even attempt to live, because it sees the world as rational and hostile - the life that the self could only dream of without the assistance of the ego.

Imagine a dancing partner that never gets into step with you enough because they don't trust you to be there for them, in step. This is the relationship most people have with the ego. Step one is to get past this "You first!" thinking and trust each other. Then the dance starts to blossom.

When I mentioned ego-breakdown in an earlier post, I only meant it as dismantling with a view to allowing it to be rebuilt. To redefine the relationship to allow a new harmonious life.

dermothickey

The ego is full of its wants its desires etc...thats its problem it wants wants wants i.. ever hear the expression want but can't have :D So in another term "I" "want" to be a millionaire...sure dont we all but what if your ego got it and it turned out you couldn't handle being a normal human being because you now have so much money and all the lads want it off you? What the ego wants usually isn't the best for you. The ego itself can be surrendered so you can be free from its influences over you and your lfe.