Watching The Thinker- Eckhart Tolle

[John]

When Eckhart Tolle says to 'Watch the Thinker', are there any signs that let you know you are doing it right?

Because many times I have done exactly what he warns against.. I have let 'the Thinker' sneak in the back door.

Thoughts are there, I become more present, I feel a certain stillness, now I am watching thoughts arising and falling. But then the thinker sneaks his way in and says, "Here I am watching the thoughts"

How can I dwell longer in the present moment? How can I truly know that it is the present moment and not another sneaky thought claiming to be the present moment?

I hope that question makes sense, I really do. It's long but those of you familiar with Eckhart and further along the path can hopefully give me some insight here, I would greatly appreciate it.

Cheers,

John

[Azrael]

1 hour ago, John said:

How can I dwell longer in the present moment?

You are all the time in the present moment, so calm down. You are doing just fine. But I know what you are thinking right now... You wanna have this calm mind, being ever-present and seeing all things arise and go in front of yourself while being completely still.

Well, re-watch Leo's video on free will. If you beat yourself up for not being clear-minded, all what you are doing is playing a very nuanced and sick game with yourself that you just can't do it. And this will continue - nonetheless how much meditation you do, seminars you take or books you read - until you realize the following:

You are right now exactly how you should be... and you are mastering every bit of it. When you are fighting with yourself, you are mastering that. When you are trying to be calm, you are mastering that. When you are on the verge of giving up and loosing it... yes, you are even mastering that.

You are mastering in every of these moments the game that you really are suffering and something has to happen to be lifted from that.

Well, the sooner you realize what I just said the sooner you'll reach a state in which you naturally are calmer, more focused and what you call present. These are symptoms that arise out of a certain level of knowing how it goes. You can try to learn them - but you'll eventually find that real progress is just made when you genuinely see that there is nothing you can do about it and that there is nobody who could do something about this.

But that the very feeling that somebody tries to reach all these nice states is just a very nuanced game you play with yourself and that even that is not bad at all and you are really mastering it.

See yourself as the master of your life, of everything that happens and all pains will magically disappear. I promise.

Cheers

[Grasshopper]

@John Try "watching the thinker" in combination with being aware of your breath. I find that combination to be powerful and grounding.