Week 2 -- A New Earth

“The Truth is inseparable from who you are.” – Eckhart Tolle

Affirmation:

"I AM as God created me."

Study Questions – A New Earth  (Review chapters 3 & 4, pp 59-128)

Chapter 3

“Egos only differ on the surface.  Deep down they are all the same…. They live on identification and separation.” (p. 60) What examples do you have of your ego living on identification and separation? How has that proved “useful” to the development of your relationships?

“To forgive is to overlook, or rather to look through.” (p. 63) Compare and contrast this concept of forgiveness to that which is taught at Living Water Unity: “Forgiveness is the process of giving love to the moment, without constraint, without limitation, without condition. Forgiveness is not an action after the fact but an attitude with which we enter each moment.”

Tolle identifies tools of the ego to include: complaints and resentment (p. 61), reactivity and grievances (p. 64), and being right and making wrong (p. 66). Aside from the obvious effect of these “ego tools” reinforcing the perception of separation from others, describe how you have used (abused?) these to make yourself feel “special”.  What is the bodily feeling that arises when you use these tools?

Y. Haveli is quoted as having suggested the opportunity of “accommodating a competitive narrative” (p. 72). What does that mean to you and why do you think it is important in the transformation from egocentric to God-centric consciousness?

“Fighting unconsciousness will draw you into unconsciousness yourself. Unconsciousness, dysfunctional egoic behavior, can never be defeated by attacking it.” (p. 75) When have you tried to do this and what was the result? Identify several instances.

“The underlying emotion that governs all activity of the ego is fear.” (p. 80) Tolle states that this is so because the ego arises by identifying with form – and it knows no form is permanent.  This and other references in A New Earth ascribe a motivation to this entity known as the ego as if it were separate from you. If all is one, then the ego cannot, in truth, be separate. How do you resolve this seeming paradox?

Chapter 4

“Behind every positive self-concept is the hidden fear of not being good enough. Behind every negative self-concept is the hidden desire of being the greatest or better than others.” (p. 86)  Can you remember holding both a positive self-concept and the fear of not being good enough – or the converse, holding a negative self-concept and a desire to be better than others? How has that affected your relationships?

Think back to the last time you “fell in love.”  Tolle says, “‘falling in love’ is in most cases an intensification of egoic wanting and needing.” (p. 88)  Without judging the “rightness” of that act, consider your experience and how it may have been a reflection of the ego’s “wanting and needing.”

If one were to analyze our personal interactions, we might conclude that we use roles as a means of quickly stating to a new acquaintance our interests, talents and perceived position in society.  We might also infer, based upon the self-proclaimed role of another, a panoply of personal characteristics, attributes and beliefs without ever exploring these with the other person (does the problem with “assume” come to mind?). How do roles limit interpersonal communication? How do roles limit our exploration of our (and others’) true nature?

“If there is unhappiness in you, first you need to acknowledge that it is there.” (p. 95) Does this conflict with Unity’s teaching of the importance of using affirmations to shift consciousness?  If so, how do you resolve these two approaches?

“If you think you are so enlightened, go and spend a week with your parents.” (p. 100)  Ram Das illuminates how egoic behaviors are embedded in our relationships. If we are going to transform, our relationships must also transform.  From this reading, what means do we have to reform our relationships? Who is responsible for the transforming?

On page 102, Tolle states that suffering is caused by identification with form (also the cause of the arising of the ego). A universal balm for suffering is forgiveness. Using Living Water Unity’s teaching on forgiveness (stated above), explain how it heals the suffering.

“Anybody one with what he or she does is building the new earth.” (p. 122) How does this, or how does this not, resonate with you?