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<center><h3>The Humor of Enlightenment</h3></center>

I love Ekhart Tolle's teachings, and particularly the way in which he brings humor to the whole process by highlighting the paradoxical nature of how our egos argue with us. 

However, his humor is a double edged sword. 

If you have experienced that wonderful feeling of finding the quiet place inside, and truly disconnecting from the ego's demanding voice, this quote will make you laugh, while simultaneously striking a chord in how the ego continuously fights against the cessation of thought. In this way the joke acts as a pointer to what to look out for; what to recognize as the ego's tactics to pull you back into the flow of thought. 

If the present moment is all there is, then what is next... is the present moment. Hence the paradox 😆

Once you reach that state of quietness, the question raised in this quote is exactly the type of thing that the ego will try asking to break through the quiet. Anyone who has spent a good amount of time meditating will recognize this process, and that's the fantastic humor Eckhart brings to his talks about the power of living in the now. 

Humor is a powerful communicator. After all, who doesn't enjoy that release from the serious and self important business of contemplation. Laughter is also a healing energy, it releases nervous energy and can so often be the catalyst for a letting go. It's for all of these reasons, and more, that I think Tolle's teachings provide such powerful pointers to the acceptance of the unknown, especially to a western mind.

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<center><h3>Healing Through Thoughtless Awareness</h3></center>

This quote was taken from one of the many retreat talks that are posted to YouTube. I find these talks immensely useful for dissociating from my busy thoughts and finding what Eckhart calls *thoughtless awareness.* Finding that quiet place is an essential part of healing, especially for myself with a gastroenterological (gut) condition.

The gut brain connection has been studied intensively, although more research is needed to fine tune our understanding of how different mental states effect the functions of the gut.  

The stress and tension caused by the constant rattle of thoughts in an ego-driven mind state is a massive contributor to various health conditions that humans suffer. Doctors are now recognizing the importance of stress and mind-made states in contributing to disease. This is proven by the phenomenon of placebo healing, as this shows the ability of our minds to manifest healing through the belief (or expectation) of that healing.  Even on a purely logical level - learning to separate from ego and reconnect to that 'essence self' that has remained unchanged since you were born, the quiet emptiness inside - is so important.

If you would like to check out this talk, see the YouTube link to the Omega sessions from 2001 below. The quote is taken from 14.30 minutes into the talk.

https://youtu.be/A1kwBuEr7y4

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