Just a quick note to let everyone know that both the ATR Practice Guide and the Original ATR Guide have been updated.
Please check out the link below to access the latest versions.
The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide and The Original Awakening to Reality Guide
Received an e-mail from The White Wind Zen Community https://wwzc.org/
Bodhi Leaf
eMirror Vol 30, No. 6
Friday, February 6th, 2026
Edited by the Practice Council
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
The phrases “thinking of not thinking” and being “Before Thinking” come from a kien-mondo or encounter dialogue which occurs amongst other places as Sanbyakusoku Shobogenzo Case 129.
Once Master Yaoshan Weiyan was sitting.
A monastic asked him, “What are you thinking of sitting there, still and balanced like a mountain?”
The Master said, “Thinking of not thinking.”
The monastic said, “How can not thinking be thought about?”
The Master said, “Be before thinking.”
Later, Master Dogen said, “This present mind is already withered away. Non-mind has not yet appeared. This is the livingness of this life: supremely pure.”
On another occasion, Dogen said, “Li and Chang’s thinking of heaven and earth are just about exhausted in steady sitting. Did you know that above the sitting cushions and Zen boards that hell’s hot water in the cauldrons and charcoal in the fires are naturally pure and cool?”
Some beginning students of Zen think that thinking itself is a problem and that Zen is a kind of state of not thinking and so they try to think their way into not thinking and think that this is Zen. As Sengcan said, they make the mistake of “using the mind to hold the mind” and set themselves against themselves by holding on to the view of a self. Of course many meditative traditions do indeed have a state of blank consciousness as their goal. In order to escape from the drudgery and inconvenience of existence and the inevitable aches and pains and itches of the body and the incessant din and caterwauling of their thoughts, many religious traditions have made putting an end to thought as their aim and have sometimes even equated a thoughtless and blank state with the realization of a higher existence as atman or Brahma or a contra or anti-existence, which is how the nirvana or cessation that the Buddha taught has often been misunderstood. The Buddha’s nirvana is actually the cessation of conditioned experiencing, going beyond the reference points that are the result of locating Knowing in itself as the mere contraction of a sense of a knower or a self. The Buddha realized that this sense of a knower or self is the cause of sufferings that are interminable unless we cease pretending that the sense of a self, the image of a self, is who we are and what Knowing is. And he Taught an end to these sufferings through the path of practice. The Buddha recognized that these states of intense concentration are ultimately useless in putting an end to the suffering and unsatisfactoriness that beings experience in their lives because the mechanisms of grasping and avoidance are not addressed. He saw instead the need for direct and continuous insight into how attention moves towards and away from what is being experienced. However, this insight cannot be unfolded when attention is congested with discursive and imagistic thinking. It must be a quality of attention itself, it must be how experiences are experienced, and not just a story or an attitude about experiences. And so it is essential to stop propagating discursive thoughts, to see how these thoughts arise from a prior congealing and directing of attention and release this by opening attention to the greater context of whole bodily experience.
- Continuing teisho 8: 2005, in 13 August, 2005 in the series "Wandering on Medicine Mountain" presented by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin at Dainen-ji
The Hatto (for formal sittings)
The Zendo (for associate and general sittings)
Fusatsu (Renewal of Vows): February 18th.
Introduction to Zen Workshop Ottawa:
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, February 7th, at 1:45 p.m.
To register: https://IntroductionToZenWorkshop.eventbrite.ca ; for more information please see https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa
Nehan O-sesshin
The Seven-day Nehan O-sesshin will begin on Sunday, February 15th at 8:00 p.m. It will end on Sunday, February 22nd at noon.
A Sitting for Associate and General Students During the Nehan O-sesshin:
A combined sitting for associate and general students will take place in the Zendo on Saturday, February 21st. Arrival time is 9:15 a.m. (in time for First Bell). The sitting ends at 11:30 a.m. Students attending are reminded to remain on the first floor. Seating is limited and registration is required: Register for Combined Sitting
Cancelled Associate Sitting:
The Monday February 16th associate sitting that would normally take place at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled due to the O-sesshin.
Cancelled Associate Sitting:
The Thursday February 19th associate sitting that would normally take place at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled due to the O-sesshin.
A Note to Preliminary and Public Students Concerning O-sesshin:
During an O-sesshin the schedule is such that there is no time to meet face to face with preliminary students or to reply to email correspondence sent by public students. Public students are asked to send their weekly practice journals, as they will be reviewed. But unless there is something that needs an immediate reply, you will not receive an email reply until the week following the O-sesshin.
Nehan:
Commemoration of the Buddha’s Death (Nehan-e) February 15th.
Hermitage:
The Roshi is continuing an extended period of hermitage due to underlying health issues.
Formal Sittings for WWZC Students: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday Mornings. The formal sittings begin at 6:00 a.m. You would need to arrive by 5:45 in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 7:25 with the Chants. Following that there is a Daruma-kata Aiki review which ends at about 7:50. If you need to leave before the kata, please let us know that in advance by sending an email to [email protected].
Saturday Morning General Sitting for WWZC Students: The general sitting begins at 9:30 a.m. You would need to arrive by 9:15 a.m., in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 11:45 a.m. Some general students attend the 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning formal sitting, stay for breakfast and then attend the general sitting. If you stay for breakfast, there is a $5 contribution which can be made through Eventbrite: Register for Saturday Breakfast Proceeds from meals go to White Wind Zen Community.
Monday and Thursday Evening Associate Sittings for WWZC Students: The associate sitting begins at 7:30 p.m. You would need to arrive by 7:15 p.m., in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 9:10 p.m.
Friday (Hosan): There are no formal sittings scheduled at the monastery on Fridays, but you are expected to sit at home if you have committed to sitting zazen daily. Retreats may be scheduled on Fridays.
Sunday Formal Sitting: The Sunday morning formal sittings are reserved for monastics, formal students, and probationary formal students. It starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 10:10 a.m. with the chants. Following that there is a Daruma-kata Aiki which ends at about 10:30 a.m.
For students living an hour or more commuting distance from the monastery in Ottawa, please visit this Web Page: https://wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program
If you arrive after the sitting starts and the door is locked, you don't need to turn around and go home. Ring the bell once and then sit on the bench on the front porch. If possible, we will come and unlock the door for you right away. If we are in the middle of the chants or listening to a teisho, we will come to let you in as soon as the teisho finishes.
Congratulations and deep gassho to Onur Onder of Ottawa on being accepted as a general student.
Information About Scheduling Retreats or Training Sessions
General student Julien Jefferson sat a three-day retreat from Saturday, January 31st to Monday, February 2nd at Dainen-ji. Associate student Kathleen Johnson sat a half-day retreat on Thursday, January 29th at Dainen-ji. Associate student Bryan Roh sat a half-day retreat on Saturday, January 31st at Dainen-ji.
Listening to Recorded Teisho and Dharma Talks
Recorded Teachings Schedule for January 31st to February 7th:February 7th to February 14th:
General sitting Saturday, February 7th: The Primordially Awakened Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Kobutsu-shin": Teisho 6: Collapsing, Dropping, Falling (18 minutes)
Formal sitting Sunday, February 8th: "SAkN The Anatomy of Awakening" by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: Teisho 6: The Matter of Consciousness (23 minutes)
Associate sittings Monday, February 9th and Thursday, February 12th: Flowers and Worms: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentary on the Maharahulovadasutta: Teisho 1: Introduction: Falling Flowers: a reading of the sutta (16 minutes)
General sitting Saturday, February 14th: The Primordially Awakened Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Kobutsu-shin": Teisho 7: The Naked Post (23 minutes)
While most of the online Recorded Teachings library is password-protected and only accessible to students of the Lineage of Zen Master Anzan Hoshin, a small selection of MP3 recordings of teisho are accessible to the public at wwzc.org/recorded-teachings Additional recordings will be uploaded periodically. MP3 recordings of four recorded teisho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi are currently available:
Dharma Position http://wwzc.org/dharma-position
Eyes See, Ears Hear http://wwzc.org/eyes-see-ears-hear
Embarrassment http://wwzc.org/embarrassment
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi's reading of his translation of Eihei Dogen zenji's “Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way”: http://wwzc.org/bendowa-talk-exerting-way
Photograph of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Daijozan, mid-1980s, by Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi has recently completed translation work on some shorter texts by Eihei Dogen zenji from the Shobogenzo. The work on these particular texts is based upon the literal translations that he worked on with Joshu Dainen roshi at Hakukaze-ji around 1977-78 followed by many years of putting them down, picking them up, and polishing. Naturally, more essential texts such as Uji, Genjokoan, Shinjin Gakudo and some 40 others were completed first and have been given extensive commentaries by the Roshi. This batch of texts includes Keisei Sanshoku: Sounds of Streams, Forms of Mountains, Baike: Plum Blossoms, Ryugin: Howling Dragon, and Udonge: The Udumbara Blossoming and many others are nearing completion. Annotation details and successfully conveying them across various document formats are the issue at this point.
Work on Bussho: Buddha Nature, a very long and nuanced text by Dogen zenji, is still ongoing.
Roshi also finished an update to the “Saijo Shingi: The Deportment of Radiance”, our manual of monastic training standards which is a supplement to the ancient Eihei Shingi and Keizan Shingi.
Dharma Talk: “Embarrassment”
Dharma Talk presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi on August 25th, 1990.
https://wwzc.org/embarrassment-0/
Teisho: “Practising Without an Edge”
Teisho presented by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei on February 19th, 2025
https://wwzc.org/practising-without-an-edge/
Teisho: “I Know Who You Are!”
Teisho presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, presented at Dainen-ji on March 13th, 1999
https://wwzc.org/teisho-i-know-who-you-are/
Dharma Assembly: On Karma
Mondo by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, Presented in April of 1986, River Road Zendo.
https://wwzc.org/dharma-assembly-karma/
If you would like to offer time to help with maintenance in the grounds your help will be appreciated. You can offer a regular period of samu or make arrangements with the shissui to come for a single period of caretaking practice. Please write to [email protected] or directly to Saigyo ino at [email protected] if you can assist with this work. Thank you.
Saigyo ino has made a selection of wooden practice materials which are now for sale in Myomaku. These include boxes for storing incense, incense bowls, kneeling benches and kaishaku. He is donating a portion of the proceeds to WWZC. You are welcome to go into myomaku before or after sittings to see what’s available.
If you need alternate parking near the monastery due to snow parking bans or lack of parking spots you can use the Loblaws car park located at 363 Rideau Street - Parking - Loblaws.
The car park is open until 10:00 p.m and charges $4 per hour. A full day 6:00a.m. to 6:00 p.m. is $10.
Dogen zenji taught in the Tenzo Kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo (Tenzo kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/tenzo-kyokun-instructions-tenzo) that the work of preparing and serving meals is "a matter for realized monks who have the mind of the Way“, or by senior disciples who have roused the Way-seeking mind." In alignment with this, part of Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's samu for the Community involves personally overseeing the activities of the ancient Office of Tenzo. Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei serves as Tenzo and Mishin godo and Saigyo ino offer assistance as tenzo-anja.
The WWZC does not advocate any particular diet. However all meals prepared during practice events, such as Dharma Assemblies, sesshin, or retreats are vegetarian or vegan as most people can eat this. On Tuesday evenings there is an optional meat dish, as some people find that a purely vegetarian diet, especially as they get older, is not sufficient for their health. If you are adhering to a strictly vegan diet, you can write to the tenzo, Jinmyo Renge sensei, at [email protected] a week prior to attending an event to request vegan foods. If you are lactose intolerant or have allergies to foods, you should write to the tenzo about dietary restrictions a week before attending events.
The following meals were prepared this week:
Saturday Breakfast (Mishin godo):
Mayak eggs (Korean marinated eggs): 6-minute soft boiled eggs, peeled and marinated in light shoyu, water, honey, minced red pencil chiles, minced garlic, chopped scallions, minced white onion) garnished with sesame seeds, sesame oil, and chopped scallions, served on a bed of Calrose rice.
Sunday Yakuseki (Mishin godo):
Rigatoni in garlic-butter sauce (minced white onion, minced garlic, chile flakes, butter, olive oil, green peas, cream); black lentil vegetable soup (black beluga lentils, chopped carrots, onion, celery, sweet potato, tomato paste, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper); diced friulano cheese mixed with chopped gherkins and lemon zest.
Monday Yakuseki (Jinmyo sensei):
Roasted root vegetables (rutabaga, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, carrots cooked with bran oil, vegan butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder); ‘Beyond Burger’ patties; diced carrots with peas and corn, butter, salt and pepper; parsley sauce (roux, vegetable stock, Dijon mustard, pinch of garlic powder, lots of black pepper, chopped parsley); boiled diced carrots, peas, and corn mixed with butter, salt, and pepper.
Tuesday Yakuseki (Jinmyo sensei):
Mixed grain (calrose short-grain white rice, Thai jasmine rice, arborio rice, basmati rice, long-grain white rice); tonkatsu (pork loin pounded until thin, dipped in a batter made from equal parts of all-purpose flour, corn starch and rice flour seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper and salt then coated with panko and deep fried); tonkatsu sauce made from cooked, blended chopped onion, chopped apple, shoyu, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sesame oil; slaw of thinly cut green cabbage, carrots, and white onion dressed with lime juice, salt, and black pepper.
Thursday Yakuseki (Jinmyo sensei)
Warmed naan with butter; dal (toor and masoor dal, cumin and mustard seeds, hing, dried red chillies, green chillies, ginger/garlic paste, chopped tomatoes and onions, garam masala, Kashmiri chilli powder, dried fenugreek leaves, fresh coriander); salad of chopped green butter lettuce, romaine, green leaf lettuce, and radicchio, thinly sliced red onion, and grated carrot with an optional Indian-style dressing of equal parts mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar blended with mango chutney, lime pickle, honey, salt and black pepper.
Also made this week by Jinmyo sensei: Advance meal preparation for the upcoming O-sesshin (toor dal and mango curry to be frozen); apple crisp; lamb and rabbit cat food.
If you would like to thank someone for a contribution they have made, please feel free to send an email to Jinmyo sensei at rengezo@gmail dot com, but be sure to type "eMirror” in the subject line.
From Stacey Loyer:
Thank you to the Roshi for sharing the documentary Dream Window: reflections on the Japanese garden to a group of formal students and monks in 1993, along with providing valuable context around how the Japanese approach to gardens arose. Thank you to Shikai Zuiko osho for describing this film and sharing the Roshi's comments in the Winter 1993 issue of Zanmai, in her Dharma MediaWatch column. I was able to find Dream Window on youtube and really enjoyed it.
From Julien Jefferson:
Thank you to Roshi for presenting the teisho series "The Primordially Awakened Way" and "Playing With Space", which I have been listening to recently. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for compiling the Retreat Handbook, in which I can always find exactly what I need to know. Thank you to Mishin godo and Saigyo ino for recent practice interviews. Thank you to the tenzo and tenzo-anja for preparing delicious wintry food during my retreat, especially the pea soup.
I recently had a chat with someone who is a devout Roman Catholic. Although he holds deep faith and devotion to Jesus Christ and his religion, he shared a fascinating experience with me: he has been meditating spontaneously, untaught and uninfluenced by anyone.
He told me that when he feels stressed, he simply sits and tries to calm his mind into total silence. His initial motivation wasn't spiritual seeking per se—he wasn't following any specific instructions—but simply a desire to stop his racing mind and alleviate stress. However, in that silence, something profound happened. More than once, he saw or felt a "great bright light." Later on, he began to feel this great light spontaneously even before sleep.
When I asked him to describe it—specifically if the light had a color—he said it is a "colorless brilliance." It wasn't so much something visually seen with the eyes, but rather a felt-sense of brilliance.
He intuited that the deeper essence of his being is that light, a knowing derived from these glimpses, though he hasn't yet reached a total realization.
I affirmed his intuition. I encouraged him to let that light reveal more of itself and suggested he inquire, "Who am I?" I explained that this inner light emanating from within is, in fact, the deeper essence of one's Being. Our fundamental brightness is akin to a brilliance a million times brighter than the sun. It has never been lost, not even for a moment; it is merely obscured by clouds. The sun never leaves; it is only the clouds—our ego, our ignorance, our grasping thoughts—that hide it.
I mentioned that although I am not Catholic, I have read the Bible (including the four Gospels and the Gospel of Thomas), and Jesus himself spoke about that inner light on many occasions. (For more on this, see:
I explained that through the millennia, many mystics in Christianity and Catholicism have discovered the essence of this inner light and the essence of God. To bridge our understanding, I told him about the Roman Catholic priest Father Laurence Freeman, who taught meditation to Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father and first prime minister of Singapore.
Lee Kuan Yew realized his true self through meditation guided by Father Freeman. Freeman guided him to discover his "True Self"—or the "Light of Self-Nature"—through the practice of Christian Meditation. You can watch a discussion regarding this here:
Interestingly, although the main practice of Father Laurence Freeman is contemplative prayer and reciting the mantra 'Maranatha,' he also incorporated self-enquiry into the practices he taught.
The core theological concept here is the "Indwelling Light." Freeman teaches that the Light of Christ is already present within everyone; this is an ontological fact, not a reward we earn through holy behavior. He often uses the metaphor of a stream: the living water of God's love is constantly flowing. We do not need to pump the water; we only need to clear the silt and the residue of the "ego" that blocks the flow.
Freeman further expounds on this by addressing the problem of duality. He explains that typically, our consciousness is divided: "I" am looking at "you," or "I" am thinking about "God." This is duality.
However, the "Indwelling Light" is a state of unified, non-dual awareness. When you enter the silence of the mantra, you are no longer "looking at" the light; you become the light, or rather, realize that your true self is that light. You are participating in the consciousness of Christ himself. As Father Freeman quoted a teacher saying, "The self is the inner light. It is self-evident and it does not become an object of perception."
To enter this state requires what Freeman calls "Poverty of Spirit." He emphasizes that the only cost to obtain this light is the "loss of self." We usually hide behind a "safety barrier" made of our own thoughts and imaginations about God because we prefer a concept of God (which we can control) over the reality of God (which is an irresistible, overwhelming light). To contact this "Indwelling Light," you must be willing to become "poor"—to sit in silence without a single clever thought, theological insight, or holy feeling. It is in this absolute stillness that the shadow of the "ego" dissolves, and the light is revealed.
Crucially, Freeman points out that this light does not stay in the meditation room. Once the impurities are cleared, this light permeates the daily mind. It changes the way you see: you stop projecting your own shadow onto others. You begin to recognize the same "Indwelling Light" in the people you meet—even those you dislike. In his view, this is the foundation of true Christian compassion: seeing the radiance of the same Light refracted through different personalities.
Following this, I shared with him a passage from The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, which speaks directly to this realization:
Christ: The Reality of Your Divine Presence
Don’t get attached to any one word. You can substitute “Christ” for presence, if that is more meaningful to you. Christ is your God-essence or the Self, as it is sometimes called in the East. The only difference between Christ and presence is that Christ refers to your indwelling divinity regardless of whether you are conscious of it or not, whereas presence means your awakened divinity or God-essence.
Many misunderstandings and false beliefs about Christ will clear if you realize that there is no past or future in Christ. To say that Christ was or will be is a contradiction in terms. Jesus was. He was a man who lived two thousand years ago and realized divine presence, his true nature. And so he said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” He did not say: “I already existed before Abraham was born.” That would have meant that he was still within the dimension of time and form identity.
The words I am used in a sentence that starts in the past tense indicate a radical shift, a discontinuity in the temporal dimension. It is a Zen-like statement of great profundity. Jesus attempted to convey directly, not through discursive thought, the meaning of presence, of self-realization. He had gone beyond the conscious dimension governed by time, into the realm of the timeless. The dimension of eternity had come into this world. Eternity, of course, does not mean endless time, but no time. Thus, the man, Jesus, became Christ, a vehicle for pure consciousness.
And what is God’s self-definition in the Bible? Did God say, “I have always been, and I always will be?” Of course not. That would have given reality to past and future. God said: “I AM THAT I AM.” No time here, just presence.
The “second coming” of Christ is a transformation of human consciousness, a shift from time to presence, from thinking to pure consciousness, not the arrival of some man or woman. If “Christ” were to return tomorrow in some externalized form, what could he or she possibly say to you other than this: “I am the Truth. I am divine presence. I am eternal life. I am within you. I am here. I am Now.”
Never personalize Christ. Don’t make Christ into a form identity. Avatars, divine mothers, enlightened masters, the very few that are real, are not special as persons. Without a false self to uphold, defend, and feed, they are more simple, more ordinary than the ordinary man or woman. Anyone with a strong ego would regard them as insignificant or, more likely, not see them at all.
If you are drawn to an enlightened teacher, it is because there is already enough presence in you to recognize presence in another. There were many people who did not recognize Jesus or the Buddha, as there are and always have been many people who are drawn to false teachers. Egos are drawn to bigger egos. Darkness cannot recognize light. Only light can recognize light. So don’t believe that the light is outside you or that it can only come through one particular form. If only your master is an incarnation of God, then who are you? Any kind of exclusivity is identification with form, and identification with form means ego, no matter how well disguised.
Use the master’s presence to reflect your own identity beyond name and form back to you and to become more intensely present yourself. You will soon realize that there is no “mine” or “yours” in presence. Presence is one.
Group work can also be helpful for intensifying the light of your presence. A group of people coming together in a state of presence generates a collective energy field of great intensity. It not only raises the degree of presence of each member of the group but also helps to free the collective human consciousness from its current state of mind dominance. This will make the state of presence increasingly more accessible to individuals.
However, unless at least one member of the group is already firmly established in it and thus can hold the energy frequency of that state, the egoic mind can easily reassert itself and sabotage the group’s endeavors. Although group work is invaluable, it is not enough, and you must not come to depend on it. Nor must you come to depend on a teacher or a master, except during the transition period, when you are learning the meaning and practice of presence.
During our chat, he also asked me about Kundalini. I told him that I am not a practitioner of Kundalini yoga, but I shared my only direct experience with it, which occurred through a dream many years ago:
Sleep Kundalini
An awakened teacher appeared in my sleep in the form of a doctor yesterday and guided me into clear nondual presence. He seemed to telepathically direct me on how to bring my energy up through the spine into my higher (crown?) chakras. As I went into it, I felt this presence and state of absorption grow more and more intense until the bliss was so incredible that I woke up.
Even a while after I woke up, I still felt the bliss energy and vibrations going up from bottom to top through the base of my spine up to my nape through my sushumna nadi (central channel). This was slightly different from previous instances where it was more related to something like the heart chakra.
Then something somewhat miraculous happened—keep in mind my mind was super awake and blissful after I woke up, and although it was 4 a.m., I was not in a dreamlike state. I saw my hands glowing with light. At first, I thought it was coming from my watch, but I checked, and I was not wearing one. I sent a description to John Tan and went back to sleep.
Just wanted to share this interesting experience. Today my state of consciousness felt clearer and cleaner.
Incidentally, years later, I found that Chögyal Namkhai Norbu described something similar regarding Kundalini in his book, The Crystal and the Way of Light, acknowledging it as a valid path to enlightenment within the Dzogchen context.
To round off these thoughts, I came across another passage by Eckhart Tolle today that addresses the friction between different levels of religious understanding. It serves as a great reminder of how we can view these differences with wisdom rather than conflict.
Question to Eckhart Tolle:
"My Christian friend thinks I am going to hell because I have not accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior. I disagree with my Christian (or Catholic) friend. I think my friend is stuck in an ego-based belief system. Who is right, Eckhart?"
Eckhart Tolle answers:
Well, I'm sure your friend thinks he is right. And I'm sure you think you are right. And now you want me to confirm that you are right.
There are certain levels of evolution and there are also certain levels of spirituality. And what works on one level for certain people may not work on another level for others...
At a certain level of consciousness, you regard Jesus as your personal savior. There are other levels of consciousness where you may regard Jesus as a representation of Christ consciousness. And Christians can go that way. You can go very deeply and still be a Christian. You can transcend the lower level belief systems that are associated with not only with Christianity, with any religion...
You can go to a deeper, deeper level of realization and can still have Jesus or Christ as the representation of transcendent consciousness. And then that may still work for you. So there are teachings that are quite profound. For example, A Course in Miracles that use Christian terminology, but take it to a deeper level. Other teachings, Joel Goldsmith... He also took Christianity to a deeper level.
There were medieval Christian mystics like Meister Eckhart, perhaps the most profound, who took Christianity, even medieval Christianity, which was extremely absurdly limited and totally intolerant... and Meister Eckhart took that and he revealed, he interpreted in such a way that it suddenly had enormous depth...
So let your friend be saved and allow him to believe that you are not saved and that you are going to hell. And perhaps one day you can talk to him about, not about presence, but about Christ consciousness. You might even select certain passages in the New Testament where I believe St. Paul, for example, says somewhere, "I must diminish and Christ in me must grow." ... Really, that means Christ, the consciousness, the mind of Christ, as it's called sometimes by St. Paul, the mind of Christ, as opposed to the little me.
One thing about the archetype of suffering that is embodied in the figure of Jesus, because the person who is suffering on the cross is an archetype of human suffering... And over the centuries, it has, I believe, to some extent helped many people to enter the state of surrender when suffering arose for them, because they felt that they relived or reflected the suffering of Jesus on the cross. And by feeling that they went through the same suffering as Jesus on the cross, they were able to surrender to their suffering. And if you surrender, then something else arises, inner peace arises...
The cross is, amazingly, it's a torture instrument and a symbol for the divine in the Christian religion... How can a torture instrument symbolize God or the divine? But there is a deeper meaning behind that. Suffering, which is symbolized by the cross, can become the doorway into the divine. And then the very thing, the worst thing in your life that created the suffering, when you surrender, becomes the doorway into presence... The torture instrument becomes a symbol. The cross is now suddenly a symbol for the divine because it becomes a doorway.
— Eckhart Tolle (Source: "Anna's archive -- Eckhart Tolle Magnum Opus")
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