| When it comes to Judaism, I always knew that there | | | | Almost a year ago, I read Eckhart Tolle's book, The |
| was a strong emphasis on the concept of ethics. To | | | | New Earth as well as watching all of the episodes of |
| be a good person was very important. I certainly | | | | Oprah's webinar on the subject. However, it wasn't |
| understood that there were some Jews who | | | | until listening to Dr Wayne Dyer, a month after I finished |
| appeared to be very pious and followed the | | | | seeing all the episodes did I finally "get it". It was quite |
| commandments, mitzvot, quite religiously in fact. I also | | | | odd. It was if a haze had lifted from across my field of |
| knew that these same individuals were not necessarily | | | | vision. It finally came to me. The it was The Present |
| honest people in their everyday dealings with other | | | | Moment". I new immediately that the present moment |
| people, even though they went to great lengths to | | | | is where I wanted to be. I did not want to be in the |
| follow the commandments. | | | | past nor did I want to be in the future. There was |
| There had to be more to being Jewish than rituals and | | | | nothing more important than being in the present |
| communal prayer. I liked the idea of practicing good | | | | moment. |
| ethical behavior. I always preferred being able to sleep | | | | I began to think about my thinking in respect to the idea |
| at night and in most cases I would do my best to do | | | | of "what is my relationship to the present moment". I |
| the right thing. I enjoy the concept of self-improvement | | | | knew that I had to learn more. Tolle's book, The New |
| and with the proper motivation, I can always be | | | | Earth, did not by itself spark this flash of understanding. |
| motivated to improve. | | | | Nor did Oprah's webinar. It merely provided me with a |
| Based on extensive reading, I was exposed to the | | | | necessary introduction and softened me up for |
| concept of ethics connected with the concept of being | | | | Wayne Dyer. I could simply say that what he said |
| "holy". Well for me, being holy was not a great | | | | happened to resonate with me. That would be similar |
| motivator. In addition, there was the Jewish concept of | | | | to standing outside next to an idling engine on a Boeing |
| Yirah, or fear of God. Now negative motivation has | | | | 767 and saying that it's little loud. I was vibrating, not |
| never been my strong suit. You know what I mean. | | | | just resonating!!! |
| "Do this, or I'll kick you in the head" No, I prefer | | | | I got a copy of Tolle's earlier book, The Power of |
| something a little more positive and for positive | | | | Now, and started reading. The first 40 pages came |
| reasons that resonate with me. Jewish Spiritual Living | | | | very slowly but then Tolle started giving examples of |
| certainly resonated with me! It led me to find the divine | | | | HOW to bring oneself into the present moment. I could |
| harmony at the center of my life. | | | | finally arrive at a place where I was no longer a |
| That word "resonate" figures into a great deal of my | | | | prisoner of the past and any perceived past failings |
| thinking. If something I read or hear does NOT | | | | nor was I a prisoner of what might be coming in the |
| resonate with me, I find it absolutely impossible to | | | | future. I was dwelling in the present moment or the |
| internalize it. Resonate is like a sympathetic vibration at | | | | now. |
| a frequency that touches something inside me. Again | | | | To me it's a really great feeling to be in the present |
| it's part of the notion that "When the student is ready, | | | | moment with my knowledge of Jewish Spiritual Living. |
| the teacher appears". The point I'm trying to make is | | | | You may not be ready to be there at this moment, but |
| that what resonates with me today, might not | | | | if and when the time and message are just what you |
| resonate with you today. But don't be surprised if it | | | | need, I hope you'll be open to it. |
| happens to resonate with you tomorrow. | | | | |