Eckhart Tolle explores the Tao as pure consciousness, arguing that awareness itself is the essence of self and the universe. He discusses how egoic identity and thought limit us, and points toward direct experience of consciousness beyond personality as the path to transcendence.
And what you're experiencing here, realizing here, is the dao, or consciousness, in its pure form. Well, I don't remember what I say it is. So let's see. Whatever you say about consciousness, ultimately is not it. Which is actually the first line in the Tao Te Ching, talking about the dao. The dao that can be spoken of is not the true Tao. This is one of the translations. This is the first line in the Tao Te Ching. So in the widest sense, dao can be equated with consciousness. And the moment you speak about consciousness, consciousness becomes an object. But this is the reason why Lao Tse, the author of the Tao Te Ching, says, the moment you speak about it, realize that it's not it. Because the moment you speak about becomes an object, thought. Whereas the essence of consciousness is that it is the eternal subject. So consciousness, you cannot understand what it is. You can only realize it as the essence of who you are. And instead of talking about it right now, I suggest that you. I right now see if we can realize or even just get a glimpse of what is meant by consciousness. And you might notice that the words I'm speaking are slowing down a bit. And if you are listening attentively, then your attention will be such that you tune in completely to the words which arise out of thought and make them your own. So as I speak, these words are perceived by you, and they become thoughts in your mind. And if you're very attentive, then you don't add any other thoughts. So you can actually experience this moment of me speaking in the same way in which I experience this moment. I experience this moment as thoughts that become words arising spontaneously. But I'm slowing down, which means, in addition to the thoughts and words arising, there are gaps in this discourse. There are gaps between words and sentences, or lots of gaps. And if you are attentive enough, then you will also become aware of these gaps. So you're aware of the words, which are only pointers right now. The words that I'm speaking right now are only pointers that point your attention towards the gaps where there are no words and no thoughts. So you become aware of. Of the words. Yes. Which are the objects that arise in consciousness. And if you are attentive enough, you're also aware of the spaces. Gaps. Spaces between the words. And while you are aware of these gaps, you realize that you are not actually aware of any object. A gap or a space is not an object. It cannot be an object. When you talk about it, it becomes an object. But when you experience the gap. It is just a space. It's not an object. And so what is it that you experience there. Is just a spacious presence. It has no content. And what you're experiencing here, realizing here. Is the Tao. Or consciousness. In its pure form. Its pure no form. Before it becomes something. Before it becomes a thought or words. So right now you're aware of sense perceptions. Because you can still see me. You're aware of the words. But more importantly, you are aware that you are aware. You know yourself as this aware, presence, space. Without that space, that aware space. There would be no sense perception. It is the light of consciousness. In which all the objects of consciousness are perceived. Most people are not aware of themselves as consciousness. They are only aware of the objects that arise in consciousness. And their sense of identity also their sense of who they are. Ultimately. Is an object that arises in their consciousness. That's me. This is my story. Me and my story, my identity. I am this and that and that. And all those things together. That's me. But they're all thought forms or emotional forms that arise in consciousness. They are an object in consciousness. And this object in consciousness, for most people. Is the foundation of their sense of identity. But that, unfortunately, is an enormous limitation. And ultimately a misperception of who they actually are. Most people's sense of identity, therefore, is based on a misperception. Because who you truly are is not an object in consciousness. That's ephemeral. It is here for a while, Then it evaporates. Who you truly are is the space of consciousness itself. And so you become aware of an underlying presence. Just to use a word. An awakefulness. A certain alertness, a stillness. But not a stillness that is asleep. An alert stillness. That's the realization of consciousness. Of yourself as consciousness. That frees you from this misperception that you are an object that arises in consciousness. The egoic self that has its place. Of course, you have a past. You have certain conditioning. Your mind, your mental, emotional field. Is conditioned in certain ways. And that conditioning becomes the person or the personality. But there is a deeper dimension. A transcendent dimension to your identity. And if you realize that. That's an enormous liberation. From this extremely limited. And ultimately erroneous sense of self. That is the person. And now, the interesting thing is you can actually sense this presence. That you are in the background of your life at all times. Now, you may not be able to do that yet. It may not. It may become obscured many times. And then again, you become identified completely. With the conditioned mind. With the personality, with the person. With its reactive patterns, its conditioned likes and dislikes and opinions and so on. And then suddenly again, you know yourself as this alert stillness. So it's deeply satisfying to know that there's infinitely more to you than your personality. So you're no longer. You still have a personality, but it's no longer a prison. It's no longer your prison. You're no longer totally confined within it. You're aware of a transcendent dimension to who you are. And this can only be realized directly. So the answer to the question, how do you know that consciousness is what you're saying it is? Is quite simply this, the cessation of thought. And what remains is the unconditioned consciousness. That's who you are in your essence. But that's not only who you are. That is also, and more fundamentally, who or what the universe is in its essence. It.
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