Karma

Eckhart teaches us that karma is not what happens to you, but rather, how you react to what happens to you. In other words, how you deal with challenges, situations and people in your life can create more karma, if you are reactive. The arising of Presence transmutes karmic patterns.

Eckhart explains that karma is the complete absence of consciousness. Time does not free you of karma because karma repeats again, and again. The only thing that can free you of karma is Presence. As Presence arises within there is a fading of your old unconscious reactive mind patterns. In the light of awareness, your unconscious mind patterns no longer run your life.

Source: https://www.eckharttolletv.com/p/82bmwb

So the single most vital step on your journey toward enlightenment is this: learn to disidentify with your mind. Every time you create a gap in the stream of mind the light of your consciousness grows stronger.

Eckhart Tolle

How do we stay focussed in the Now!

One thing we can do is to notice the little things all around us, paying attention to details such as the birds in the trees and the flowers in the garden or the park—just notice the beauty everywhere, even the smallest things. To notice seemingly insignificant things requires alertness. That alertness is the key. It is the unconditioned. It is consciousness itself. Another helpful practice is to watch the breath, and breathe consciously. If we are paying attention to our breath, we cannot be thinking of anything else at the same time. Our attention is in the now moment and not on our worries about yesterday or our plans for what we will do next week. We are just breathing, not thinking. Because the practice of breath meditation takes us out of the activity of thought, it is an effective way to awaken. In fact, breath, because it has no form as such, has traditionally been equated with spirit, the formless One Life. In the German language, the word atmen, meaning “breathing,” is derived from atman, which in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India, refers to the innermost essence or universal self.

- Eckhart Tolle-

'I- Principle' in deep sleep

A lovely explanation on consciousness during deep sleep.

"Consciousness never parts with you in any of the three states. In deep sleep you are conscious of deep rest or peace. Inference is possible only of those things which have not been experienced. The fact that you had a deep sleep or profound rest is your direct experience and you only remember it when you come to the waking state. It can never be an inference. Experience alone can be remembered. The fact that you were present throughout the deep sleep can also never be denied. The only three factors thus found present in deep sleep are Consciousness, peace and yourself. All these are objectless and can never be objectified. In other words, they are all subjective. But there can only be one subject and that is the 'I- Principle'. So none of these three can be the result of inference since they are all experience itself."

Swami Atmananda