In my waking up experience I can see that it has not been "a running away from or a running to" situation. I have a family that is not having the same awareness of consciousness as I. It is not their fault, it is the way it is. They are sometimes unhappy about it. But it is not possible to "act" as if I am still dreaming. Many around me think that I am mad or something is "wrong" with me or that I am sick. Well, yes, my body has physical illness but not the mental kind. Yes, I have seen my own madness as well as everyone's. Stepping out of the collective conditioning is not easy but it is also simple to do. It is the effortless endeavor I speak of. The pain does not go away, completely. One does not become numb. One recognizes more clearly the suffering in others instead of being trapped in one's own suffering. I experience emotions but they are no longer obsessive. The emotions become real for the first time. No more need to listen to others who may say you should not feel the way you do. You will just know that what you feel and experience is truth. "Eckhart [Tolle] says A New Earth is about you. 'It will change your state of consciousness or it will be meaningless.' (p. 7) How will you know if your state of consciousness is changing? There is one certain criterion by which you can measure your success in this practice: The degree of peace that you feel within." 
(taken from 'Tips for Reading A New Earth' )  He says that peace underlies your being. Yep.

March 7, 2008