Eckhart Tolle on Abortion

This article was first published by Technorati on 05 March 2010. To see all my Technorati articles, click Lifestyle in the Contents listing on the sidebar.

Abortion is once again on the front pages in conjunction with the healthcare overhaul.

Advocates on both sides of the debate remain tense as Democrats and Republicans negotiate the fine details of proposed legislation.

One of those details is whether the final package will include what is now known as a "Hyde Amendment," outlawing the use of federal funds to pay for abortions.

In the midst of this 37-year-old debate, perhaps it would be enlightening to consult one of America's most beloved spiritual teachers, Eckhart Tolle, for some guidance on the subject.

Unfortunately, Tolle has never spoken to the issue. One can only assume that his reticence is motivated by a desire that his message remain unencumbered by such a hot-button, wedge issue, guaranteed to shut off half the population to anything else he might have to say.

While Tolle may not tell us his exact view on this and many other topics, we might be able to glean a Tollian approach to it.

At the personal level, he would advise the individual to remain present, to feel the changes in her body, feel what it's like to drive to the clinic, experience fully what the actual procedure feels like.

Don't get swept away with thoughts and the emotions they create, either about the past or about the future. The past, he would say, only holds one possibility: regret. And the future, only worry. But right here, right now, there is never a problem.

His point is that the problem starts when you label it a problem, when you judge it as negative. Until then, it's just a situation.

In The Power of Now, Tolle writes: "Should a situation arise that you need to deal with now, your action will be clear and incisive if it arises out of present moment awareness."

This concerns the individuals decision making process. Tolle's goal for that individual is awakening, and often awakening occurs as a result of the suffering that arises in crisis situations, such as a pregnancy that is perceived as unwanted, regardless of whether the abortion is performed.

The question remains, however, Is an abortion behavior that Tolle would call "egoic" or "unconscious"? From a legislative perspective, this is the key issue.

In A New Earth, discussing the role of the criminal justice system in the process of awakening, Tolle writes: "Human beings are meant to evolve into conscious beings, and those who don't will suffer the consequences of their unconsciousness."

Is an abortion unconscious behavior? All the time? Sometimes?

Even if we could answer this question, it gets us no closer to a solution as to whether the practice should be banned, because lot's of unconscious behavior isn't against the law.

Perhaps it's time for Eckhart Tolle to expend some of his goodwill capital to help us understand how best to deal with this difficult issue.

Your comments are welcome. Weigh in!