Lessons In Living: The Wisdom Of Eckhart Tolle and Warren Buffett

Lesson 1

Knowing When To Pull the Plug

"Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks." W. Buffett

" Sometimes letting go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on." E. Tolle

This is the first in a series of articles contrasting and comparing the teaching and philosophies of two very different modern day masters: Warren Buffett and Eckhart Tolle. It might seem odd to put these two men in the same sentence let alone compare their wisdom. Warren Buffett, iconic capitalist and one of the world's richest men; and Eckhart Tolle, one of today's most enlightened spiritual masters, travel very different paths.

Warren Buffett, now the world's richest person, has lived in the same house in Omaha, Nebraska since the 1950's. He has built enormous wealth through a set of very no-nonsense, and some say even ruthless investing principles. But what I find most compelling about his story is what he plans to do with his wealth. Warren Buffett has bequeathed his entire empire to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation upon his death. He intends for his wealth to do good in the world, not only to enhance his personal fortunes; what Richard Stylla, economist at NYU's Stern School of Business, calls "profitable patriotism".

Eckhart Tolle has written some of the most poignant and powerful books on the subject of human consciousness today. A soft-spoken man with a quiet presence; almost elf-like in looks and demeanor, Tolle has touched millions of people through his teachings, including the web cast series he recently co-hosted with Oprah Winfrey based on his latest book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose.

Buffett's philosophy grounds us in the practical world and gives us structure and form. Or as my scientist friend, Brian, would call "bottom-up" thinking. Bottom up thinking is informational, it shows us how things work in the everyday world. It gives us a map with specific, detailed instructions about how to get from A to B.

Tolle's philosophy takes us to the depths of human consciousness and returns us to the well of our own inherent wisdom. He shows us the larger "territory" or the land where many maps exist. When we see the bigger picture, we discover there are infinite ways to get from A to B. Top-down thinking is contextual. It looks for larger themes and hidden patterns and helps to uncover what is not readily apparent.

I wondered what could be learned from comparing the philosophies of these two very different teachers with their divergent ways of thinking and seeing the world. In the coming weeks, I'll be exploring their writings to see what practical and spiritual lessons we can learn and how to apply them to our daily lives.

For starters, I wondered what each of them might have to teach us regarding one of the most common themes I hear among the people I meet in public seminars and in my private coaching practice: how to know when it's time to pull the plug on something that just isn't working. For most people, this usually implies relationship-related issues .

Referring to the two quotes at the top of this article: Buffett's advice has to do with the effective expenditure of energy. It's practical and quite matter of fact. It doesn't take into account the aspect of feelings, or the conflict between the head and the heart. He says don't spend your energy trying to fix something that is broken beyond repair. It's probably safe to assume he's referring to something stock or investment related. OK, don't ride a stock all the way to the bottom. But what greater application might we draw from this advice?

Look to see: how much energy have you expended trying to repair a "chronically leaking boat" in your life? (Chronically leaking, being the operative words here). How many jobs or relationships have you stayed in long after they were over, hoping things would turn around?

How many times have you stayed in a relationship with someone based on their unmet potential, or on who you hope they'll be "someday", completely overlooking who they are today? Or how long have you stayed with someone, wishing or hoping they could just be who they used to be when you first met? Wishing, wanting, hoping and waiting for the other person to change is a prescription for disappointment and frustration.

This is a huge relationship dilemma. I often ask people, "Who, in your life, needs to change in order for you to be happy?" The usual approach is to look at the other person and think it's their responsibility to change. But unless you want to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over, you must be willing to look at yourself and see what has you devoted to finding and fixing "leaky boats".

If fixing "leaky boats" has become your full-time job and you tell yourself this isn't what you want, the reason you keep doing it is because there is some hidden benefit you're receiving. Whether you know this consciously or not, getting that benefit is more important than having what you say you want. In order to move forward, it becomes critical to discover what those hidden benefits are. As long as they remain hidden from your conscious awareness, they'll continue to be your motivation for creating more suffering. (Much more on the subject of hidden benefits in future articles.) Stay tuned.

Here's the next question: How do you know when you've expended so much energy trying to patch a "chronically leaking boat", you're running on empty? How do you know when you've really, finally, definitely, for sure run out of juice? (Hint: Pay attention to your body. It tells the whole story. Insomnia, weight gain, elevated blood pressure, chronic fatigue and irritability are common symptoms that all is not well. The body never lies.)

Let's turn to Tolle to see if we can learn more about this subject. He invites us to consider what it takes to have the courage to let go, to stop holding on, defending and staying safe. In our frenzy to repair the leaky boat, we're focused on the boat and become disconnected from our own experience. Perhaps we can't see how frightened we are. Perhaps, because of hanging on so long, we don't know ourselves any more, or what we actually want. Perhaps hanging on has become a kind of security blanket or an identity we've created; "the one who doesn't give up", and maybe we wouldn't know what to do if we did let go. Perhaps, in grasping, we've crushed the very thing we thought we wanted.

Tolle suggests there is power in the letting go itself. In the letting go, we make space for courage. In the moment we unclasp, we make space for freedom. In the absence of grasping, we make space for presence. In being with our fear, we see the truth; there is only now. Breathe in. Breathe out. Now. Hence, Tolle's first book, The Power of Now, brings us to the only place we can do anything about our lives. Now.

So the icon of capitalism, Warren Buffett, and spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle both advise us to put our energies where they're the most productive and profitable. Both direct us into being present, seeing clearly what's right in front of us, drawing from the well of wisdom and courage and taking action in the direction of freedom.

I look forward to discovering more along this path with you in the weeks to come. You might want to read the first official biography on Warren Buffett, Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder, just published. I'd also love to hear your thoughts so please leave your comments below: until next time.

Comments

[mamacat]

I don't know Tolle, but I think a lot more should be said about Buffett.

The richest man in America did not get that way by trying to find the next Microsoft or Google, but by making long-term investments in sound companies in healthy industries. A lesson for everyone can be found, not only in listening to Mr. Buffett, who speaks wisely, but in emulating his example.

Too many of our young people are looking for the latest get-rich-quick scheme, instead of going to school and actually doing something productive.

[Minotaurus]

I am a fan of Eckhart Tolle and Warren Buffett and I totally agree with Dr. Rich,letting go of the baggage is the way to free the self from the weight of carrying it.Being the Being of Now in Time is the Way to Be.

[SUSANINCOLUMBIA]

Eckhart Tolle is one of the most important spiritual voices of our time. His works, The Power of Now" and "A New Earth" are life-changing and could do much to heal all humanity.

Simply being present, allowing what is to be and remembering that it is in stillness that we know who we are and that we are all connected to (not separate from) "the One" can bring not only inner peaceon a personal but also a global level in this stressful world.

[onelovecandy]

All I can say is that Eckhart Tolle saved my life. The Power Of Now was the right book, at the right moment. Some feel he is taking from others and repackaging. The great thing is that there is a message out there for everyone. Seek and you shall find your own. Byron Katie is another person with an impressive way of cutting to the heart the matter. It seems that the message of living in the Now no matter the package it comes in, is the one to lead us to ultimate peace of mind.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Amen!

[Pacific231]

Dr. Rich: I have found Tolle to be what I refer to as "private label Buddhism" - that is, much of what he writes is "rebranded" Buddhist principles (although with odd new age twists here and there, cush as when he suggested in The Power of Now that women or gays are more likely to comprehend his concepts. I guess Siddartha Gautama (the Buddha), a heterosexual man, was just lucky then?! :-)

One other thought, I concur Warren Buffet is an excellent role model as a highly ethical businessman. Interesting too that he has said he is an agnostic (when asked by a shareholder at Berkshire Hathaway's last shareholder meeting if he believed in God).

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Pacific231,

I've often thought of Tolle's teachings as a kind of "secular Buddhism" and you're saying something similar. Do you have any thoughts about what he means when he says women or gays are more likely to understand his concepts? Although Siddartha Gautama was a heterosexual man, his teachings transcend gender or sexuality. Maybe Tolle is suggesting that people who don't fit in traditional gender or sexual identities have fewer beliefs that obscure their ability to see a deeper level of truth. What do you think about that?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[Hawise]

I think that people and systems that are under external pressure are more likely to look inward and find the present. Siddhartha found the present when he essentially placed himself under pressure and then he looked inward, women and gays are often under external pressure that forces them to look at their inner structures at an early age. When we place ourselves in untenable positions we often look outward for solutions before acknowledging and accepting our own place in the moment. Being outside the "mainstream" makes looking at the stream itself more compelling.

[Pacific231]

"Maybe Tolle is suggesting that people who don't fit in traditional gender or sexual identities have fewer beliefs that obscure their ability to see a deeper level of truth. What do you think about that?"

With all due respect to you and others who posted, I honestly think that suggestion is, as Buddhists might say, "unskillful."

As a Buddhist practitioner, of course I concur that Buddha's teachings transcend gender and sexual preference. But to suggest "people who don't fit in traditional gender or sexual identities have fewer beliefs that obscure their ability to see a deeper level of truth" is no different than centuries-old Catholic and Conservative Protestant biases against women, believing *men* are somehow uniquely "to see a deeper level of truth"!

Both of the above suggestions are biases which merely different sides of the same unfortunate coin of bias.

This is one reason why I do view Tolle as espousing a genre of Buddhism that is blended, some may say watered down, with new age bells and whistles.

The Buddha said that anyone can gain enlightenment; the end to suffering, with no exceptions.

And to anyone disparaged by mainstream religions, speaking for a moment on behlaf of Buddhists everywhere, I have one word for you: Welcome!

[longnow]

What exactly does your comment say? It say's nothing substantive about Tolle.
Tolle's statements about woman and gays is valid in the context of suffering past
and present and is not presented in terms of absolutes. In another sense you've
made the perfect Zen statement. I wonder what it could be?

Warren Buffet is a killer shark in a sea of lesser sharks in the business world.
This is the way the world is and he is perfectly adapted to deal with it.
In fact they both are well adapted to deal with the world as it is and
I admire both for different reasons.

BTW, the cut throat plastic world of big media and daytime TV is the polar opposite
of the real which is why Oprah would never put Tolle on for a series of TV shows or
even one show. Also, despite appearances, I doubt they got along apart from the
reading of Tolle's book.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Longnow,

I'm always interested in hearing what my readers think. Differing points of view expand and enliven the conversation, so thanks for sharing your thoughts. In your comment you stated:

"In fact they both are well adapted to deal with the world as it is and
I admire both for different reasons."

So do I! Apparently, so does Barack Obama. When asked in tonight's debate who his first choice for Secretary of the Treasury would be, his response? Warren Buffett!

But that aside, I'm not sure what point you're attempting to make about whether or not Tolle "got along" with Oprah. Clearly, his presence is not that of a big media star. Kudos to Oprah for being smart enough to give him a platform better suited to his quiet presence. On the level of personality, he does not dazzle like a Wayne Dyer. You won't find him doing PBS specials. But I find his stillness compelling.

[elo]

Dr. Tantillo, who has ( http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv ) did a post last week on Buffett (in a winner/loser post that contrasted him with WaMu).

Dr. Tantillo blogs from a branding perspective, and posits that any company must stay true to its brand's 'core features' to succeed--and that Buffett has done just that, in his personal as well as his professional life (i.e., still lives in a modest home in NE).

"A successful brand 'discovers' and refines its core features until they hum and are reflected perfectly in its actions and marketing."

Full post: http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv/2008/09/26/brand-advisory-buffett-and-wamu.aspx

Here's a link to the full post

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

The "Rules" according to Buffett:

Rule #1 - Never lose money
Rule #2- Never forget Rule #1

In his professional life, this man always plays by his own rules and "wins". What's most interesting to note is how conflicted he is today about having let his wife walk out of their marriage. He blames himself for its failure. So, did his head override his heart? And if so, did he betray his deeper values? Closing the gap between head and heart is a journey even Buffett had difficulty traversing. My point: the heart is the great leveler. Even the mighty can fall. Warren is human after all.

[Meteor]

Dr.Rich,

I think you will have to decide whether or not the link below complicates the theory!

http://www.businesssheet.com/2008/9/warren-buffett-s-greatest-mistake-letting-his-wife-leave-him

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Meteor,

Thanks so much for your comment. In fact, I thought about this very issue as I wrote this article. Here's a quote from the link you posted:

"Buffett tells Schroeder that Susie's departure "was preventable. It was definitely 95% my fault. ... I just wasn't attuned enough to her, and she'd always been perfectly attuned to me. She kept me together for a lot of years. ... It shouldn't have happened."

Guess he was too busy "changing vessels" to notice the chronic leaks in the one he was in! Obviously, a demonstration that he practiced what he preached, but that his theory didn't necessarily work in matters of the heart. This is the relationship dilemma I referred to. Knowing when it's time to pull the plug or continue hanging in. Even Buffett thinks he got this one wrong! Sometimes, even smart people fail where the heart is concerned.

[stevesrant]

Dear Dr. Rich,
Great move, comparing these two guys! I think Mr. Buffet's quote demonstrates what Mr. Tolle meant by his comment about women and gay men (which you wondered about above.) He seems to reference the stereotypical view that these two groups are more sensitive to the world in general (and to other people in particular) than straight men. There is some truth at the heart of most stereotypes, but Mr. Tolle does his teachings a disservice by reinforcing this one. He could have just as easily said 'poets and artists' : another stereotype, but one that avoids equating women with heart and men with brain. Thanks also for saying "now" instead of 'the now' or 'the moment'; I'm a big fan of linguistic form following its intended meaning.

[lewes17266]

This is so good. Thank you.

[RosieH]

Thank you, Dr. Rich, for another VERY creative, thought provoking article. Who else would have thought of comparing two such diverse personalities, yet it makes total sense! I guess both these gentlemen are like two different fingers on the same hand...their spiritual source of contribution being alike. Bravo!

RosieH