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The Power of Now
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The Power of Now

A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Eckhart Tolle
Namaste Publishing, 2004
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

First published in 1999, Eckhart Tolle’s spiritual self-help book became – with a little help from Oprah Winfrey – a number one New York Times bestseller and cultural phenomenon. His teachings borrow heavily from Christianity, as well as Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies. Tolle holds that quieting your relentless thoughts lets you become fully present in the “Now,” and that this inner stillness connects you to an eternal state of “Being.” Tolle’s subsequent books, including A New Earth and Guardians of Being, expand on his teachings. While always impartial in matters of religion, getAbstract recommends Tolle’s contemporary classic to those interested in mindfulness literature as a gateway to personal growth, inner peace and spiritual enlightenment.

Summary

“The Power of Now”

When your mind is still, you can gain access to your deepest self and feel the oneness of “Being.” While to many people the word “God” evokes a corresponding mental image, the word “Being” has no analogous image, nor does any single religion own this idea. Being is an open concept that encompasses the “eternal, ever-present One Life.” Being lies at the core of your essence, though it can be a difficult concept for your mind to grasp. You feel it when you are fully present and your attention is completely in the Now. Realize that “the present moment is all you ever have.”

Experiencing the transformative joy of Being brings inner peace and connects you to something greater than yourself. This enlightenment occurs when you tap into your true nature and returns you to your natural state.

Incessant Thoughts

Your thoughts – the ceaseless self-talk streaming through your mind – block the experience of Being. Thinking isn’t equivalent to Being. Engaging in planning, worrying, judging and explaining frames the world as a place of conflict and problems. That mental churn creates the illusion of separateness – that there is you, alone, and everything...

About the Author

Spiritual teacher and leader Eckhart Tolle also wrote Guardians of Being and A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.

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