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It was clear that here was a guy who understood on a very profound level the message of the Buddha, yet without having ever been a monk. Try to focus ONLY on what ever is present right now as you sit down with your eyes closed. But frankly I found his speaking style and his tendency to giggle every so often kind of annoying. The Buddha captured the people of his time with this message, but not too many people today are interested in reading the Buddha's words. Or you can notice your belly going in and out, your diaphragm rising and falling.
You feel nervous. Try again. But still, unless you have an interest in "Buddhism" it is unlikely you are going to study the deeper teachings of these monks.So what Tolle has done is - just by being himself and teaching in his own style, from his own realizations - write a book (or books) that has a way of relating to the average day modern seeker of knowledge. And then one day you get a substitute teacher and he teaches you the same lessons but with so much enthusiasm and clarity and makes it Exciting to learn about the Battle of Vicksburg. You get the feeling you "need" to get on to doing something. Fair game are sounds, feelings, the feeling of your butt on the chair or floor, the feeling of air going in and out of your nose or mouth, the sound of the dog barking or bird singing in the distance, etc. That is, they are understanding it "intellectually" but not "getting" that it is not just a matter of "understanding" "about" the now moment, but rather it is a matter of LIVING IN THE NOW MOMENT, being PRESENT in the now moment during much or all of one's life, which is not a simple thing at all. It's like when you're in junior high and your teacher makes the Civil War boring.
It's all about whether or not a teacher truly KNOWS and is excited by the material, and is able to transfer that knowledge and enthusiasm for knowledge to you.To me, Eckhart Tolle is very good at explaining the value of the Now moment and sharing the enthusiasm for it in a way that inspires me to try harder or put more attention on being present in each moment and not get hung up in the past and future, on the way things "should be", etc.So while there is "nothing new here" (actually there is nothing new, ANYwhere)., what he have is a teacher who has the rare ability to reach people with an important teaching. deadly boring. To illustrate this point I suggest you try the following exercise:Sit down in a quiet place and close your eyes and focus ONLY on the present moment. When I first heard about Eckhart Tolle and his "The Power of Now", I said, "Sounds like Buddhism, to me." I was very skeptical about Tolle because it sounded like he was just marketing Buddhism under his own name. More thoughts come. And keep trying until you "get it". I found his message indeed very "Buddhist" but with a "twist". That is, he woke up and realized the power of Now and the reality of his inner being.Despite the fact that I have studied the teachings of the Buddha for 2 years, meditated, and read many books on mindfulness and being here now, I found this book very inspiring and very clear.In fact it excited me much more than most of the Buddhism books I have read and while it is "the same message", I think sometimes the WAY someone teaches is what counts.
I can see where some may still insist that this IS what he is doing. You feel this is a waste of time. I borrowed the book from the library and began reading it. I was very inspired by it. etc. But there is also a good chance that while you've heard it before you still haven't gotten the message.
But I don't think so.After hearing more about him I finally rented a dvd of his. Try to notice ONLY your breathing, in whichever way you can do it. And that's a good thing.I would like to add that it has become clear to me that many of the people who don't like the book are not really understanding the deeper message of the book. There is much value in this practice as it not only shows you your mind but it helps you learn to control it, to calm it, and it teaches you great powers of concentration in the present moment which you will find very valuable in all aspects of your life, once you learn to do it with some proficiency.So if you think "I've heard all this before" there is a good chance that you HAVE. As soon as a thought comes in about what you did or what you are going to do or what you need to do, put it aside and try to go back to focusing only on the present moment.As you do this I think you will see that it is VERY difficult. More thoughts come.Try to get to the point where the thoughts do not overtake you, and in fact, see if you can ONLY focus on your BREATH. It's just that his style is his style and it seems to resonate with people.
No matter how you do it just as long as you ONLY focus on your breathing, nothing else; no other sounds, no other feelings, no other thoughts.This is the lesson Tolle is trying to teach: being truly and completely in the present moment. Some Buddhist monks like Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama and Ajahn Brahm have been able to regurgitate the Buddha's teachings to us in a way that is much more inspiring. That is, you can focus only on the air coming in and out of your nose or mouth. But I was intrigued enough by his message that I decided to take a look at the book. Thoughts come. I do not mean to imply he has diluted it or simplified it. In the preface or intro he says that one day after being depressed for a long time he just woke up.
As a student of the Buddha I can tell you that his teaching style (at least as it has come down to us from the ancient Pali scriptures) does not fit our current 21st century style of learning very well.
As you read the book you learn how to make those changes for a more peaceful life.I see from reading the reviews on this site some people have recommend my book, "The Enlightenment, What God Told Me After One Million Prayers: A Message for Everyone," and again I just want them to know how much I appreciate their recommendation, especially at such a excellent site. Maybe we all should live in the present moment as Eckheart Tolle suggests. I welcome people to read my book, I'm sure you'll find this non-fiction account of a loving God just as positive and inspiring. I wrote this book out of love and for the glory of God and Jesus, not for my own fame or fortune. Its true are problems are not really affecting us right now in the "present' so why dwell on them constantly. It's hard to let go of all that brain activity and just live in the `now'.
But to suggest that the Ego can be eradicated, and that such an accomplishment is in every individual's best interest seemed misguided to me. I have doubt there is anything he can do to take that away from us, it is the very essence of what separates us from the animals. They have merit, but most importantly, they deface the value of Tolle's message. Perhaps it was his own undying need to hold onto something of religious value. Time is not simple, it is real and it is complicated.I now believe that the Ego must be kept in check (as it has a tendency to run amuck and stir all sorts of mischief), but that it is not a complete error. Now that he's got your attention, its time for his re-interpretations of Jesus. In other words, "details" are a falsehood, they have no real value. All you have to do is agree with him and make them vanish from your interest.Part two, about halfway in is when he starts stirring up his trouble.
For the sake of my review, I see this book in two parts. They can finally learn to stand aside and let the world whirl by past them. For many, maybe this is helpful. Also, his technique for "quieting the Ego, or mind" in its attempts to overwhelm and misdirect the "Being" away from the "Now" by always only looking back and ahead are simple, clever and productive. but shame on him for first discrediting religion and then rebuilding it. Can't we just get out of religion once and for all.I put the book down before reaching the last page. The first is interesting, strange, helpful and also silly. Tolle does a good job of grabbing your attention with a very workable alternative to dealing with problems.
He forgets that it is also the struggle that defines us, the challenge that inspires us, and the pain that reminds us that we are human after all. But for the other half, the go-getters and those eagerly wanting in life, Eckhart Tolle's path to perfection is flawed in the sense that his ultimate message is to "give up" in order to succeed. Perhaps for the person that just wants to find a way to survive through life without any sorts of conflict and obstacles this is a good solution. the Being, the two opposing entities of our minds that offer "idea modeling", "recall of events", "conflict" and "the use of time" for their existence are presented in a well expressed and simplified manner that should speak to just about anyone, and I found this very helpful. The problem is that he asks you to let go of not just too much, but everything you might hold dear.
He falls short by suggesting "total bliss" is the ultimate freedom. It is an evolutionary function that provides a balance for the brilliant potential we all have within ourselves as we look back, ahead, and into the multi-layered Now. Tolle has an answer for every question, skeptic and dismissal of his perspectives in this book, but that does not make him correct. As he explains it, there are no problems. He seems to fail in understanding that it is "The Journey" that turns us on.His quick jabs at the falsehoods and misguidance of all modern religion should be hailed with respect, but he destroys his validation as he begins to quote Jesus again and again.His identification of the Ego vs.
All cares and concerns, all of your history and ambitious speculations, you must give them all up for the promise that you don't need them. And they are interesting. I found it repetitious, unbalanced and disappointing.As I had progressed through the first half book I found the solutions to "quieting your mind" helpful, but equally troubling as the author's philosophy tries to draw you in closer to its end-game of total peace.
Tolle is truly an inspiration. A really awe-inspiring book.loaded with thought- provoking words. Mr.
Animals, trees, flowers will feel your peace and respond to it." It's unfortunate that Tolle finishes the book with this kind of stuff, because the first part has some great, concrete and original thinking. There are also a couple of stylistic elements that I found annoying: First, the entire book is written in a question-and-answer format. As Tolle expands on his concept, he weaves in concepts from Eastern thought and modern meditation/philosophy, such as the Watcher (the thinker who observes our thinking mind), and the unified consciousness. He needs to lay some groundwork. Tolle encourages us to focus on the present moment, and he gives us ways that we can settle our thinking mind in favor of just being in the Now. He makes grand statements as if they're fact, without supporting them in any way, and then goes on for a page building on those statements. But my biggest beef is that the last two-thirds of the book reads like the underpinnings of The Celestine Prophesy. The first third of this book, the one that sets up the theme to which the title refers, is good.
For example: "Even a stone has a rudimentary consciousness; otherwise, it would not be, and its atoms and molecules would disperse." Oh really. He makes an attempt to incorporate different belief systems, Western and Eastern, but he does this by force-fitting bits of scripture that support his point rather than dealing with the themes of these belief systems. (By my estimation, he greatly over-uses the symbol). Second, Tolle has the arrogance to insert a special symbol into the text when he wants the reader to stop and, not just consider what he's said, but to "become still, and feel and experience the truth of what has just been said." Give me a break. It's a psychological bond, not a physical one that holds atoms together. It basically states that the majority of our pain comes from our focus on the past (guilt, regret, blame, anger etc). or the future (stress, anxiety, worry). Your peace is so vast and deep that anything that is not peace disappears into it as if it had never existed.
I've seen this convention before, and in itself it's annoying enough, but in a few instances the "answerer" didn't even answer the question asked, or admonished the "questioner" for asking the question. Trying to be holistic is good, but, again, I much prefer someone like Ken Wilber, who lays a foundation and thoughtfully creates a map of the systems. But let's put cynicism aside, and let's avoid the temptation to argue science vs religion, because that's not my criticism of the above statement. This breaks the karmic cycle of action and reaction.
One example: "When you are fully present and people around you manifest unconscious behaviors, you won't feel the need to react to it, so you don't give it any reality. Tolle takes what is a great premise at the beginning, then bogs it down with unnecessary chapters of New Age jibber-jabber. The only thing we can impact, and the only thing that is truly real, is the now.
Pointless. I'm sure there are belief systems that would support that atoms are held together by consciousness, but I'm not going to take Tolle's word for it. But then the book devolves into New Age mumbo-jumbo as he tries to encompass everything from improving marital relationships to improving our immune systems to ending world hunger. When I read sentences like that, it's hard not to become cynical.
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