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Summary: Read this NOW
Review: I think this book does a good job of explaining that which is in essence indescribable; words themselves can limit our understanding and so to some this may sound new age. Actually the concepts are not really new. If you're familiar with Jungian concepts, you'll note similarities herein as well as with the teachings of Jesus Christ and Buddha and a number of the world's great psychologists, philosophers and spiritualists. Personally I believe all these teachings to be true and to be saying basically the same things. I also appreciate the author's sense of urgency and I believe that we must awaken and respond to the urgency of the messages summarized within this book or like books if you cannot let yourself be enlightened by this book.Enough of why to read this, let me tell you what I heard while reading. First, we are all connected by the great life force, call it spirit if you like, the author refers to it as the now, that exists within each one of us and every living thing. Result of this recognition will be respect and compassion for others and all living things as well as your own internal peace which is in the end that which we are really seeking. We must constantly observe and challenge our thoughts and the inherent patterns of response that we share with all humans, (Yung called this the collective unconscious.) That means asking yourself, why do I feel this way, why can't I stop thinking about this, why did I do that etc.. Another essential message is forgiveness; specifically the author cites that we need to forgive the past. We hang onto anger and bitterness and perpetuate pain; to forgive frees us from this. For many, not allowing forgiveness of another or the past, that which has already happened, causes them to be physically ill today. It is hard to forgive but harder to hold onto these grudges. The other half of staying in the now is of course living in the future, or living for the goal instead of living along the way to the goal. Isn't that what Carpe Diem means? God is love; in a state of true Spirit, in the now as the author cites it, there is only love and joy. If you've never felt this comfort, seek it now. It is a hard truth to realize that we are perpetuating our own suffering because it means we are responsible not only for the cause but for the solution as well. If we each sought, found and acted on our own storehouse of inner peace, suffering would end. While this is an ideal, it can happen, as change does happen, one person at a time starting with the person in the mirror. This book also has an interesting chapter on relationships further citing to the discomfort of some readers that women have more power because they are more in tune with their whole beings that includes their Spirit; if you want this power, read this book, or some of the other recommendations but respond to these common messages while we still have time. While I think human beings may be able to survive for a good while, I am very concerned that our planet cannot. My only other comment on this book and that those of us who are already awake must do more than just be conscious in whatever way we can; much is expected to those who have been given much.
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Summary: An old principle in a new book
Review: The concepts in this book have been practiced by people throughout the world for centuries. The book is soulfully written but does not provide practical information to live life to the fullest in a dangerous world. If you want to make the most of your thinking, feelings, emotions and any situation, read Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self by Dr. Rosalene Glickman and Goals by Brian Tracy.
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Summary: Eckhart Tolle did it.
Review: "This incessant mental noise prevents you from finding that realm of inner stillness..." Eckhart goes right to the point. Clear, simple, and on target. The noise is constantly whispering pain: the self-image in a time-dream nightmare of defenses, regrets, and anxiety. Surrender. Completely give up. You cannot get out of concepts with more concepts. Surrender the self, stop conceptualizing. Selfing and thinking are not two different things, they are the same process. There is another way to understand reality. There is another way to know. Concepts are not enough. Concepts get on the way. Concepts are the obstacle. Get out of the conceptual mode, and syncronize with the concrete experiencial reality. Then you get rid of the self image, the time, the neurosis, the craziness, the mental illness. Mindfulness. The Budha's way. Out of concepts and into reality. The same message. We teach the conceptual nightmare to our kids. We give them concepts and, indeed, a self-image. Then we put them in competition. Low self esteem is born. Worth related to accomplishent is born. Anxiety is born. Pain is created. This is how the disease is transmitted. Eckhart did it. What extraordinary book!
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Summary: A special book
Review: A very very special book. To a non-religious person like me, this can serve the role of the bible. It lays a deeply spiritual, deeply internal life philosophy about living in the moment - the Now, not trying to get out of life's varied pleasures and accomplishments something they can never give you. Something that can only come from inside. This is a difficult book, it deeply affected me and threw me into emotional turmoil and possibly the deepest bout of depression I've ever experienced. That was because if you feel the truth of the book's message then you have to change how you look at the world, the very person you are. This loss of identity is viscerally unsettling and scary, how could it be otherwise? I have changed, and have taken a step towards the life the book teaches is worth living. In a few situations that have come up, I've acted differently than I would have before reading this book, to my own tremendous surprise. I think that is the greatest praise one can give a book like this. I won't say that I'm a different person, and it may well be that time and routine will erase whatever effect this book had, but in the Now, I'm different.
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Summary: Best Spiritual Development book available
Review: I have read this book several times. Each time, I get something more out of it. I must have read hundreds of spiritual development books during the last fifty years, including the New Testament of course, and this is by far the best and most USEFUL, even displacing "Zen in the Art of Archery" as number one. The writing is clear and exact (despite being a native German, Tolle's vocabulary and command of English is very comprehensive), the message unambiguous, the format effective. I have ordered Tolle's next book, but I doubt whether it will tell me more than this one does, even though I am expecting to enjoy it and profit by it. Simply, "The Power of Now " contains all you need. As Tolle himself says, he basically always talks about the same thing, and reading it again and again simply exposes one repeatedly to Presence and encourages one to come into the present moment, not to resist the present moment.
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Summary: The truth , pure and simple.
Review: Tolles, " The Power of Now" is not about religion or who God is. It's about who we really are. We are all very much important, no matter what outer purposes we decide on in our lives. I am happy and enlightened more often now , than I am angry or depressed. I see no need to dwell on the past or worry about the future any longer. I now better understand the situation of the human race, the wars and the fear and illusion of control that is all around us. By living in the present I am able to operate from peace and love as my mode of function instead of the fear, the depression, the anxiety or the anger that are not possible in the present. All I have to do is accept that there is no "outer power" for me to connect to and it is always within me. I also accept that I have been ill as the entire human race has been ill for a long time. Nevertheless, we are all as whole and heeled as we can be at any moment that we chose the absolute presence known as "Now". Thank God for Eckhart Tolle, this book and you. I already knew what I needed to know, but I was lacking the messenger to bring my mind and heart toghether. I owe that to this book. Sincerely, Rob
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Summary: Great Unconventional But Eclectic View of Being Human
Review: This book is a fun, philosophical, and eclectic blend of religions and philosophies on the good life. If you are torn apart emotionally, need something refreshing to awaken your senses to what life really offers, and/or have been unsatisfied with the effects of counseling, church, and all other conventional ways of seeking satisfaction or consistent acceptance of yourself--then I would recommend this book. (Although I have never had counseling and went into reading this book perfectly satisfied with myslef, but wanted to see if the book offered any new vision--which it does.) I would have to say the author seems to me a bit of an eccentric/visionary (in the sense I cannot imagine him making much of a living in any other historical era because he would have probably been burned at the stake, hanged for blasphemy, if he hadn't already committed suicide). In the sense of his struggles and sense of enlightened vision and then promotion of this enlightened self, the author, Eckhart Tolle, could be likened to a modern day Muhammad, Jesus, or Bhudda (I hope no one is offended). The message is clear and draws from the author's believed similarities of all major religions and world philosophies. This book would not be suitable for any unable to let go of religious biases, though; it is perfect for those objective and accepting enough to give new ideas a chance. As the title eludes to, this book focuses on what we can do as individuals to see our true, inner-self so as to first understand what and who we are as individual spirits/people and to then arrive at spiritual oneness with ourselves. The object is to follow the logic of the book, step by step, to ultimately arrive at spiritual enlightenment, which is the point where one will be content with their abilities and inabilities, learn to appreciate and take advantage of every moment (ideally, of course), and learn to behave as you only once wished you were capable of behaving towards others. Like any religious belief, the ideal can never be obtained, but this book is a healthy start. I have much respect for the author's views, and think this book should be widely read so as to open more minds to a more refreshing and non-violent spiritual paradigm.
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Summary: Laughable new age nonsense
Review: This is nothing more than boring new age tripe. Don't waste your time or money.
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Summary: For Whom the Bell Tolles
Review: ...Tolle's teaching is in places insightful, mystical, yet with strong under currents of New Age mumbo jumbo followed by periods that are absurd, eccentric and falling into gibberish. I believe Tolle has had some genuinely mystical experiences in his life. He is a very sincere and well intentioned fellow. However, his problems arise once he has attempted to interpret that mystical experience; to reduce it to a psychological formula for enlightenment. Tolle is a perfect example of the delusions that arise from an intellectual interpretation of the mystical. A classic pitfall.Here are a few of the core errors Tolle has made: ***1) The core of Tolle's teachings centers around being present in the moment in order to free oneself of suffering. Tolle sees the past and future as time, and the present as timeless. This is a fundamental and foundational mistake which, unfortunately, skews the rest of his teachings. Why? The truth is that past, present, and future are all of time. The present, the now in that sense, is not outside of time. By mentally drawing your attention to the present, you are merely focusing on a different aspect of time. This does not bring about freedom, but rather simply shifts one's attention. ***The now, the state of timelessness referred to by the mystics over the centuries is *beyond* past, present, and future. It enters into realms which extends far beyond mental games. ***2) The core of Tolle's ***partial*** mystical realization, which I believe is genuine, took place during a time of suicidal crisis. Tolle experienced a profound act of Grace which led him to the spiritual life. It was given freely, not based on any doing by Tolle. Yet Eckhart ignores this fact in his teachings to you which are all about do this, do that, free yourself. This is a grave oversight on his part. ***3) Tolle has grossly, and with grandiosity, over estimated the potential benefits of focusing on oneself in the moment via a mental technique. There are many other mistakes made by Tolle, yet there's simply no more room in this review to go into them.***Now we come to the just plain eccentric: ***1) Tolle believes that women and gays are inherently more able to realize enlightenment than heterosexual men. I can assure you, God holds no such prejudice. ***2) Eckhart says that the discomfort of a women's menstrual cycle is caused by centuries of poor treatment by men. This is way off the map. ***3) He believes all animals are completely free of negativity in any form unless they've spent time with humans. Just silly. Dolphins at times have violent battles with other dolphins. Grizzly bears will kill a mother's cubs in order to mate with her. The list goes on and on.***Tolle's book is ok. It certainly, in PLACES, rises above the general absurdity of New Age literature. When compared to that lot, Tolle's book is ok. However, that is setting a rather low standard. Check out J. Krishnamurti, the Dalai Lama, the later years of Thomas Merton or any of the great spiritual texts of the world for a much more solid and grounded teaching.
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Summary: End your suffering NOW
Review: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a very clear presentation of how to end pain and suffering by bringing a fuller spritual dimension into ones life. This material has helped me to connect with the Love that is all around me. It has also helped me understand the deep spiritual meaning of the Bible. I hope this will help heal the pain and suffering of the world.
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