Eckhart Tolle

Overview
Eckhart Tolle was born Feb.16,1948 in Germany, spent his teenage years in Spain with his father and did self-study on literature, astronomy, and languages. He received a degree from University of London and pursued post graduate studies at Cambridge, stating he became adrift, depressed, and at age 29 had an “inner transformation”.

Subsequently recognized as an internationally renowned agnostic spiritual teacher, Tolle embarked on a spiritual path and, in 1997 at age 39, wrote “The Power of Now” which, when recommended by Oprah, became a best seller. In 2005, he wrote “A New Earth: Awakening to Life’s Purpose,” and did a skype series with Oprah, (which I attended).

Insights from A New Earth, You Tube Teachings: Ron Babos and Jean Robbins

• Query Tolle’s name and Ram Dass, the author of “Be Here Now”, and watch a 2014 You Tube interview they did in Hawaii together. It is quite good.
• Understand you are not your thoughts in your head. (Ron B)
• Being “present” is the state of consciousness that transcends thinking. (Ron B)
• Keys from “A New Earth”
  a. Your thoughts are not who you are.
  b. Ego is your identification with form which includes thought forms.
  c. “I” usually represents a misperception of who you are, and when you separate, (my word), from this identification you are beginning the spiritual process. (see his quotes)
  d. The ego lives in comparisons and always wants “more.”
  e. “The joy of Being Is the joy of being conscious.”

Jean Robbins Comments

1. From “The Power of Now” (1999), the conversation with an interested student is the format, and the most direct and instructive response for me was the one on surrender.

   “Surrender is perfectly compatible with taking action, initiating change, or achieving goals. But in the surrender state, a totally different energy, a different quality, flows into your doing. Surrender reconnects you with the source-energy of Being, and if your doing is infused with Being, it becomes a joyful celebration of life energy that takes you more deeply into the now.” (p. 208)

   It is the state of being with the present, in total acceptance of who you are, and all that is. He goes on to say never mistake “surrender to the moment” with passiveness or powerlessness.”

   In the state of surrender, you see very clearly what needs to be done, and you take action, doing one thing at a time and focusing on one thing at a time. Learn from nature: See how everything gets accomplished and how the miracle of life unfolds without dissatisfaction or unhappiness. (I would also add, without judgement, doubt, or need to correct what is.)

   “If your overall situation is unsatisfactory or unpleasant, separate out this instant and surrender to what is. That is the flashlight cutting through the fog. Your state of consciousness then ceases to be controlled by external conditions. You are no longer coming from reaction and resistance.” (p. 209)

2. From A New Earth (2003), I learned about, and began practicing recognition, or “witnessing” my ego-self in action. I also learned, (through practice), to clearly see my true self as an energy within, quite separate from my ego identity. The distinction between the two that has been clearest and easiest to access, was revealed in my meditation, and out of my daily stillness practice has become available while I am engaged in my every-day activities. This ability to see clearly who I am being in each moment, ego and self-preservation driven, or one with my life source, has given me self-awareness and the practice of acceptance and surrender, as well as a choice to be either one in any given moment.

Some of His Famous Quotes

• “To realize that you are not your thoughts is when you begin to awaken spiritually.”
• “Boredom, anger, sadness, or fear are not ‘yours’, not personal. They are conditions of the human mind. They come and go. Nothing that comes and goes is you.”
• “What a liberation to realize that “voice in my head” is not who I am. Who am I, then? The one who sees that!”