Saturday, February 2, 2008

Eckhart Tolle

Here is a man who knows. You may recall his book "The Power of Now", in which he answers people's questions about how to be here now, what enlightenment is, etc. Even after reading so many words, the reader ends up calmer for having followed his thoughts. It is a beginner's book about that which we all seek. I actually didn't read all of it. Even though I agreed with his statements, after several pages my reaction was - no, not another book with hundreds of pages about how to still the mind. There are so many, by people who intellectually understand spiritual teachings, but whose minds are still galloping ahead on their own.

Here You Are came about shortly thereafter. Instead of talking about the powerful Now, Here You Are gives the reader a taste of it - actually takes him or her, right into it. That's the simple magic of Here You Are. It is the gift everyone already owns. Children delight in getting their parents into the Here, Now. They are always waiting for us to show up to really be with them there.

When searching You Tube for videos of people who might be spiritual teachers - of which there are many today - I found a lot of videos of Eckhart Tolle, most of them in German. At first impression he comes across like a Saturday Night Live caricature of a German, both in looks and body language, yet before one even has a chance to go with one's prejudice, he transcends this awkwardness, both with his deep inner peace and wonderful sense of humor. Enlightenment tastes the same - like the saltiness of the seas is the same on many shores - and Eckhart Tolle is as beautiful as some of the greatest Indian and Japanese enlightened masters I have been lucky enough to come across in my lifetime. I must admit, it was unexpected.

I picked this video as my favorite to post here.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am so greatful to Eckhart Tolle and Oprah for turning me onto Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor and her beautiful book ""My Stroke of Insight"". Her story is amazing and her gift to all of us is a book purchase away I'm happy to say.

Dr Taylor was a Harvard brain scientist when she had a stroke at age 37. What was amazing was that her left brain was shut down by the stroke - where language and thinking occur - but her right brain was fully functioning. She experienced bliss and nirvana and the way she writes about it (or talks about it in her now famous TED talk) is incredible.

What I took away from Dr. Taylor's book above all, and why I recommend it so highly, is that you don't have to have a stroke or take drugs to find the deep inner peace that she talks about. Her book explains how. ""I want what she's having"", and thanks to this wonderful book, I can! Thank you Dr. Taylor, and thank you Eckhart and Oprah.