The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Eckhart takes you by simple practices beyond thinking to the Truth of who you are. It is the clearest, purest spiritual teaching I have ever read. Now all I need do is release myself, moment my moment, into this eternal state called NOW until there is no other place and no other identity. And then, I am Home.


THE END OF SEEKING   October 27, 2000
99% of our thoughts are compulsive, useless and dangerous. This "mental noise" creates all of our suffering. Time, which is only a construct of the mind, is made by continually thinking thoughts of the past and of the future. Regrets, over things you didn't do; shame, over what you did do; anger and resentment, over what was "done to you," and memories of brief, happy moments. THESE ARE YOUR COMPULSIVE THOUGHTS OF THE PAST. Fear and anxiety of things that "might" happen, hoping (and praying) for a better future, waiting for tomorrow, or even the next hour to be better than it is right now, planning, to keep control of your future. THESE ARE YOUR COMPULSIVE THOUGHTS OF THE FUTURE. Past Thoughts + Future Thoughts = Time TIME is this world of thought played out in form, with all of it's pain, suffering, and brief moments of pleasure, leading inexorably to death. NOW is the collapse of time into eternity. Your natural state of joy and peace.

To enter this eternal state, you collapse time by practices which lead to the end of compulsive, thinking. How powerful is the mind, to create this world of insanity. How simple the solution, should we choose it. It had to be simple and it is. There is no need to look further than this book and the practices within it. Salvation is here, salvation is NOW.


Tolle overreaches yet still delivers   October 23, 2000
 13 out of 23 found this review helpful

An excellent book about the benefits of being present and living in the moment. Also an excellent review of strategies and techniques for developing presence. My only problem with the book is that Tolle equates immortality with eternality. He suggests that the experience of timelessness proves that one's being lives forever. He claims to know that his being will survive the death of his brain and physical body. I agree with him that his being is immortal, in the sense that it will never experience "I am not" and that it always experiences "I am," but I don't agree that it survives beyond the physical death. To me that's just wishful thinking. Tolle also suggests that reincarnation is a fact, that nothing real ever dies or changes and that all things are conscious or are in consciousness. Again I simply disagree and haven't seen any evidence to convince me otherwise. I believe that consciousness is a byproduct of the brain and nervous system, that matter exists whether we are conscious of it or not, and that reality is a process that is constantly changing. In the end I guess it doesn't really matter who is right. The bottom line is that learning to be present and living in the moment has many advantages and benefits and Tolle's book will definitely help you get there.


This book is phenomenal!   October 15, 2000
 11 out of 12 found this review helpful

I picked up this book while browsing. I could tell from the reviews mentioned in the introduction that this was no ordinary book. Eckhart Tolle teaches from a truly enlightened perspective, which turns concepts into experience for the reader. I have not found any other book which matches this one in power or clarity. Echoing many previous reviewers, I've given away 4 copies, am reading it for the 3rd time, and feel 5 stars are not enough to do it justice. I would urge anyone open to spiritual enlightenment to read this book!


NOW is the time for Spiritual Enlightenment   October 11, 2000
 3 out of 6 found this review helpful

"The Power of Now" offers signposts to guide you to personal transformation, inner peace, and spiritual enlightenment. Tired of your emotional and physical pain? Read this book and learn how to live in the moment of now. Learn to live connected to your inner peace regardless of your life situation.