The Power of Now
abracad, · Categories: books, reviews, self help
Eckhart Tolle's Power of Now is one of the few contemporary Spiritual classics. Its message is deceptively simple but deeply profound, and for the few who manage to apply it will prove truly life-changing and potentially enlightening.
The Power of Now is all about recognizing the illusions that surround us and replacing them with the underlying truth that is ever-present but nearly always obscured. As hinted by the title the first of these illusions is that of time. Time is a creation of the egoic mind to perpetuate its own existence. The mind frequently either looks to some point in the future when everything will be alright/perfect, or harps back to the good old days of the past or is filled with bitterness/guilt/anger/regret over things that should/shouldn't have been said or done. This is all utterly futile since the only moment that exists, that can ever exist, is now.
In essence the power of now is accepting, or surrendering to, the moment. Stop pushing against that which is. But it's not about giving up, quite the opposite. Once the moment is accepted so we can begin to use it to its fullest potential. It's not about rejecting the world, but being able to enjoy the world in full knowledge of its transience.
The Power of Now makes frequent references to enlightened masters such as Jesus and Buddha. And in common with the meditative practices of many established religions a major goal is to quieten the seemingly incessant chatter of the egoic mind that obscures our true Being, ie that we are but part of the one true Being (God, Source, Spirit...)
As individuals we are, and always have and will be, part of God. But through incarnation we distanced ourselves from that reality (some might argue for the purpose of experiential growth) and from that distance the ego emerged in order to protect us from a hostile universe. Time and form are both merely creations of the ego.
The Power of Now takes the form of a series of questions and answers resembling the dialog between master and student. Though Tolle points out that he teaches nothing that is already known deep within. Of the many questions, at least a few will resonate with every reader.
I don't now how many readers will want or be able to fully adopt the principles outlined here. Many of us are still too closely tied to the world of form. But reading The Power of Now will change your view of reality and your place within it, even if the full message is adopted but gradually over the course of a lifetime.
Leave a Reply