Biography

Eckhart Tolle was born in Germany, where he spent the first thirteen years of his life. After graduating from the University of London, he was a research scholar at Cambridge University. When he was twenty nine, a profound spiritual transformation virtually dissolved his old identity and radically changed the course of his life

The next few years were devoted to understanding, integrating, and deepening that transformation, which marked the beginning of an intense inward journey

Eckhart is not aligned with any particular religion or tradition. In his teaching, he conveys a simple yet profound message with the timeless and uncomplicated clarity of the ancient spiritual masters: there is a way out of suffering into peace

When Eckhart Tolle first published 'The Power of Now' in 1997 he stated that the book was the essence of his work with groups of spiritual seekers during the previous 10 years. He described them as a "small but fortunately growing minority of spiritual pioneers", who were reaching a point where they became capable of breaking out of inherited collective mind patterns that have kept humans in bondage for eons

The minority are growing - today Eckhart Tolle's books are translated into over twenty seven languages. When 'Stillness Speaks' was published in 2003 Eckhart had two books in the New York Times best seller top 10 list at the same time; both 'The Power of Now' and 'Stillness Speaks'

Eckhart has lived in Vancouver since 1996. He is the author of 'The Power of Now', 'Practising the Power of Now', 'Stillness Speaks' and 'A New Earth'. 'A New Earth' was published in 2005 - in it Eckhart said "When faced with a radical crisis, when the old way of being in the world, of interacting with each other and with the realm of nature doesn't work any more, when survival is threatened by seemingly insurmountable problems, an individual human - or a species - will either die or become extinct or rise above the limitations of their condition through an evolutionary leap. This is the state of humanity now, and this is its challenge. This book's main purpose is not to add new information or beliefs to your mind or try to convince you of anything, but to bring about a shift in consciousness, that is to say to awaken. This book is about you...."

In his book 'The Power of Now' Eckhart Tolle expressed the hope that the seed sown in the reader would merge with the seed of enlightenment that each human being carried within, and suddenly that seed will sprout and come alive within them

This web site celebrates the flowering of human consciousness

Book Extracts

""The present moment is sometimes unacceptable, unpleasant or awful......." It is as it is. Observe how the mind labels it and how this labelling process, this continuous sitting in judgment, creates pain and unhappiness. By watching the mechanics of the mind, you step out of its resistance patterns, and you can then allow the present moment to be. This will give you a taste of inner freedom from external conditions, the state of true inner peace. Then see what happens and take action if necessary or possible. Accept - then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy. This will miraculously transform your whole life"

"The art of inner-body awareness will develop into a completely new way of living, a state of permanent connectedness with Being, and will add a depth to your life that you have never known before. It is easy to stay present as the observer of your mind when you are deeply rooted within your body. No matter what happens on the outside, nothing can shake you anymore"

"When you surrender to what is and so become fully present the past ceases to have any power. The realm of Being, which had been obscured by the mind, then opens up. Suddenly, a great stillness arises within you, an unfathomable sense of peace. And within that peace, there is great joy. And within that joy, there is love. And at the innermost core, there is the sacred, the immeasurable. That which cannot be named"

"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"

"When your attention moves into the Now, there is an alertness. It is as if you were waking up from a dream, the dream of thought, the dream of past and future. Such clarity, such simplicity. No room for problem-making. Just this moment as it is"

"The mind is incessantly looking not only for food for thought; it is looking for food for its identity, its sense of self. This is how the ego comes into existence and continuously re-creates itself"

"Leave Life alone. Let it be"

"Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in being. Allow nature to teach you stillness"

"To meet everything and everyone through stillness instead of mental noise is the greatest gift you can offer to the universe. I call it stillness, but it is a jewel with many facets: that stillness is also joy, and it is love"

""And I saw a new heaven and a new earth" writes the biblical prophet. The foundation for a new earth is a new heaven - the awakened consciousness. The earth - external reality - is only its outer reflection. The arising of a new heaven and by implication a new earth are not future events that are going to make us free. Nothing is going to make us free because only the present moment can make us free. The realization is the awakening. Awakening as a future event has no meaning because awakening is the realization of Presence. So the new heaven, the awakened consciousness, is not a future state to be achieved. A new heaven and a new earth are arising within you at this moment, they are no more than a thought in your head and therefore not arising at all. What did Jesus tell his disciples? "Heaven is right here in the midst of you".

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes a prediction that to this day few people have understood. He says "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth". In modern versions of the Bible, "meek" is translated as humble. Who are the meek or the humble, and what does it mean that they shall inherit the earth?

The meek are the egoless. They are those who have awakened to their essential true nature as consciousness and recognize that essence in all "others", all life forms. They live in the surrendered state and so feel their oneness with the whole and the Source. They embody the awakened consciousness that is changing all aspects of life on our planet, including nature, because life on earth is inseparable from the human consciousness that perceives and interacts with it. That is the sense in which the meek will inherit the earth.

A new species is arising on the planet. It is arising now, and you are it!"

© SC 2008