The Power Of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment [Hardcover]

Ekhart Tolle's message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle's clear writing, supportive voice, and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who's ever wondered what exactly "living in the now" means. Foremost, Tolle is a world-class teacher, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, readers are already holding the world in a different container--more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.

Tolle packs a lot of information and inspirational ideas into The Power of Now. (Topics include the source of Chi, enlightened relationships, creative use of the mind, impermanence, and the cycle of life.) Thankfully, he's added markers that symbolize "break time." This is when readers should close the book and mull over what they just read. As a result, The Power of Now reads like the highly acclaimed A Course in Miracles--a spiritual guidebook that has the potential to inspire just as many study groups and change just as many lives for the better. --Gail Hudson

'THE POWER OF NOW can transform your thinking. The result? More joy, right now.' -- Oprah Winfrey 'Pointing to the portals of the eternal Present, this practical mystic's modern gospel offers transcendent truths that set us free.' -- Dan Millman 'In the self-help heaven that is the US, Eckhart Tolle is fast becoming the next Deepak Chopra. His book, THE POWER OF NOW, is the bible du jour - a must-read for anyone looking for a modern take on spirituality ... Essential reading for anyone who might be feeling weighed down by the past or fearful of the future'. -- Red magazine 'This book is generating quite a buzz of excitement. It is quite simply one of the clearest and most accessible texts on becoming more present that we have seen.' -- Kindred Spirit --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Eckhart Tolle is emerging as one of today's most inspiring teachers. In The Power of Now, a #1 national bestseller, the author describes his transition from despair to self-realization soon after his 29th birthday. Tolle took another ten years to understand this transformation, during which time he evolved a philosophy that has parallels in Buddhism, relaxation techniques, and meditation theory but is also eminently practical.

In The Power of Now he shows readers how to recognize themselves as the creators of their own pain, and how to have a pain-free existence by living fully in the present. Accessing the deepest self, the true self, can be learned, he says, by freeing ourselves from the conflicting, unreasonable demands of the mind and living "present, fully and intensely, in the Now."

Eckhart Tolle was born in Germany, graduated from the University of London and worked 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. He is now a counsellor and spiritual teacher. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

The author shares ideas about personal integration with uncommon eloquence and a deep understanding of the human condition. Our true identity is in our moment-to-moment experiences rather than in our past or future. Concern about anything but the present is an unhealthy identification with the mind that can only cause pain and an illusion of control. Being totally aware of ourselves in each moment actually requires little effort or direction if we stop our thoughts long enough to find the pure consciousness that exists in the gaps between them. These ideas will be radical for most Westerners, but they are so smoothly elucidated that almost all seekers of inner truth will find something of value in the program. T.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.