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The Power of Now

The basic message of Eckhart Tolle's book is that our mode of


consciousness can be transformed. The key to becoming free
of the egoic mind, with all its consequences, is to become
deeply conscious of this present moment, or, as Tolle often
calls it, "the Now." The consequences of being in the Now may
also be traced out from his book.

Connectedness – In place of separation is a two-fold


connectedness. To be present is to become reconnected both
with Being itself, and with all other beings. Presence is a
"state of felt oneness with Being … connectedness with
something immeasurable and indestructible … that is
essentially you and yet is much greater than you." That in turn
enables us to enter into deeper relationships with others.
"Coming from Being, you will perceive another person's body
and mind as just a screen … behind which you can feel their
true reality, as you feel yours … Compassion is the awareness
of a deep bond between yourself and all creatures."

Acceptance – Rather than resisting life as it actually is in the


present moment, one accepts it for what it is, without labelling
or judgment. "Allowing it to be as it is … takes you beyond the
mind with its resistance patterns …"

Tolle speaks not only of acceptance of what is, but also of


surrender to it. This "is the simple but profound wisdom of
yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life … to surrender
is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without
reservation."

This may easily be misunderstood, and Tolle goes on to explain


that he is not suggesting anyone should accept for evermore
some unpleasant situation in life. That is mere resignation.
Surrender is a purely inner phenomenon, changing our attitude
so we accept how things are at this moment. Then we can act
positively to change the ongoing situation, and such positive
action is likely to be far more effective than if it arose out of
the anger, frustration or despair of resistance.

The Joy of Being – Instead of pain there is peace, stillness and


joy. Instead of loss of Being there is reconnectedness with
Being. Instead of external substitutes for joy there is an inner
joy which is independent of external conditions. "As soon as
you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle
dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease." "You abide
in Being — unchanging, timeless, deathless — and you are no
longer dependent for fulfilment or happiness on the outer
world."

Ways of Transformation
Natural means of transformation

Occasionally, says Tolle, the transformation of human


consciousness happens spontaneously, in a dramatic and once-
for-all way, as a result of total surrender in the face of intense
suffering. He claims his own transformation happened in just
that way, in the middle of one night. Yet he acknowledges that
"most people … have to work at it."
In general, "anything that renders the mind powerless" will
serve to bring about this transformation, at least temporarily.
Sometimes great beauty, extreme exertion, or great danger,
will render the mind speechless and allow inner stillness to be
known. It happens naturally in a life-or-death emergency
situation, when there is no time for the mind to worry over a
problem. Something else takes over at such times, "an intense
conscious presence," and whatever response is necessary
comes naturally from that. It may also happen when in the
presence of death, or while witnessing childbirth, during a
serious illness, or during physical intimacy.

Ways of encouraging transformation

There are many ways of cultivating consciousness of the


present moment. Tolle makes the following suggestions in his
book:
Watching the thinker – Simply listen to the voice in the head
(the thoughts of the thinking mind), without judging or
condemning what you hear, until you are aware both of the
voice, and of your own presence listening to it. More generally,
observe not only your thoughts but also your emotions and the
way you react in various situations, again without judging or
analyzing or making a problem out of it. "Just watch the
thought, feel the emotion, observe the reaction" until you
become aware of your own still, observing presence, "the
silent watcher."
Watching the 'pain-body' – The same approach may also be
used to break the power of the 'pain-body'. As long as we
refuse to face up to the emotional pain living on in us, it
survives, claims Tolle, but as soon as we face it, observe it and
feel its energy within, its power is broken. We cannot fight it
directly, but watching it is enough. "Watching it implies
accepting it as part of what is at that moment." We can
become present simply by becoming the witness or the
watcher of the 'pain-body'.
Focusing attention on the present – Becoming intensely
conscious of the present moment, without thinking about it or
labeling its contents, creates a gap in the mind's thought-
stream and also awareness of one's own presence. Any routine
activity, such as walking up stairs, or washing one's hands, can
become a vehicle for present-moment awareness. "Pay close
attention to every step, every movement, even your
breathing."
Alert waiting – Tolle suggests an experiment. Close your eyes,
say 'I wonder what my next thought will be,' then become very
alert and wait for it; be like a cat watching a mouse-hole. As
long as you stay alert enough, no thought will come, but as
soon as the level of alertness falls, thoughts will rush in again.
Awareness of nature – Truly to look at nature, truly to listen to
natural sounds, requires complete stillness and intense
presence. Only then do we become really aware of the beauty,
power, majesty and wonder of the natural world. Look and see;
listen and hear. In fact, this is a two-way process, because
there is some nameless inner essence in nature which
resonates with our inner essence, and which helps us become
truly present.
Feeling the 'inner body' – An important concept for Tolle, to
which he devotes chapter 6, is what he calls 'the inner body,'
which he describes as "the animating presence within you" or
"the invisible energy field that gives life to what you perceive
as the physical body." What he seems to mean by this is the
ability to feel the aliveness of the body and each part of it.
"Feel (your body) from within. Is it alive? Is there life in your
hands, arms, legs, and feet? … Keep focusing on the feeling …
Do not start to think about it. Feel it … Perhaps there is just a
slight tingling in your hands or feet … the more attention you
give it, the clearer and stronger it will become"
The cultivation of this subtle feeling is an important
transformative practice for Tolle. Left to itself, the mind will
absorb all our consciousness, and we cannot stop thinking. But
by becoming conscious of the aliveness of our bodies we
reclaim consciousness from the mind. The key to a lasting
transformation of consciousness, he says, is to maintain some
awareness of the body at all times To help to develop that, he
suggests using any quiet moments, for example while waiting
for something, to rekindle this awareness of the body.
Anything we feel brings us into the present moment for there
is no feeling in either past or future. He also suggests making
this awareness of the body into a meditation, and "flooding"
each part of the body with consciousness, especially last thing
at night and first thing in the morning.
Breathing – Conscious breathing is a valuable form of
meditation in itself, since it makes us conscious of the present
moment. More than that, it can also help to put us in touch
with the body, which Tolle says can be especially helpful on
occasions when we find it hard to feel the aliveness within.
Acceptance and Surrender – These and related concepts are
not only characteristics of a life lived in the power of 'the Now,'
they are also important ways of transformation. "Acceptance,"
says Tolle, "immediately frees you from mind dominance and
thus reconnects you with Being." Forgiveness for Tolle includes
both what is past and what is present, "recognizing the
insubstantiality of the past" as well as "allowing the present
moment to be as it is." "Through forgiveness" he says, "the
miracle of transformation happens." Surrender, the "inner
acceptance of what is without any reservations … transforms
you." In this context Tolle recognizes the traditional Christian
spiritual experience of 'the Way of the Cross' as another means
of enlightenment.

Experiencing the Unmanifested

Chapter 7 of the Power of Now, is called "Portals into the


Unmanifested." In part this recaps briefly some of the ways of
becoming conscious and present that Tolle has already
described, but it puts them into a larger, more theological,
context. They are seen as ways of access to the formless
realm, the Unmanifested, "the Being within all beings."
These include awareness of the 'inner body, being present in
the Now (which Tolle says is the main portal and an essential
aspect of every other portal), the cessation of thinking, and
surrender. Tolle then mentions two other 'portals':
Silence – Tolle claims the presence of the Unmanifested can be
felt in every sound, because all sounds arise out of and return
to silence. Silence enables each sound to be itself, and so is an
unmanifested part of every sound. "The Unmanifested is
present in this world as silence." By paying more attention to
the silence than to the sounds, the mind becomes still, and one
enters the realm of the Unmanifested.
Space – Similarly, he says, "nothing can exist without no-thing,
without the empty space that enables it to be." Every physical
thing needs space within which to exist, and both comes from
and returns to nothing. Further, on the atomic and sub-atomic
scales, it consists of far more empty space than anything else.
In this way the Unmanifested pervades all things, but empty
space is as easy to overlook as silence.
Space and time, Tolle says, "are the two essential attributes of
God, infinity and eternity, perceived as if they had an external
existence outside you." Within, "space is the still, infinitely
deep realm of no-mind" while "the inner equivalent of time is
presence, awareness of the eternal Now."

(extract from Eckhart Tolle’s best seller “The Power of Now “


compiled and contributed by Sanjeev Dheer

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