Book Review - The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
'The Power of Now' is widely recognised as a classic in the field of self-help/spirituality/personal development, and Eckhart Tolle is considered to be one of the foremost spiritual teachers in the world. First published a quarter of a century ago, it has been translated into 52 languages, sold 12 million copies, and is a familiar sight on many bookshelves, including my own. But is it still useful?
Non-Duality
I first read ‘The Power of Now’ sometime in the noughties and thought it was ripe for a revisit, this time via audiobook, read by Eckhart himself. I’m in a different place now, with a deeper understanding of meditation and mindfulness but I wanted to see how the book resonated with me because, after all, you can't stand in the same place in the same river twice; it's not the same river, and you're not the same person.
As I've been investigating non-duality recently, and Eckart Tolle's name is constantly referenced. So in a nutshell, the basis of the book is that there is no past, and no future. They only exist in your mind. The only thing that exists is the present moment, the now, and the book is about tapping into that awareness which is ever-present.
“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.”
Suffering
Early on, Eckhart tells the story of an intense period of anxiety and suffering he experienced at the age of 29. He had the thought
“I cannot live with myself any longer.” This was the thought that kept repeating itself in my mind. Then suddenly I became aware of what a peculiar thought it was. “Am I one or two? If I cannot live with myself, there must be two of me: the ‘I’ and the ‘self’ that ‘I’ cannot live with.” “Maybe,” I thought, “only one of them is real.”
This sparked a period of investigation, what we would call self-inquiry, that led him to the realisation that we are non-dual - which means not two. He was able to see that there is the mind that is creating the suffering, and the I who is observing it. - the 'I am'.
You Are Not Your Mind
Chapters include 'You are not your mind' 'Moving deeply into the now' and 'Enlightened relationships'. I was particularly interested this time around on the chapter 'The Inner Body' as I have been exploring yoga nidras recently and I found this useful. Tapping into our bodily sensations is a simple way of taking us out of our heads, where we spend most of our time, men especially. I've used this technique to help with stress and anxiety both in the moment and during longer sessions, especially in the early morning hours when I can't sleep. I don't look forward to waking up at 4:22, but when I do I 'enjoy' my inner body sessions, where I move around the various body parts. Invariably I end up falling asleep and even if i don't, I feel relaxed and don't spend the hours before dawn tossing and turning.
'The single most vital step on your journey toward enlightenment is this: learn to disidentify from your mind. Every time you create a gap in the stream of mind, the light of your consciousness grows stronger.’
One day you may catch yourself smiling at the voice in your head, as you would smile at the antics of a child. This means that you no longer take the content of your mind all that seriously, as your sense of self does not depend on it.'
Thought Stream
This is something that’s resonated with me because I’ve noticed my thoughts at times with a level of incredulity. I am not my thoughts - it’s taken me time to realise this, and I do at times get caught up in the thought stream, but I’m much more able to remain detached. On a couple of occasions, I’ve burst out laughing at some of the contents of my thoughts. The ego never shuts up, and the mind is constantly labeling everything. I’ve noticed I find myself having internal dialogues with people a lot - thinking about future conversations is a big one. Ridiculous when I notice it.
One of the important things is not to be judgmental of thoughts. I have no control over them, so there’s no point being angry. They are just waves - I let them rise and fall.
There are times when it feels like Eckhart is repeating himself but that’s because he is reinforcing the message. You’ll find that a lot in non-duality because the truth is so obvious and simple, and there are only so many ways you can say the same thing.
‘All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry - all forms of fear - are caused by too much future, and
not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms
of nonforgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.’
Momentum
I think that even if you have the slightest interest in non-duality, you really should check this book out. I'm glad to have read it a second time, and happy to have it on my shelf. My reading has taken me in several different directions now - Adyashanti, Rupert Spira, Angelo DiLullo, and the works of Maharshi and Nisargadatta.
I find that non-duality has a momentum all of its own. Once you've started the process, it begins to reveal itself. I find it difficult to put into words without it sounding silly, but it feels like you're chipping away at a tree or a huge block of ice that could crumble at any time. Although there is no you doing this, of course.
‘As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out the present-moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love - even the most simple action.’
Self-Help & Spirituality Books
Ultimately there are only so many books to read.. podcasts to listen to, retreats to attend. There is a rabbit hole that you can fall down where you become obsessed with all things non-duality, without realising the point of these 'teachings' (I don't like that word because you don't learn anything - you learn there is in fact 'no thing') which that there is only 'I am', the now, which you can access at any time because it is always there. Awareness is always there. You are not your thoughts. You can't understand non-duality through mental concepts. This isn't as complicated as it sounds - it's more of a falling away. Better guides than me have tried and failed to explain this process, which is why Eckhart is so widely praised - he can cut through the chaff.
Just look at this small stack of books above. Apart from 'The Power of now' I've purchased all of these titles in the past few weeks. Writing this review I realize I'm guilty again of trying to 'learn' non-duality in a book. Reality check; you can't. I am. My ego keeps butting it, needing to be fed with more books. Just look at all the self help books behind that stack.
I hope that there will come a time when I won't need any of these books because I'll realise that 'I am'. At the momment, I'm using them, along with videos and podcasts, for motivation. I'm hearing/reading people say the same thing over and over again. It's the same meal with different seasonings. I'm not beating myself over the head with this message, but I just need to keep hearing the simplicity of it until a shift occurs. It will happen at its own pace.
I keep returning to Eckharts book, YouTube, and Spotify channels because his talks on non-duality are so effective. He has such a gentle manner and is very relatable; it's no wonder he's so popular.
The Power of Now Summary
I liked the audiobook because Eckhart is a good company. He has an easygoing warmth that makes him pleasant to listen to. After the initial introduction, the book takes the form of questions and answers, which works well.
“I have lived with several Zen masters -- all of them cats.”
I asked at the beginning of this review if this book is still useful. I can only speak in relation to myself (who doesn’t exist, but, you know, I have to write reviews from someone's perspective) and give a resounding yes. I certainly got benefits from the book when I first read it, and it deepened my understanding of being in the body in the moment.
Looking back, it’s probable that I was looking for a quick fix in this book. I always thought there was some secret that I could discover that would make me happy. I now understand much better that happiness is the absence of unhappiness. I don’t look for quick fixes or temporary reprieves from mental anguish - it’s much more effective to tackle the tangled roots, which is our ego and sense of self.
Sometimes a book finds you again, and this time around I’m finding that the book is chiming with something deep inside me. It’s that awareness, the ‘I am’, that is being reflected back to me. Only there’s no reflection (damn words again) just silence, a deep, resonant silence. Eckhart has reinforced a lot of my understanding of this path that I am on, the direction I am taking.
But there is no doer - it is just occuring. No seer, just seeing, no hearer, just hearing. There’s no going back on this process once it has started. Not that I’d ever want to.
I found ‘The Power of Now’ to be an effective and informative book on non-duality. For many people Eckhart's words resonate and can cause a shift - you might not need another book. He explains it in a concise and easy-to-understand way and there’s a reason why it’s been a consistent bestseller. It will still be considered a classic in years to come and I hope you find as much benefit from it as I did.
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First published January 1, 1997 - 229 pages paperback