Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle
Although best know for ‘The Power of Now’, (TPON) Eckhart Tolle has written a number of other books. ‘Stillness speaks’ contains much of the same teachings, but is much shorter and distilled, working well as an introduction to his work.
“The truth is: you don't have a life, you are life. The One Life, the one consciousness that pervades the entire universe and takes temporary form to experience itself as a stone or a blade of grass, as an animal, a person, a star or a galaxy. Can you sense deep within that you already know that? Can you sense that you already are That?”
I do enjoy listening to Eckhart via his podcasts on a regular basis, so when I spotted this audiobook in the Spotify library, it was a must download. His teachings have been a gift to my life and for many others. I find something incredibly soothing in his patter, and I tend to listen to him a couple of times a week.
For anyone who has read TPON, there won’t be any surprises here. But I was ok with that - although it’s not as detailed, it contains the same pointers. I have TPON if I need to go deeper. It has a lifetime space on my shelf (though yet again, I’ve given away my copy - it’s one of my most replaced books).
“Whenever any kind of deep loss occurs in your life — such as loss of possessions, your home, a close relationship; or loss of your reputation, job, or physical abilities — something inside you dies. You feel diminished in your sense of who you are. There may also be a certain disorientation. “Without this...who am I?” When a form that you had unconsciously identified with as part of yourself leaves you or dissolves, that can be extremely painful. It leaves a hole, so to speak, in the fabric of your existence. When this happens, don't deny or ignore the pain or the sadness that you feel. Accept that it is there. Beware of your mind's tendency to construct a story around that loss in which you are assigned the role of victim. Fear, anger, resentment, or self-pity are the emotions that go with that role. Then become aware of what lies behind those emotions as well as behind the mind-made story: that hole, that empty space. Can you face and accept that strange sense of emptiness? If you do, you may find that it is no longer a fearful place. You may be surprised to find peace emanating from it. Whenever death occurs, whenever a life form dissolves, God, the formless and unmanifested, shines through the opening left by the dissolving form. That is why the most sacred thing in life is death. That is why the peace of God can come to you through the contemplation and acceptance of death.”
I liked the audiobook because there’s lots of space between the snippets of dialogue. It’s only 2 and a 1/2 hours in length, or 144 pages, but it still took me a few weeks to listen because I kept pausing to reflect. Some of his pointers are like arrows, so it’s worth your while to take your time. His words have a beautiful way of taking you into the present moment, where you can then rest, and find indeed that Stillness Speaks.
“Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions.”
As much as I loved the audiobook, I’ll be picking up a physical copy. Happy to have even more Eckhart on my shelf, within easy reach.
Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon AUS
144 Pages 154 minutes
New World Publishing