The source of suffering, according to Eckhart Tolle, is the ego. It contextualizes everything in terms of past and future. People tend to determine themselves based on their previous experiences and interactions, and define their future with those in mind. Tolle states that the key to escaping from this madness and entering enlightenment is to embrace the power of Now, by surrendering to what is in the moment. By fully engaging in the Now, you separate yourself from your ego and feel the absolute present. After all, time, Tolle says, is an illusion (there is no future or past, only Now) and timelessness is the true existence.
In 193 pages, Tolle provides wisdom reminiscent of eastern philosophies and shows us how to reach inner peace. Though brief, I couldn’t help but feel this book was too long for its message. I felt the author kept beating me over the head with his message of embracing the present, shutting off the egotistical mind, and adopting inner peace and salvation through stillness and inner peace. Even with its repetitive prose, I am still not one-hundred-percent certain exactly how I should embrace the Now.
Nonetheless, Tolle’s The Power of Now is a worthy read for those of you who feel frustrated with the gaps between what “should be” and “what is not.” Maybe it will help you reach one step closer to enlightenment. Then again, maybe not.
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