Amazon.com Customer Reviews
An elegant paradox....a passage into inner calm, peace & happiness, that's always there for you. - Review written on June 12, 2008
Rating: 5 out of 5
Paradoxically, in a society that desires immediate gratification, this book leads the reader to an immediate solution to the constant underlying discontent that pervades "normal" daily living. And, with this, dissolves the need for that very same gratification. Wow. The increasing degree of inner calm, peace, and contentment in my life are my measures of effectivenes with this book. I have given it (and Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth) as gifts over and over again. Eckhart's teaching is a beautiful blend of wisdom from many ancient teachers and many faith traditions (strong on Buddhist and Christian principles), I cannot imagine how it could ever offend anyone. It will deepen and increase the sacredness of anyone's spiritual life. The messages and the practices that are the basis of the teaching in this book are ancient...but they have been beautifully and uniquely blended and packaged for immediate application and practice in our world today. Eckhart is a very special gifted teacher and writer. I apply this same review to A New Earth, but recommend this book as a first read.
Profound and powerful - Review written on April 07, 2008
Rating: 5 out of 5
2 customers found this review helpful.
I am working through a period of change, uncertainty and moderately severe anxiety (with PTSD as a potential factor resulting from a traumatic event a year ago). This book has helped me as much as, or more than, anything else so far (counseling, meditation, other books, acupuncture).
I chose Practicing TPoN as an intro to Tolle. I believe it is simply a distillation of the material in the TPoN so those who are criticizing it as nothing new have missed the point. If you've read TPoN there's no reason to get this book.
I've found it powerful and revealing. Has changed the way I view my thoughts, my behavior, and the people and world around me. Most spiritual teachers are essentially recycling ancient wisdom or universal truths which have developed over the millennia. So really it comes down to language - what words does the teacher use and do these words resonate with you. Tolle is a master with language and this is the difference I think.
On the negative side, he sometimes speaks in absolute terms - like if you do A, then B will happen, period. I think he needs to stress that there are no guarantees and allow for shades of gray. But the basic messages ring true.
Good principles, but less than perfect - Review written on February 08, 2008
Rating: 3 out of 5
5 customers found this review helpful, 5 did not.
The reviews on this book, along with Oprah's comments, and my own personal interest in Zen Buddhism made me excited to get my hands on it. I expected to really enjoy it. I had a hard time with it though, which was really disappointing.
Essentially, Eckhart Tolle is a man who had a great spiritual experience/awakening at 29 years old he. He went on to study eastern religions and practices and then build his own philosophy, much of which is based on Zen Buddhism.
The idea of living in the `Now' is a super powerful one. Tolle does a good job of explaining it and his Q&A format is easy to understand. For someone who has never experienced meditation or the teachings of Zen Buddhism, this book can be thought provoking. However, there were a number of things that made me suspicious of Tolle's `philosophy'.
First, at the end of the book I asked myself what I'd learned. The answer was not much. I felt like he'd gone round and round and round his central ideas. It became tiring rather than enlightening, and I kept having to force myself not to skim.
Second, he used the words of historical religious leaders a little too loosely for me. The only religion I know enough about to comment on is Christianity. It was very clear to me that he was taking the teachings of the New Testament way out of context. And if Tolle's teachings are eternal in nature, why wouldn't he use the scriptures as they are?
And okay it really bugged me that he said, "Never personalize Christ. Don't make Christ into a form identity." Isn't the whole message of Jesus Christ about him being the son of God raised to immortality through resurrection after the cross? How do you take the person of Christ out of Him paying the price for mankind's sins? I'm not trying to do promote Christianity by saying that. My point is that he uses the New Testament, but then remakes Jesus into something that fits Tolle's philosophy rather than what is actually taught in the scriptures.
Makes me wonder if he does the same with the other religions.
Third, if Tolle lives what he preaches, I would expect him to be humble, truthful, salt-of-the-earth type person who gives what he has as a gift to mankind. When I looked up his really snazzy, expensive website and see all the products for sale, his touring schedule, testimonials, etc. I'm left with a bad taste in my mouth - tastes like high-end marketing campaign actually. Why is that necessary if he is only in it for helping humanity? I'd expect a true spiritual leader to offer his wisdom with no expectation for compensation (monetary of fame).
Overall, I guess I'd say that Tolle's book is worth taking a look at. It is based on some wonderful truths. But go into reading it with you eyes open. There are some definite clues that Tolle might be promoting his own personal philosophy rather than teaching the wisdom of the ages.
(I'd actually recommend Robert Jackson's podcasts at www.aquietmind.com - He puts the same ideas into practice in a simpler way. And although he takes donations if you feel inclined, it is otherwise free.)
Another perspective..... - Review written on January 08, 2008
Rating: 5 out of 5
14 customers found this review helpful.
I agree with the top review that this book is a repackaging of the concepts in the Power of Now. However, I disagree with this reviewer's value assessment of the same concepts presented in a different form. In my opinion, this abridged version is just as valuable as the original book, provides needed repetition which is important for breaking old habits and a structure that helps the reader not only to understand the concepts, but embody them.
I work in the psychology field and have my graduate education in Integral Psychology. I keep up on Eckhart Tolle and other authors from this genre. In my opinion, this is the most concise, eloquent and immediately accessible summary of Tolle's thought or better... direct experience or satori.
On the other hand, I don't think getting this book is a subtitute for reading the POWER OF NOW. Ideally, if you have the time, I would read the POWER OF NOW and also purchase this volume. I have found in myself and working with clients that approaching the same material from different angles very valuable and indeed necessary to bring about lasting change.
In brief, I feel this book merits a 5 star rating. I also trust that Eckhart Tolle knows what he is doing when he presents concepts in different ways that might appeal to different people. I am familiar with the body of his whole work and I see a method to what may appear to others as madness or simple repackaging of content.
A problem with satori experiences is that they are noetic (spiritually charged, capture a type of knowledge)... but often ineffable. Therefore, it seems reasonable to me that the person who had the experience will need to use lyrical language, repitition and alternate metaphors to more closely approximate what they have taken away from the wordless domain of Being. I don't think you can go wrong purchasing this book!
Excellent book - Review written on December 11, 2007
Rating: 4 out of 5
2 customers found this review helpful.
I have read (and listened) to most of Tolle's work and I find it to be inspirational, soothing and completely in sync with much of contemporary spiritual literature. For me, this book reduced "The power of now" into easily understood meditations and practices which, though elaborated in "The power of Now", needed to be revisited. In this regard, I consider "Practicing the power of Now" to be a companion to "The power of Now", and most benefit would be gained by reading them one after the other, without any regard to which should come first. Both amplify each other.
I must admit however, these books are not for the spiritually faint hearted. Tolle declares that all time is now, and that we need to renounce both physical time and thought to fully harness the power of now. This is easy to say, and is probably the most difficult undertaking I have set out upon. Yet when I manage to stay in the "Now" I find a peace I have only glimpsed of in other texts. It's only in hindsight, I recognize that many books on spirituality have mentioned the power of now.
I guess you can say I see it now. Laughing.
I highly recommend this book and it's companion text, The power of Now.
Peace.
M.
Old wisdom made new. - Review written on September 10, 2007
Rating: 5 out of 5
2 customers found this review helpful.
There is absolutely nothing new in this book. Why then did it have such an impact on my life? I think it was because Eckhart Tolle took the religion out of spirituality and he took the spirituality out of life. And what was left was a simple message of liberation.
Free yourself from the tyranny of your thoughts and find peace. Yes, of course, the Buddha said much the same thing long ago. And many others have said the same thing since the Buddha. But Eckhart Tolle presented this enduring wisdom in a package that was devoid of rituals and beliefs, ones meant for another time and culture.
To practice the power of now, I need believe nothing. I do not need to sit in a certain way or chant in a certain way. I need only choose to be in the now, which is another way of saying I need only stop thinking, thinking, thinking. And by not thinking, I will have jumped a major hurdle on the path to enlightenment.
Of course, there is the small problem that I do not know how to stop thinking. I better give this little dilemma some thought because "Practicing the Power of NOW" is a little vague about how to stop thinking. But if I understand what I read, I simply follow the slogan of Nike and just do it. And there is wisdom in that. There is wisdom in finding my own way.
In the meantime, I suppose I can breathe and sink into the inner sense of well being within my body. And I can treat myself with compassion. Wait, come to think of it, Eckhart Tolle said to do that too. Such a wise man he is to agree with me.