Eckhart Tolle is Dangerous to your Success
I think its important to see what the man behind the book looks like:
Living in the Now
We all spend a little bit too much time worrying about the future, about what might be, and perhaps beating ourselves up about our past mistakes, or misfortunes.
This inherent guilt and general dissatisfaction with our lives, turns our minds into ideal manure for the seeds to be planted by spiritual self-help guru's.
This is the world that turns a pseudo- spiritual guru like Eckhart Tolle with his book "The Power of Now" into a best selling author. This master plagiarist of universal truisms and cliches, cobble together books that no-one can really disagree with, and if you read it with enough literary freedom, you can easily mistake it for profound wisdom. Vagueness with a few truisms mixed in, makes for very convincing reading, once you ignore a few self contradictions.
Who can disagree with the statement that the only moment we have to interact with this world is the present?
He makes further "profound" statements such as the following:
The One Life, the one consciousness that pervades the entire universe and takes temporary form to experience itself as a stone or 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?
Death is a stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to ``die before you die`` --- and find that there is no death.
Upon closer scrutiny, however, you will discover that the decomposing tree trunk and rotting leaves not only give birth to new life, but are full of life themselves. Microorganisms are at work. Molecules are rearranging themselves. So death isn't to be found anywhere. There is only the metamorphosis of life forms. What can you learn from this?
Death is not the opposite of life. Life has no opposite. The opposite of death is birth.
All the misery on the planet arises due to a personalized sense of "me" or "us."
Humanity is under great pressure to evolve because it is our only chance of survival as a race. This will affect every aspect of your life and close relationships in particular. Never before have relationships been as problematic and conflict ridden as they are now.
The book really paints vivid word pictures, of well, uhm, a vague sense of profound beauty, that is rather, uhm misty!
The only valid point Tolle has is this: it is mentally unhealthy to obsess endlessly over things that we didn't cause in the past, and over things we can't control in the present, and over things that have no likelihood in the future.
He doesn't need 220 pages to make that point. He doesn't need a book. He doesn't even need a whole page within a book.
In fact his teachings can be quite dangerious in that its urging us to reduce the amount of time we spend planning for the future. Remember you are on this planet for a while, and most things worthwhile is created over a long period of time, and usually involves some aspect of long range planning and long term vision.
He also advocates dropping the past fast, which avoids putting sufficient time and attention into FIRST acknowledging and accepting the past - and thereby learning from it before we discard it.
All this living for the present stuff I believe is what is largely responsible for people racking up massive credit card debts with no concern for the future of how this will be repaid.
Basically, he wants people to stop thinking so much. Sorry Eckhart, but not all of us can wander around for years at a time, sleeping on park benches in a state of euphoria. (He claims his wisdom came to him while he was wondering and sleeping on park benches for two years... I kid you NOT)
One of my friends, Carl, had this to say, on the topic of "Living for the Now":
I hate it when people say you should live like you're going to die today, because you simply shouldn't. You should save money based on a realistic life expectancy. If I _knew_ I would die tomorrow, I would do something amazing and not be worried about the cost. Hell, I would borrow money if I was sure someone else wouldn't be left with a hefty debt. I would probably buy some top quality heroin for the last few moments and do something enriching and engrossing tonight, perhaps with some stimulants so that I didn't have to sleep.
All in all, _really_ bad long term strategies become viable short-term strategies and vice-versa.
Others also have been critical of Eckhart Tolle's teachings:
Debunking the power of nowhttp://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,7166,page=13
http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?6,54633,55637
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To post a comment:
We all aggree your ego is to big
You use Today tonight to prove a point... I guess you also read the hearld sun
Ok you have stated the truth here. I agree we must not live in the past but, we must reconcile with it when the toughts and feelings pop up in our mind. To face them head on and move on and not deny or repress them. Also. being in the present all the time. Its not all its cracked up to be and will drive you mad trying to make sure you in the present constantly. If there is something you need to be in the present for at the the time. Then be there now. A meeting, A conversation and while dining be conscious of eating. If there is no reason then don not drive your self mad. He like Oprah are new age Luciferian Liars and sending the masses to fake awakenings and realizations.
Eckhart is an ECHOING CYMBAL - a FAKE poor anti-Christ creature!
You spelled dangerous wrong.
I\'m sorry but eckhart tolle is fucked the fuck up..I am not egotistical but i love my human race and will defend it. This man is telling people NOT TO THINK and telling you doing so is fake or phony self...the fuck, excusme but tolle is making millions off of telling people what they\'ve already heard from 17 different directions....BE YOURSELF...except adding not thinking...which is degenerative and ignorant
I am not a defender of Tolle, but your point of objecting him on an account of neglecting the worldly life that you call reality is questionable to me, Is that worldly life as important as you think ? Our civilization is speeding up the extinction of human race. Obsession to money, economic growth, success, efficiency, longevity, convenient gadgetry and physical pleasure is not really beneficial to us, but most people are so obsessed that they don\'t agree. I hope we live a life that is spiritually rich, and physically modest.
Dear soul, All because you do not understand his message doesn\\\'t mean it has no meaning. You hold us..human beings as so gullible and you..who are you? Ae you the smart kid a head of the class. Are you the Cynic that has had too many things unravel so truth is shrouded in her unmet grief? Are you the big brother that protects when it is uncalled for instead enabling others to depend on you for their answers leaving them with less self esteem? What motivates your rolled eyes and push against someone speaking his truth as he experiences it? He has never and neither has Oprah ever coined him as any Messiah . He is only a man that speaks and his message receives a huge response. So you think these people who respond follow like sheep..His message is about waking up and being responsible to the love that is already there in us...in you... His message never says anything about not taking care of ourselves he is merely pointing out that below the ego: self centered personality is our true essence and this essence if observed/expereinced is in all living things. It is what opens the flower... and this essence below your \\\"Being right\\\" is your own bubbling brook informing you when you listen. It is the voice that whispers under your anger and fear...it is the one that cries at the beautiful sunrise when no one else can see you... It is your response to the child when in pain... it lives in your belly..your power is in your softness.
I don\'t think that he is saying that we shouldn\'t think or plan for tomorrow. All he is doing is giving us a guide to zone out every so once in a while. Constant thinking can be tiresome and unproductive. He has given us a portal into that consciousness which has the ability to pull you out of depression and despair. But then again I am thinking, so I might be wrong. And also these0are just words which can\'t always convey the whole thought in logical steps which everyone can relate with.
I don\'t think that he is saying that we shouldn\'t think or plan for tomorrow. All he is doing is giving us a guide to zone out every so once in a while. Constant thinking can be tiresome and unproductive. He has given us a portal into that consciousness which has the ability to pull you out of depression and despair. But then again I am thinking, so I might be wrong. And also these0are just words which can\'t always convey the whole thought in logical steps which everyone can relate with.
Wow I can\'t believe your narrow mind, I can\'t believe how people just tend to Critize things they don\'t even understand. Anyways just like was Jesus Christ was critize... Eckhart, Donald Walsh, Budda, Madre teresa & many more will be too. Open up your hearts let go of your Ego grow up listen & learn from your past but, live in the now, The now that\'s the only thing the exist. There no Past or future only the now! Wow you need to find yourself because you are so lost buddy G*d may blessed you.
I can\'t stand the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, but not for the reasons you do. You state that his teachings are vague and full of truisms that you can\'t really disagree with. If you are a true ninja, step in and fight, test his words against your own spiritual truth and do not stand on the side looking on and making vague objections staying safely in your comfort zone.
I agree with your assessment. He is a being trying to capitalize on people\'s weaknesses. He is misdirecting people in their search for truth, responsibility, and true happiness. I believe his teachings are indeed a part of the New Age Religion. It is easy to see that this Eckhart, Urich, whatever he does, or doesn\'t call himself, is a very confused soul. We would all fare well to turn away from him and his anxiety, depressed based false teachings. Having Oprah support him is a wonderful affirmation that with all the money in the world, you must not be happy if you can fall for his rubbish. His mentor is self admittedly \"Dr. Death,\" who kills everyone in his path. LOL
Always say “yes” to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? what could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life — and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.
The greater part of human pain is unnecessary. It is self-created as long as the unobserved mind runs your life.
Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness.
Accept - then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.
Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.
Only a very shalow person with no basic insight can be so aggressive in attacking the path of spiritual discovery. ``Great`` pass, about importance of money and heroin. You must be a member of the greatest nation on earth. Not only arrogant, but sadly stupid. Go on, fight your little war. Feed your inner demons with more adrenalin and negativity.
hey asshole. I\'ve read tolle\'s stuff and its plainly common sense made common. He is legit. He doesnt say anything about not planning for your future. being an atheist (having studied the bible, quran, etc), his products are IMO the best spirituality (not religion) products. Too bad, youre too dumb to understand common sense.
Suck my german dick.... NOW!
A few more facts about Ekhart Tolle: 1. Some video analyses of him reveal what are termed holographic breakdown anomolies or evidence of shapeshifting. Also, I have noticed him making very odd sounds suddenly, another possble indication of hologram projection breakdown. He seems to be aware when this happens. 2. He went out of his way to speak favourably about Barak Obama, who is obviously not in alignment with the best interests of humanity (Executive Orders, FEMA camps, war, secrecy, Illuminati, NWO, reptilian agenda etc.) 3. He charges astronomical sums for his seminars - around a thousand dollars for a weekend! 4. He is, like many oher new age gurus, an agent of distraction and diversion, a herder of sincere truth seekers, keeping them going around in tight circles of disempowerment locked into Maya while the ruling \'elite\' go ahead with their plans unseen and unchallenged. My conclusion (after reading all his books and listening to him speak) is that he is a malevolent, shapeshifting, fourth dimeansional reptilian, a part of the illuminati agenda to take over Earth and eradicate the human race except for a manageable slave population. I know this may sound outrageous but hey, who staged 9.11 and 7.7 and WW1 WW2 and JFK and Diana...?
sorry, glitzy editing doesnt fool enlightened ones...