The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment Home Page
Hi there members of Ascent!
Tonight, Sunday, March 20th at 7 - 8:30 pm is the second session of The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle (Click this Zoom Link to Join).
Bring your favorite passage and share why it was meaningful to you.
If you can’t attend, please post your insights from this week’s readings to this post (our home page) for the book. We have a lot of great comments, so lets keep it going! If you haven’t introduced yourself, please don’t hesitate to do so. It’s never too late to get involved in the conversation.
Also, if you want to get updates, PLEASE be sure to comment on this initial post so that you receive updates as the discussion progresses. If you aren’t ready to share your personal insights, a one-word posting of “follow” will subscribe you to receive updates.
Thanks for joining us on the next book journey! It’s so great to learn together.
Book & Schedule Summary
Eckhart Tolle is a German-born, contemporary spiritual teacher, not aligned with a religion or tradition.
This is Eckhart’s most widely-read book; Oprah Winfrey calls it one of the most transformative books she’s ever read.
The book originated from notes that Eckhart began to write down about questions he was asked as he taught spirituality to people around the world.
He describes the book as a mixture of something he wanted to manifest, yet also something that he felt already existed on the spiritual level; the writing down of it was an affirmation of what he already knew.
To become acquainted with Eckhart, and watch him talk about the “miraculous” experience of writing this book, see the video on his teachings page.
Here’s the schedule for this book discussion:
Sun 3/6, Preface - Chapter 2
Sun 3/20, Chapter 3 - 5
Sun 4/3, Chapters 6 - 8
Sun 4/17 - Chapters 9 -10
Hi Friends. Reese Harper, here. I enjoyed Faith After Doubt and I’m looking forward to the discussions here. I’m Dad of 4 kids (16, 13, 10, 8) and love to learn from contemporary and ancient wisdom. Books are amazing gifts to the world and I’m grateful for what I learn from them.
I’ll take up Kajsa’s invitation to share an insight I had from the book as well as a little framing of how it touches my life.
First, I’m often critical of myself. I've struggled to cope with anxiety, and some depression. For me, these feelings have surfaced more in my adult life, and were definitely intensified during my faith transition from Mormon orthodoxy. As an example, my first thoughts in the morning are usually of incomplete projects, self-actualization, worries about my children, and financial concerns (sometimes warranted, sometimes not) just to name a few of the regulars.
This book helped me learn to understand my mental health much better. The introduction to this book (Page 1, Paragraph 3) introduces the "self" (ego) and the ever-present "I am"—or what Tolle, among others, might call the consciousness. He says he had this realization after a spiritual experience:
"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."
I feel this dynamic in my life. Much of my life has been controlled by that Ego—my ego isn’t my deepest, truest self. My ego isn’t “real.” My job, my physical appearance, my sports teams, my birth place, my loved experience - these are just a small part of who I really am (ego). The internal self, the “I am”, or the consciousness is a much more primitive, elemental part of me.
I love that this text begins, and ends with bringing awareness to that dynamic. It's been an incredibly powerful part of my personal evolution and something I believe is worth contemplating on the regular.
Looking forward to hearing what you’re learning as well!
Hello friends! I am thrilled with how the universe as pulled us all together to share in the wisdom of Tolle's lived experience. I am currently in a place, spiritually, of what I would call "expanding"; I am opening myself up to any and all truth that would incorporate more fully every living being (I'm a universalist, can you tell?!) while at the same time, seeking to master specific virtues that better aid my dedication to love, correct thought, and right action. My personal background is engaged orthodox LDS, with numerous callings, a mission to NY Rochester, and 5 years with Ancient Scripture at BYU. I also have an MA in Biblical Studies and hope to return for a PhD if and when timing is right for that. Blessings and namaste!