The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart TolleMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you're not appreciating this book after a few pages in, I'd recommend putting it back on the shelf for a while before attempting to read it. It's heavy spiritual stuff, so you'll have to be in the right frame of mind to fully appreciate the content, and if you're not this will appear condescending and far-fetched. I imagine those who are of a strict religion may also struggle, as this book transforms long-standing religious ideas for its own benefit; your ego will want to protect the religious ideas you've held to so vigorously. That's kind of what the book is about.
The title is fairly self-explanatory: it's all about living in the present moment. It's written in question/answer format so a lot of your own questions when reading may be directly addressed. All bases are covered, but without an open mind it's going to be hard to grasp. I found it incredibly profound early on, when it asked, 'what problems do you have this very moment?' It makes you realise how much of your life is lived in your past or future. As Dumas wrote: we are always in a hurry to be happy. The truth is, very few of us stop and feel the very moment we're living. We're too busy planning for happiness or reflecting on the pain in our past. We need to start living in the Now.
Because of the depth of the explanations, it can seem a little tedious and repetitive at times, and you may need to work through it slowly. It's pointless reading it if you're disagreeing or simply not taking anything in. You need to be open enough to allow your mind to travel the path set out in this book. I've been doing a lot of meditation lately, and I found myself reading passages and looking forward to meditating on its ideas. There's so much for the reader to consider, and it needs to be digested slowly for full effect.
I'm always thrown by the God-speak, as I'm not at all religious myself, but even then I could see it was the ego at work. It is challenging to question my own beliefs but necessary, I think. You need to be willing to open your mind to these ideas or you'll be missing the point. If you find yourself frustrated with ideas in this book, you're practising the very behaviour you're being warned about. Quite intriguing how that works!
In short, this book is about ignoring the voice in your head, feeling your soul within your body, and living in the present moment. Appreciate that you are more than your physical body, and that we are all linked by the energy that flows through our beings. It's actually quite beautiful, if you stop to picture it.
I'd certainly recommend it for anyone looking to further their spiritual journey, but keep it on the shelf until your mind is open and you are ready to accept its ideas willingly. If you don't appreciate the content, it's a wasted read.
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