If you are a fan of Oprah's book club or have watched the online workshop with her and Eckhart Tolle, you might have already read 'A New Earth' by Tolle. I had received notice of the workshop from someone who forwards me spiritually interesting material. To be honest, I dismissed it because a few years ago I had been told I should read his earlier book, The Power of Now, bought it, but just couldn't make myself stay with it after about 70 pages.
When I was in Tucson, along came someone else, a person I regard as a spiritual mentor, saying the same thing about A New Earth and how important he felt this book was. Okay, twice and now I had to at least learn more.
I watched online the first of Oprah and Tolle's workshops, felt it had value, but am not really that fond of sitting for an hour and a half to watch something like that. They talked about enough things I already believed were important to decide I would take a look at the book.
After I skimmed a bit of A New Earth, I knew I would eventually read it, but wouldn't have the time for awhile; so waited to purchase it until I found it at Costco for under $8. Last week I began reading... got about 70 pages into it and wondered where I had put my highlighters.
It had been a long time since I had highlighted passages from any book, and so it took some digging to find one that wasn't dried up. Unfortunately the only working one was green. Green tends to bleed through to the other side, but I wanted to highlight the major ideas of this book, as it turned out-- extensively.
I think A New Earth is one of the most important and hopeful books I have read recently. It is difficult to write about it though as there is so much to say; so where do I start? It's about our ego, consciousness, living in the now, being, collective egos, pain-bodies, how we feed our pain-body, how our pain-body is connected to and strengthens our ego when it's our consciousness we need to be strong, and finally how to live in a way that gives peace, joy and enthusiasm.
Tolle s
ays in the beginning that if someone isn't ready for this book, its words will be meaningless. I think that was where I was several years ago when I started to read The Power of Now. This time I was ready and feel that some of what he writes I have already been seeing for myself. His book reinforced so much of what I believe and gives me ideas for working on the parts that aren't working for me right now.I believe it is time of change. It is a time where humans are ready to find a new way to be. His book is a spiritual tool to help us to get there, but there are many other ways. His has many good quotes from Christian and Eastern thinking, stories which taught these truths but from a time where less people were prepared to understand and apply them.
If you are ready for this book and read it all (it is only about 300 pages), you will find it's the story of the Cosmos and our place in it, the source of creation, of universe, mystery, and spiritual purpose. It takes us from the start of our lives to the end, from formlessness to form and back again, from doing to being. It identifies what ego is (false sense of self) with ideas on how to live in consciousness (true sense of self).
I wish I had the gift of laying out all I feel this book teaches. Writing about it so briefly here might make it sound complex, but it really isn't. I think it takes reading it, following the thinking, passage by passage, to grasp the message. If enough people do apply these ideas to their lives, it will lead to a new earth. Reading any book is only a beginning. Applying it is a lifetime.
The photos are all from this April on the farm. Flowers are small things. Contemplating them is often one of the times we most can just be. Tolle begins his book writing about the first flower. It seems flowers best illustrate what I believe he is trying to help us to see.
7 comments:
I like your photos. They inspire me to put my macro lens on the camera, grab the tripod and go out to take some photos. Now all I need is for the weather to cooperate and give me some true spring like conditions.
I doubt that I'll read the book you discussed although it does sound interesting. I seem to mostly read non-fiction on things I am interested in or pure fiction that I can kind of get lost in. I am now working on a new slide show creating computer program so have been concentrating on the two I have on that one as well as reading one on closeup photography and of course a couple on Photoshop. Maybe I need to look into a book club?
I tend not to read books like this, but you do make it sound very interesting. Your photographs are very beautiful, and do capture the early spring in the northwest.
You remind me that one of the first poems I wrote as a young adult had the line: When tame was a flower in an unseen meadow. Now, 30 years later, I think I'd change tame to wild.
As simple as a flower and profound enough to change mankind. The mystery of this book tantalizes me. I shall have to read "A New Earth".
I could have written this post, Rain, including never being able to finish The Power of Now. I am on chapter 4 of New Earth, but I put it aside when I traveled. I find that I have to read it in small doses--and there are highlights and writing in the page margins. Some of what he describes I have already assimilated from other teachers and I jot how I remember another author's description of his thought. But there is a lot of new stuff, too. Google won't take my password tonight, so I'm using my name.
I will get this book on your recomendation, Rain....I am at an age where I feel like---"Been There, Done That" A million times!
And I am really REALLY tired of all these "How To" Books....even this, I must say, sounds like another "How To" book....I'm just trying to stay afloat here, having lived my life as best I can.
But, I will get this book. Why? I really don't know. (lol...Looking for more hope, I guess!
I also really like this book, and have been taking the on-line class, though the last 2 weeks I've had computer problems. It's really very Buddhist at heart, but not incompatible with Christianity, either (something I discovered when I first read Thich Nhat Hanh) -- something important to me as an Episcopal Priest, who is bound to teach and preach within our Christian doctrine. I love being able to talk about the present moment, the kingdom, and abundance. And yes, I believe a paradigm shift (I know it's trite, but what else to call it?) is afoot. Thanks for writing so eloquently about it.
Name: Concepcion
I am so greatful to Eckhart Tolle and Oprah for turning me onto Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor and her beautiful book ""My Stroke of Insight"". Her story is amazing and her gift to all of us is a book purchase away I'm happy to say.
Dr Taylor was a Harvard brain scientist when she had a stroke at age 37. What was amazing was that her left brain was shut down by the stroke - where language and thinking occur - but her right brain was fully functioning. She experienced bliss and nirvana and the way she writes about it (or talks about it in her now famous TED talk) is incredible.
What I took away from Dr. Taylor's book above all, and why I recommend it so highly, is that you don't have to have a stroke or take drugs to find the deep inner peace that she talks about. Her book explains how. ""I want what she's having"", and thanks to this wonderful book, I can! Thank you Dr. Taylor, and thank you Eckhart and Oprah.
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