Eckhart Tolle

Several of the following observations arise from my reading of Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now. Some things are pure Tolle; others are a distillation, a rephrasing and/or expansion in my words. This is a powerful book that entices you to concentrate on living in the Now and leaving the past and future to take care of themselves because neither truly exist. The one has gone and the other is a figment of your imagination. There is a lot of valuable insight in this book. At least browse it if you have a chance.

Fear has to do with what "might happen." It has to do with future unknowns not present Now. You only cope with Now; you cannot cope with a mind-created projection of an unknown future.

Fear seems to have many causes: fear of loss, of failure, of being hurt. But ultimately all fear is the ego's fear of death, of annihilation. Once you no longer identify with ego and mind, right and wrong have nothing to do with self and defensiveness is no longer necessary.

Die before you die so you realize that there is no death.

"The past gives you an identity and the future holds a promise of salvation, of fulfillment in whatever form. Both are illusions."

Although you need to live in the Now, remember that you do have to use time too. Just don't get too tied up in either fretting over the past or fearing the future. You only have the Now. The others are creations of your mind. So build scenarios--but not the best, not the worst. They are only the creations of your mind. You can use the past and future momentarily for planning but don't dwell there long enough for your mind to manufacture a bunch of "What-ifs" that will prevent you from moving.

Fears sleep with desires.

Salvation is not in taking care of but in living the Now well.

Forgive even the uncertainties of the future. Live whatever comes your way. Do not resent. Forgive and live.

If you are in contact with the ultimate being deep within yourself, you respect all, you love all, you know all is fleeting. You contact the all not only from within, but also in the silence between sound in the space between objects. Everything is and isn't. Everything is holy and everything is banal.

You find God the moment you realize you do not have to seek him because he is here.

Some final observations and a summary of the theme of Echart Tolle's The Power of the Now: We have only the Now. The past is only memories and guilt (fear of the past) and the future is only a construct of the mind, a fear filled construct built on piles of "What-ifs" constructed by the mind. We can and must live only in the perceived Now. The perceived consciousness of the mind is actually unconsciousness. We must surrender to the Now, the current situation; we can change it, but we must accept and surrender. Pain comes from the mind dwelling on what cannot be changed instead of surrendering to it and releasing it. Fear involves the mind and totally non-existent mental constructs. There is no past or future so there is nothing to feel guilty about, nor is there anything to fear. My center, my now, is the ever-present Now that is the source of all being. [this paragraph needs some work.]