Eckhart Tolle - What is Enlightenment?

Eckhart Tolle - made wildly famous through his many appearances on The Oprah Winfrey show, and his in-depth expose on the Ego, and the power of NOW. I've read many of his books, "A New Earth", "The Power of Now", and the many concepts and examples were quite moving and for some around the world, earth shattering. The message of the NOW has been mentioned for thousands of years, with some of the earliest references going back to the I Ching, a Taoist text from thousands of years ago. Yet few examples come to mind of entire books which delve as deeply into the concept as Eckhart has successfully done.

For many, what is old, is new again. For those who have been outside of "the industry" of illumination, I'm sure the concepts and experiences Eckhart speaks of are earth shattering to some, as he calls us to move to a centered, ever present state of being. For others, these concepts might seem old hat.

But this should never detract from the great work he has done in helping people understand their connections to their inner world, and the connection to what he calls "The Pain Body." This is a label he uses for an aspect of the ego, which collects, and amasses all of the negativity and/or pain that one has experienced throughout their life. He highlights the consequences of being unaware of this "Pain Body" and how it affects your life and relationships on a day to day basis. The key solution to leaving this pain body behind is to stay present in the moment, as the past (the pain body), and the future (anxiety) cannot exist in a mind that is focused on the present.

Everyone has had this experience, where they are so totally consumed with the current activity (for example, walking a tight rope over the grand canyon) that nothing else exists but the movements of the body, and the next precise decision. It is here that the past cannot exist, nor does the future with its echo of anxious thoughts.

His work in this field is well known, and the acclaim he has received is well deserved. Thank you for your contributions to our global consciousness, and for your next explaination... "What is Enlightenment?"

RG