Friday 25 June 2010

Eckhart Tolle, "A New Earth: Awakening To Your Life's Purpose" (2005)

Tolle was recommended by someone whose ideas I respect. There are certainly kernels of wisdom in this text, which seeks to have us live in a way that gives meaningful attention to the now. The aim is not for people to pursue some sort of hedonistic lifestyle oblivious of long-term needs, but to embrace the sense that the source of our spiritual comfort with this difficult existence is rooted in the immediate need for us to accept, enjoy, or be enthusiastic about what we are doing, not seeking some deferred future gratification. Some strategies and perspectives Tolle employs in his discussion of perspective, purpose, and health are intriguing and useful.

On the other hand, there are some very corny elements in this book as well. Tolle draws significantly on Christian aphorisms, which in itself is not particularly troubling, but is a dependency that is not well-explained, particularly when his beliefs seem closer to Buddhism (unless, of course, the Christian elements sell better to a U.S. book market). Additionally, he draws on some distinctly un-Christian ideas that ring of wild new-age concepts, such as reincarnation and 'world spirit', and the like. Elements such as these makes it hard to not feel a little self-conscious about reading his book, smacking as they do of 18th- and 19th-century German philosophy without addressing the obvious negative outcomes these ideas have already led to.

You can read it here.

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