So I just finished the book called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. A piece of literature I feel should be added to the must read list on this forum. The concepts that it speaks about are primarily Buddhist I would say, but the way that Tolle writes makes ideas I once found complex unbelievably simple.
The basic gist is this:
Humans are trapped. Our most fundamental disorder is that we are slaves to our own thoughts. Tolle makes the important distinction between consciousness and being and our mind and thoughts. Our mind is purely physical, the thoughts that we have and the emotions that come with them are a powerful force that most people mistake to be 'who' they are. This mistake accounts for almost all of the things that make our lives unbearable. Salvation according to Tolle lies in awareness (Buddhism 101 I know, but Tolle makes it simple), which entitles merely being conscious of our thoughts and emotions. By acting as a 'watcher' and making an effort to constantly be conscious of what we are thinking and feeling, we deflate the control our minds have over us. One of the easiest ways to do this is to live in the now, take time to appreciate the present and focus on nothing else. With time the skill will develop and you will find that all of the things that once drove you mad have vanished, all of the things that controlled your actions no longer are there, all that is left is the true being, true consciousness, and happiness. This place according to Tolle is infinitely deep and infinitely rewarding.
So there ya go. I've been going through a pretty painful breakup recently and within 2 days of picking up this book my life changed completely so I can attest to its validity. I wonder if anyone more knowledgeable of philosophy could tell me if there is a proper title for these ideas. I know a lot of them are Buddhist but Tolle doesn't necessarily belong to any philosophy or religion. Anyways there ya go, discuss
