[book] A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle (10/10)

[TinaM]

I am working on the 3rd read of this book. (actually audio now) I appreciate that the author is in fact the reader. I wouldn't say I love the book. I will say it's hard, and uncomfortable, Just like LEO! But I keep coming back for more.  

[Ramu]

I can understand most of the book myself, but some parts do seem to drag on, like the pain-body topic.  But the great thing about Tolle is that he's redundant, so he keeps giving you the same message repeatedly.  The book intriqued me.  I'm now reading Power of Now and it seems a bit too redundant after reading New Earth.  Another great thing about the author is that he doesn't stray into spiritual fairy tale land.  He just lays it out and says it.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Ramu
Misspelling

[Xochipilli]

I enjoyed listening to the book and to others of Eckhart Tolle.

The concept of the "Pain Body" was very helpful for my marriage.

And he was able to fill the empty term of spirituality i had in my mind with life :o)

[Naviy]

I think by "pain body" he means the prism of your emotinal and disfunctional beliefs. Some event or thought may trigger you to look at everything through this prism. 

Edited February 12, 2016 by Naviy

[Brandie]

I have read both books and got something from each. However I also supplemented New Earth with Oprah Winfrey's Book Review programme. I think this is a ten week series, and each episode is on YouTube. She and Eckhart discuss each chapter and people across the globe come in on Skype to pose questions to Eckhart. 

For me it really helped me get a handle on the book.

I hope you find this comment useful.

[Siman]

I also read both books and saw his Oprah show (i like how they bring this great message to a wide audience). A new earth explains how society (and we ourselfs) work in a great way. Now we "just" have to pring it to practice, that's what i still find very hard. 

[JeffR1]

I too have read both books, The key message I took from Power of Now is about the perspectives from which to live life: acceptance, joy and enthusiasm! To me, all else stems from the first point - acceptance. Without this, life can be a struggle. Acceptance of the present moment is key. 

[Fer Lazo]

I personally enjoyed, The power of now better than the new earth. Although, they are both profound and deep. They have a direct message, no bullshit. The way Eckhart talks is the same way as he writes. He makes you feel alive and connected to your inner self and manages to put a smile on your face.

[Sir Raz]

Definetly great book! I still remember when I first read The New Earth ... I understood nothing ... it took me 3 good re-reads to really understand it. It is the first book that introduced me to the ego.

[Mohsinuddin]

@TinaM love that book!

[Woody]

I would say this book and A new Earth are the basics of my knlowledge and faith about life. Since I know what ego and pain body is, I can be aware of it in every minute when it begins working in me or in other people. I cannot explain everybody why they are behaving such a way but I can choose to react in a more enlightened way and by not letting my ego and pain body to be activated.

Eckhart's approach is a more spiritual way but probably points to the same goals like Leo, Brian Tracy does. If I could read only one book in my entire life, it would be one of Eckhart's books.

[star ark]

I have no desire to invest hours upon hours a day into self work, I would lose my home if I didn't work enough. But this book was the first spiritual book I ever read and I taught me so much, from very simple meditation techniques, identifying what ego is and how it works etc. It comes across as very practical, Eckhart suggests feeling the energy inside your hands as a simple meditation technique. He explains how complaining creates fiction in the complainers mind and there is a chapter about a friend handing him a government form claiming the government was stealing her house. It was actually a form asking for council rates that were overdue but her ego created fiction. He is very practical, finds exactly what the average joe needs help with and focuses on that. He also looks into the teachings of Jesus and suggests many misunderstandings. This is were things get weird. He says heaven is the meditative experience, ego is satan, turn the other cheek is about examining even more of the negative thought patterns when one presents itself. He explains the empty space between matter as god, and that the matter which is god is evolving as we evolve and learning about us as we learn about it. I'm not offended as I am not religious but I cannot take this absolute "fact" Eckhart proposes and take him seriously.

I really benefited from the ego stuff, the meditative stuff, the stuff about complaints create a story the ego 100% believes etc. The misunderstanding of Jesus and then suggesting he knows exactly what Jesus meant along with the story of the lady not paying her bill feels calculating, like he is imagining the demographic of his readers and speaking to his expectations and not 100% from the heart. Middle aged american women who were born and raised religious but are really spiritual and not fundamentalists is his market.

For that reason i can only give it a 6/10, but it was an extraordinary 6/10. 

[star ark]

On 2/12/2016 at 8:26 PM, Naviy said:

I think by "pain body" he means the prism of your emotinal and disfunctional beliefs. Some event or thought may trigger you to look at everything through this prism. 

I believe pain body is very logical. You hold stress and emotional pain within your body. A shy person stands shy for 30 years and now they have a slump. Their body has internalized the mental pain. Simply by relaxing the body the mind must relax and both work in tandem, racing thoughts = tense muscles, loose muscles = loose mind. So the mental pain must be released from the body and the physical pain must be released from the mind. 

Sorry to bump such an old comment but I utilized this pain body concept for about 6 months now and it has been the biggest change in my self actualization. I have a bad back because I was a meek little kid who turned into a jaded aloof young man - both stood with a slump. I have extreme facial tension and this is due to the constant worries of the past, slightly grinding my teeth due to stress, subconsciously finding some sort of relief so I just kept on grinding - that's what speed freaks do but i was sober.

So a reflex from your pain body will actually convince your mind that you are still hurt by the experience and then you are mentally hurt too.

Edited January 5, 2018 by star ark

[LiakosN]

I am currently reading for the 3rd time the book and I it's just pure gold!! There are so many realizations for me!!! The pain body is actually an entity that leaves inside of us that has accumulated pain from the past and this pain is deeply rooted on the psyche. Every now and then it wakes up and needs more misery to feed on. It's a bit scary when you realize it for the first time. By the way I am feeling more alert and aware of my thoughts,feelings and sensations while I am reading the book.. I am guessing that Truth penetrates to some degrees into my psyche.