Book Recommendation: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

I’ve been looking forward to writing about this book. See, 300 pages can bring your awareness to a whole new level. I ENJOYED reading this book. It was also a reality check for me. To read how easily and routinely we identify with our ego is astonishing – to say the least. At the same time, this book served as a reminder and guidance. Exquisitely written, I LOVED how spot-on Eckhart Tolle was with the range of topics he discussed.

At the same time, because all that information was formatted in only 300 pages, I felt that the topics at the end of the book were not as elaborated as in the beginning. Also, language is ambiguous. Eckhart was quite clear in his writing, but I felt that some parts of the book could be misinterpreted or misunderstood. This is something individual and personal, though. Nonetheless, still a beautiful art piece. Definitely in my top readings.

The Chapters

After a brief introduction in chapter 1, Eckhart covers the human ego extensively in chapters 2-4; from its structure (the identification with thoughts and form) to examples of its content. He delves into egoic patterns and how we inhabit a conceptualized reality in an eloquent way. The collective ego was also discussed in these chapters. I’m still amazed as I’m revisiting the chapters and writing this by how he discusses this.

Chapters 5 and 6 cover the human pain-body. I’m glad that Eckhart mentioned this in A New Earth. The pain body is real energy, and Eckhart gives it attention as well. He explains how emotion is the “body’s reaction” to the mind and differentiates instinctive responses from emotions. The role of emotions, more specifically the pain-body play in our lives and their relation to the past was amazingly explained. Collective female, national, and racial pain bodies are also discussed. Also the pain body in children, and its relation to the ego. Eckhart also suggests how to break free from the pain body.

“Knowing Who You Truly Are” is the name of chapter 7. Eckhart starts going more into the essence of Who We Are and it’s here that I feel that some things could have been better elaborated on. Let me put it like this: he was succinct. I personally enjoy more thorough chapters, like chapters 2-6.

The present moment and notions of time itself were also briefly discussed. If you have not read The Power Of Now by Tolle already, I suggest you to read that one, too, as I feel like these books complement each other well. Chapter 8 explores how we can tune in to our True Self. The tools we have at our disposition, once we start using them, can help us be more attuned to Life.

Chapter 9 is about purpose – both our inner and outer purpose. In this chapter, Eckhart takes some time to discuss both the concept of the experience of awakening and its relation to our notion of purpose. He also discusses success, as we know it. I enjoyed this chapter and I extracted amazing wisdom from it. The final chapter, chapter 10, fuses what was discussed in the last parts of the book. An amazing ending for an amazing piece of literature.

A Final Word

I really enjoyed this book. If you’re planning on reading this remarkable piece, just don’t take the content as the ultimate truth, but more as possible references and routes that can lead you to find what truth is (for you). Remember that not because you enjoyed and resonated with something means that you have to take it as The Truth. Here is where I apply don Miguel Ruiz’s wisdom of The Fifth Agreement: be skeptical but learn to listen. Indeed, Eckhart makes this clear in the last chapter: “Every thought implies a perspective, and every perspective, by its very nature, implies limitation, which ultimately means that it is not true, at least not absolutely.”

Whenever you read, whatever you read, remind yourself to read, digest and cease to attach.

With love,

Juneal 🧡