The Power of Now
Natural State: Feeling/Experiencing My/God’s All Knowing/Powerful/Presence as Being, Center, Essence, Source, Openness, Peace, Calm, Stillness, Heart, Joy, Oneness, Beauty, Loving Kindness, Caring, Spaciousness, Freshness, Vibrancy, Radiance, Wonder, Harmony, Balance, Gentleness, Connection, and Grace - Resonating Intuitively as Ease, Lightness, Positivity, Knowing, Gratitude
The “Problem”: Mental Judgment, Negativity, Resistance, (Attachment/Aversion) and Denial (of Here & Now in favor of Past & Future) Mind as Master rather than Servant. This “Identity” develop/hardens as we grow (and are injured)
Ego: Obsessive/Compulsive (and Identity with) Mental Noise/Chatter/Thinking, Separation, Boredom, Constant Nervousness, Activity, Worry, Past and Future Focus, Irritation, Annoyance, Frustration, Fear, Anticipation, Impatience, Tension, Mind Games, Control, Manipulation, Dissatisfaction, Dis-ease, Making things Personal/Pervasive/Permanent.
Pain Body: Stress, Anxiety, Violence, Suffering, Illness, Sickness, Disease, Attack, Fatigue, Reactivity, Depression, Resentment, Anger, Rage, Pain,
Antidotes: Conscious Awareness, Acceptance, Surrender, Observing, Understanding, Stillness, Deep Inner Peace and Calm, Conscious Breathing, Alert Presence, Honoring Wants/Needs/Values/Feeling/Emotions, Full Attention, Prayer, Meditation, Stopping/Looking/Listening, Sitting/Staying/Healing, Really Touching/Tasting/Seeing/Feeling the Energy and Truth of Here and Now – Despite the Outer Situation.
We get two chances: first is to accept “outer” situation (world), second is to accept “inner” situation (fears/feelings/emotions/beliefs/etc) It isn’t our “life” (PPP), simply our “life situation” at that time. We find Grace in the gaps between compulsive thinking then more and more as we practice Conscious Awareness until we may at some point “Pray without ceasing” in ever present state of Grace
Ego – ”A mental image of who you are based on your personal and cultural conditioning." A "voice" in the head all the time that “comments, speculates, judges, compares, complains, likes, dislikes, and so on.” The sense of self which regards these incessant thoughts as 'my thoughts', and the mind which thinks them as 'me'.
The involuntary and repetitive thought-processes of our minds reliving the past or rehearsing imagined future situations. This is what gives us our sense of identity, and what has led us to the life circumstances that we face. " An opaque screen of concepts, labels, images, words, opinions, ideas, judgments and definitions.”
"The currency with which the mind operates.” “Blocks all true relationships" and "Creates the illusion of separateness." "Habitual resistance to or denial of what is, creates the unease and discontent that most people accept as normal living."
Loss of Being - Natural states of inner connectedness are lost as soon as the mind begins to think about them.
Emotional Pain - We experience throughout life leaves behind a residue of pain which becomes lodged in the mind and the body, and which colors our reactions to further experiences. "An invisible entity in its own right (Pain-Body)."
Externalization –"All cravings, are the mind seeking salvation or fulfillment in external things and in the future as a substitute for the joy of Being." "People will often enter into a compulsive pursuit of ego-gratification… they strive after possessions, money, success, power, recognition, work, social status, knowledge and education, physical appearance, belief systems, a special relationship, or political, racial, nationalistic, religious or collective identities.”
Being - "the Eternal, ever-present One Life beyond form” "is not only beyond but also deep within every form as its innermost invisible and indestructible essence. "Coming from Being, you will perceive another person's body and mind as just a screen … behind which you can feel their true reality, as you feel yours”
Acceptance – Rather than resisting life, "Allowing it to be as it is … takes you beyond the mind with its resistance patterns … "Immediately frees you from mind dominance and thus reconnects you with Being” “transforms you."
Forgiveness - "Through forgiveness the miracle of transformation happens."
Surrender - "Is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life … to surrender is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without reservation." A purely inner phenomenon, changing our attitude so we accept how things are at this moment so we can act positively to change the situation. "Most people … have to work at it." In general, "anything that renders the mind powerless” (Step one)
Joy – Instead of pain there is peace, stillness and joy. "You abide in Being — unchanging, timeless, deathless — and you are no longer dependent for fulfillment or happiness on the outer world."
Connection – In place of separation is a two-fold connectedness: with Being itself, and with all other beings.” “With something immeasurable and indestructible … that is essentially you and yet is much greater than you." That in turn enables us to enter into deeper relationships with others.
Compassion – “Is the awareness of a deep bond between yourself and all creatures."
Presence - A deeper sense of self, a "State of felt oneness with Being … connectedness with something immeasurable and indestructible … that is essentially you and yet is much greater than you." . "As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease." "Pay close attention to every step, every movement, even your breathing."
Observing - Simply listen to the voice in the head without judging or condemning until you are aware both of the voice, and of your own presence listening. Not only your thoughts but also your emotions and the way you react. "Just watch the thought, feel the emotion, observe the reaction" until you become "the silent watcher."
Awareness of Nature – Truly to look at nature, listen to natural sounds, requires complete stillness and intense presence. Only then do we become really aware of the beauty, power, majesty and wonder of the natural world.
Inner Body – "The animating presence within you" or "the invisible energy field that gives life to what you perceive as the physical body."
Silence/Stillness/Spaceousness - "And within that stillness, there is a subtle but intense joy, there is love, there is peace." "Nothing can exist without no-thing, without the empty space that enables it to be." Space and time, "Are the two essential attributes of God, infinity and eternity” Within, "Space is the still, infinitely deep realm of no-mind" while "The inner equivalent of time is presence, awareness of the eternal Now."
Breathing – makes us conscious of the present moment and can also help to put us in touch with the body.
The Power of Now
Tolle's purpose and hope for The Power of Now was that it would "play its part in … the transformation of human consciousness," by acting as a catalyst to those who are ready for a radical inner transformation or, as he sometimes calls it, enlightenment.
Tolle distinguishes life manifested, "the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death," from the Unmanifested, "the One Life beyond form." This he calls Being, "the eternal, ever-present One Life" which "is not only beyond but also deep within every form as its innermost invisible and indestructible essence."
The ego is a sense of self derived from the content and activity of the mind. It is "a mental image of who you are, based on your personal and cultural conditioning." He notes that virtually everyone hears a "voice" in their head all the time, the involuntary and often repetitive thought-processes of our minds. As we live "the voice comments, speculates, judges, compares, complains, likes, dislikes, and so on." It may be reliving the past or rehearsing imagined future situations. The ego is the sense of self which regards these incessant thoughts as 'my thoughts', and the mind which thinks them as 'me'.
Tolle suggests that our egos are conditioned to think in terms of past and future. This means that we are constantly preoccupied with looking both backwards and forwards - in fact anything rather than focus on the present, the here and now. So we focus on the past because this is what gives us our sense of identity, and what has led us to the life circumstances that we currently face. And we focus on the future because this is where all our dreams, hopes and fears will play out.
Tolle claims there is a deeper sense of self than the ego, a conscious Presence which may be known in various ways. One method he recommends is simply to listen to the voice in the head without judging it in any way or getting caught up in its contents. Just by 'watching the thinker' in the head, he says, "You'll soon realise: there is the voice, and here I am listening to it." That I am realisation is "a sense of your own presence ... (arising) from beyond the mind." And as one becomes aware of this deeper self as a conscious presence, so the involuntary thinking begins to subside, giving way to stillness, peace and what he calls "the joy of Being."
Tolle traces out the consequences of a self-awareness (ego) which is identified with the thinking mind:
Separation – The mind, according to Tolle, "creates an opaque screen of concepts, labels, images, words, opinions, ideas, judgements and definitions." These mental constructs are the currency with which the mind operates, and the ego relates to these constructs rather than directly to the realities they represent. And so he says that this "opaque screen" both "blocks all true relationships" and "creates the illusion of separateness." We no longer feel at one with all that is (even if we believe we are); we feel separated, as if "there is you and a totally separate 'other'."
Resistance – Reality is frequently at odds with how the mind believes things ought to be. As a result the ego has to counter constant challenges to its identity and its hopes for fulfilment. This gives rise to the ego's defense mechanisms and becomes a "habitual resistance to or denial of what is." Habitual resistance, "creates the unease and discontent that most people accept as normal living." But when this resistance is intensified through some challenge to the ego, it brings up even more intense negativity which "often means that the pain-body has been triggered."
Emotional Pain – Tolle uses the word 'mind' to include not just thoughts, but also emotions, the body's reaction to those thoughts. Furthermore, he claims that every emotional pain we experience throughout life leaves behind a residue of pain which becomes lodged in the mind and the body, and which colours our reactions to further experiences. He regards this residual pain as "an invisible entity in its own right" and calls it "the emotional pain-body." Much of the time this 'pain-body' lies dormant, but anything that resonates with past hurts (even a chance innocent remark) can trigger it into an active mode. At that point it seems to take us over and we become irrationally irritated, impatient or depressed. We may want to hurt someone or we need some drama in life. (See Drama Triangle)
Loss of Being – Most people have known times of inner stillness, when the mind has been made "speechless" by some experience of great beauty, or wonder, or even great danger. "And within that stillness," says Tolle, "there is a subtle but intense joy, there is love, there is peace." But these natural states of inner connectedness with Being are lost as soon as the mind begins to think about them.
Externalisation – When connectedness with Being is lost, along with the stillness and joy which it entails, the mind will begin to seek some substitute pleasure. "All cravings," Tolle says, "are the mind seeking salvation or fulfilment in external things and in the future as a substitute for the joy of Being." "People will often enter into a compulsive pursuit of ego-gratification … they strive after possessions, money, success, power, recognition or a special relationship, basically so they can feel better about themselves."Other things the ego will identify with in order to feel good include our work, social status, knowledge and education, physical appearance, belief systems, and also political, racial, nationalistic, religious or other collective identities. "None of these is you," Tolle comments.
The basic message of Tolle's book is that our mode of consciousness can be transformed. The key to becoming free of the egoic mind, with all its consequences, is to become deeply conscious of this present moment, or, as Tolle often calls it, "the Now." The consequences of being in the Now may also be traced out from his book.
Connectedness – In place of separation is a two-fold connectedness. To be present is to become reconnected both with Being itself, and with all other beings. Presence is a "state of felt oneness with Being … connectedness with something immeasurable and indestructible … that is essentially you and yet is much greater than you." That in turn enables us to enter into deeper relationships with others. "Coming from Being, you will perceive another person's body and mind as just a screen … behind which you can feel their true reality, as you feel yours … Compassion is the awareness of a deep bond between yourself and all creatures."
Acceptance – Rather than resisting life as it actually is in the present moment, one accepts it for what it is, without labeling or judgment. "Allowing it to be as it is … takes you beyond the mind with its resistance patterns …"Tolle speaks not only of acceptance of what is, but also of surrender to it. This "is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life … to surrender is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without reservation."This may easily be misunderstood, and Tolle goes on to explain that he is not suggesting anyone should accept for evermore some unpleasant situation in life. That is mere resignation. Surrender is a purely inner phenomenon, changing our attitude so we accept how things are at this moment. Then we can act positively to change the ongoing situation, and such positive action is likely to be far more effective than if it arose out of the anger, frustration or despair of resistance.