Eckhart Tolle - A New Earth

I've just finished reading Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth: Awakening to your life's purpose, and a quote regarding the Ego stood out to me which I wanted to share...

"The reason why such acute suffering occurs is concealed in the word 'my', and it is structural. The unconscious compulsion to enhance one's identity through association with an object is built into the very structure of the egoic mind."

I've been interested in the meaning and the cause of (self-inflicted) suffering and Buddhist philosophy for quite some time now. My interpretation is that aside from the basic human needs: food, water and shelter, much of our internal suffering is a result of unnecessary wanting. This often manifests itself in the form of 'first world problems', something which I happen to be very familiar with.

I've included my overall thoughts and more below.


Tolle also speaks about attaching 'me' 'my' and 'I' to situations and material items as a form of self-identification, this is the reason why one may experience a feeling of great personal loss when 'their' possessions are either lost or stolen. I can totally relate, when my phone got stolen my world went with it...and I proudly admit that because denial is b*tch lol. This same form of attachment will also lead you to believe the world revolves around you...

As I type this it feels like captain obvious, but if you've ever received news about/regarding someone else and had even the tiniest voice in your head which said, "Why wasn't I the first to know?!" "I can't believe they didn't tell me!" or one that I have personally experienced, "Well damn, this changes my whole world as I know it!"...that's the voice of self-entitlement or as Tolle describes it, 'the Ego'.

Another quote toward the end of the book deems attachment as the cause of suffering; I'm grateful that 2013 taught me to detach myself from people and situations in a meaningful way which has only benefitted my wellbeing.

Verdict:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this although there were a few sections I disliked such as the 'national pain body', which I found to be problematic for reasons that I won't elaborate on right now. Other than that, I found the book to be applicable/relevant to the last six months of my life as well as my current mindset. I also feel like I definitely need to read The Power of Now which is arguably his most famous book and was even recommended by Oprah!

I plan to read quite a bit this year, so I will continue to share my current reads and perhaps a few firm favourites- do keep an eye out for future posts!