Friday, November 20, 2009

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle


My copy of this book is so used that I'd be embarrassed to loan it out any more. I made many notes from it as I was recovering from my knee surgery.I've ordered a fresh used copy from Amazon. I propose to re-read it. The following is a review of the book I did for our Feb. 2009 BCSL Book club.

The New Earth teaches letting go of ego with nonattachment, nonjudgment and nonresistance and awakening with acceptance, enjoyment and enthusiasm. Eckhart leads you in a step by step progression.

He includes illustrative stories like this one about the Zen master whose neighbor's teenage daughter names him as the father of her child instead of revealing the father's true identity. When confronted with this accusation by the young girl's parents the master says, "Is that so?" News of his paternity ruins the master's reputation. When the baby is born the grandparents hand the baby to him and tell him to raise the child. He takes the baby in and raises her as his own. After a year the teenage mother confesses that the master is not the father and tells her parents the biological father's identity. They confront the master and demand the baby back.They tell him he is not the father. He answers, "Is that so?" and gives the toddler to them.

Another story lesson in the text that I liked was about hos Krishnamurti came on stage for a talk he was scheduled to make. He asked the audience if they wnated to know his secret. They said, "Yes!" Krishnamurti said, "I don't mind what happens," then left the stage.

1 comment:

  1. I don't really understand the point of the baby story.
    The third to the last line "wanted" is spelled "wnated".

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