Eckhart Tolle had a profound spiritual experience when he was 29 after suffering long periods of depression. Since then he has become one of the most well-known spiritual teachers of modern times. One reason for his popularity is his ability to connect with a wide range of people through the books he has written. A New Earth is one of those books and for most people, looking for a clear explanation of spirituality that isn’t tied to traditional organized religion, this book is an excellent resource.

Thoughts and Summary

There are two main ways to interpret this book. The first way is as a general self-help book designed to help you navigate personal traumas and more deeply understand yourself as you pursue a happier and more spiritual life. The second is a deeper look at spirituality, the function of the ego, and how to ultimately detach from it. Let this book meet you where you are at, and it can be an excellent resource to help you in your life.

The main theme of this book is to understand the ego from a spiritual sense. The ego is essentially what you believe you are, your sense of self. It describes how the ego is responsible for materialism, suffering, living in the past and/or future, the illusion of ownership, identification with the body, complaining and resentment.

Tolle’s thesis of the book is that the ego, the “I” we claim to be, is an illusion and that the recognition of this illusion will dissolve the ego over time revealing the true nature of reality. In practicality, this is not easy which is why it requires a whole book to explain. Tolle claims that the reader will undergo a spiritual journey while reading the book, resulting in a profound shift in perspective, perhaps even dissolving the ego. This is a bold claim considering many monks meditate for years attempting to achieve this same sense of being. While this book may not guarantee enlightenment, it will leave you wiser than when it found you.

Who is this book for?

This book is written in very accessible language. It is for most people who are looking for a deeper understanding of spirituality, the root cause of their suffering and how to live a happier life free from materialistic desires.

What to expect? How is it structured?

It is written accessibly with easy-to-digest prose. The chapters are on average 20-30 pages long and are each broken up into several sub-sections. Each chapter contains anecdotes from Tolle’s life, general advice, and explanations of the concepts he presents. A complete beginner may benefit from reading the book from front to back, but anyone who understands the spirituality that Tolle talks and writes about can jump in anywhere.

Highlights

Chapter 5: The Pain-Body. Tolle uses the term “pain-body” to describe how trauma and negative thinking can manifest in everyday life. He explains how the human ego (as opposed to other animals such as ducks as he describes) can hold onto trauma and resentment for years. This process is painful and ultimately eats away at the individual. The solution is to first recognize your own pain-body and how it manifested, and then release it.

I also enjoyed a story he told of a spiritual teacher who accepted anything that was presented in his life, good and bad. One day he was wrongly accused of impregnating his neighbour, a teenage girl. He didn’t fight the accusation, even though it meant him losing his entire reputation. The teenage girls’ parents were furious at him and made him raise the child for a year, which he did. When the truth came out a year later, that the mother of the child lied and that the father of the child was someone else, the spiritual teacher was again unphased and gave back the child without showing any distress at all.

Rating

9/10

Recommended reading format

A New Earth has no pictures or diagrams that require it to be consumed visually, so audio, physical or ebook will work just fine with this one.