Eckhart Tolle: Essential Teachings

In this podcast, Eckhart talks about setting goals and deferring satisfaction. He says for many people, the activities they’re engaged in are just a means to an end. He believes they are not present in what they’re doing now, because they’re projecting where they want to be in the future. Eckhart explains this is a self-defeating way to live because while we may need to defer satisfaction to reach...

In this podcast, Eckhart says we are at a critical juncture. He explains we must evolve to the next stage of development and transcend the ego. Hesays many people try to go back to their pre-egoic state of consciousness anesthetizing themselves with alcohol, drugs, food, sex and work… all of which lead to unconsciousness. He says even though the ego is a key part of our development, it’s time to l...

In this podcast, Eckhart talks about an inspiring trip he took to Alaska. He describes the awe he felt on a tour through a majestic forest. Eckhart explains, at one point, he lagged behind his guided tour group so he could feel the sacredness of nature all around him. He says we have lost touch with a form of knowing which transcends conceptual learning. He believes beyond our five senses, there i...

In this episode, Eckhart says no one person can make us happy because the demand is not only too much, but also an impossible task. He explains falling in love may feel wonderful. The honeymoon starts and everything is beautiful. Until the day comes when we discover our partner has issues or even worse: a very active pain body. He says we might panic, thinking I made a terrible mistake! With humor...

In this podcast Eckhart talks about the importance of remaining what he calls ‘teachable.’ He cautions us to be aware of the stories, concepts and labels we use to interpret the world. He encourages us to ask ourselves: when we meet someone new, do we give ourselves space to just be, to perceive? Or do we instantly judge and manufacture stories about this person? He ponders when we travel, do we e...

In this podcast Eckhart talks about suffering and how to transcend it. He says suffering is everyone’s spiritual teacher because it drives us to a kind of willingness. He believes it cracks open the hard shell of the ego, suddenly allowing the light to shine through. Eckhart mentions thelegendary singer Leonard Cohen who wrote a song about this universal experience. He sings: “There’s a crack… a c...

In this podcast Eckhart talks to a live audience in Hawaii. He says ‘Aloha’ to the crowd and then explains the spiritual meaning of the word. He also mentions stillness which he says is the essence of who we are. He defines stillness as the absence of internal noise and the incessant stream of self-centered, harmful thinking that keeps us from realizing our being. He says looking into the eyes of...

In this episode Eckhart discusses our deeper purpose. He emphasizes how important it is for humans to be connected to the kind of higher intelligence that comes from presence. While our careers matter, he says what we do in our work life is secondary to our state of consciousness. He explains there is a vast intelligence underlying the world that we perceive with our senses and our job is to conne...

In this podcast, Eckhart begins with a few thoughts on meditation. He talks about the Chinese philosophy of Taoism (dow-ism). He says one of its key principles is Wu Wei (woo way) which he explains loosely translated, means non-action or “to sit quietly and do nothing.” Eckhart follows up with a quote from French philosopher Pascal who said, “All the troubles of humanity can be traced back to a pe...

In this podcast, Eckhart answers questions from a live audience including a father who says he wants to help bring presence into the lives of his active and unconscious teenagers who spend too much time on their devices, computers and cell phones.  A woman in the audience says she is interested in manifesting her purpose, but also wonders if it’s necessary to be very specific in the process of man...

In this podcast, Eckhart talks about the “Deep I” and the “Surface I” - two ideas he uses to teach spiritual development. Eckhart says the “Surface I” is our personality and is connected to the horizontal dimension, the realm of our everyday lives. He explains when things start to break down, we see how unstable life can be. All that looks solid one day can begin to crumble… like losing a job, goi...

In this episode, Eckhart talks about human unconsciousness by telling the story of his father who he says had profound anger issues. Eckhart compares his father to a volcano, often brimming over with red hot rage. For years Eckhart says he resented his father and despaired whenever he had to brace himself for the next blow up. However, Eckhart reveals after he experienced his awakening, he realize...

In this episode, Eckhart talks to a live audience in Arizona. He begins by saying the mind can be a wonderful thing – we can think, speak languages and engage in creativity. Eckhart also explains when we get too caught up in the mind, we lose touch with awareness. He cites moments in history such as Nazi Germany which he describes as a virus of the mind which took over and resulted in destruction...

In this podcast, Eckhart answers a variety of questions from a live audience including a man who says he is legally blind from drug use and wants to know how to manage his fearful thoughts. Another audience member reveals he has made great strides in his spiritual development, but his 25-year marriage is ending as a result. The man asks how do you know when it’s time to leave a relationship? Also,...

Eckhart talks about how critical it is we balance being with doing. He says without it we will not reach the deeper dimension of consciousness which is our legacy. Eckart explains when we’re obsessed with doing and achieving, we cannot appreciate whatever is here in the present moment, much less attain enlightenment. He states the world is already overrun with doing and the result is chaos. He bel...

In this podcast, Eckhart talks about self-seeking. He says many people who are unawakened look for an identity in self-centered thinking. Eckhart explains these people may define themselves through social status, good looks or the accumulation of wealth. Eckhart draws a parallel with the ancient Greek myth of narcissus… a beautiful man who fell in love with himself gazing into a pool of water. Eck...

In this episode, Eckhart talks about the importance of finding balance between Being and Doing. He explains, so many of us get lost in the doing because we’re so focused on external achievements, getting ahead and chasing after what we think constitutes the perfect life. Eckhart adds that when we get lost in doing we’re also propelled by thinking. Eckhart teaches us that thinking is not voluntary....

In this podcast, Eckhart talks about the life-changing wisdom we acquire when we stop compulsive thinking. He says wisdom is very different from intelligence and that true wisdom arises from a place beyond the kind of intelligence that is generated by the mind. Eckhart explains that even though thinking is a necessary function, we’re too dependent on it. He says most of us learn at an early age to...

In this podcast, Eckhart emphasizes the importance of stillness. He says through stillness we will reach the next step in human development… the evolution of our consciousness. He explains that for thousands of years we have been trapped in complete identification with the ego, a thought-cluttered entity called “me.” We feel anxious and ill-at-ease in the world because we are cut off from our deep...

In this podcast Eckhart talks about outgrowing unconsciousness. Eckhart says only awareness can free us of our resentments, judgments and negative thinking which are the deeply ingrained patterns that keep us stuck. He says as our awareness grows, we realize we have choices in how we respond to life’s situations, and we become aware we are no longer at the mercy of our conditioning. When we finall...

In this podcast Eckhart addresses participants' concerns: an athlete wants to know if competition is incompatible with leading an awakened life? Eckhart explains that one can have the desire to win, but when winning becomes the key to one’s sense of identity that is a pitfall of the ego. a man asks what to do because his presence practice has grown so deeply, he no longer relates to his family. He...

In this podcast, Eckhart takes the audience through his renowned inner body awareness meditation. He encourages everyone to sense the aliveness in every cell. He believes this is one of the tools which can free us from the ego. He also discusses asking for guidance during meditation. He says we may be asking for material possessions or the solution to a difficult life situation. Eckhart says the i...

In this episode Eckhart talks about the ego and other factors that block us from deeper awareness. Eckhart explains why the ego loves opposition and thrives on feeling superior. He says being obsessed with the need to be right in a conversation is a perfect example because some may defend their position so fiercely, they become completely unconscious. He says awakening is the only thing that can s...

In this podcast Eckhart answers a variety of questions, a woman asks about identity at the soul level. She asks do we, in our most transcendent form, retain some aspect of individuality even though we all emanate from the one universal consciousness? Another woman shares a story of her granddaughter who has a life-threatening illness. She requests a few moments of “presence” with Eckhart to bring...

In this episode Eckhart talks about our true purpose which he believes is to transcend our surface layer of reality and our superficial sense of self. He says most of us define ourselves as a person with a past, an accumulation of thoughts and emotions built up over a lifetime. Many identify completely with this limited view, but Eckhart explains we are more than that. He says often a life crisis...