Eckhart Tolle Quotes

“When you always want the next thing, every human being becomes a means to an end.”

Want Humans Mean Ends Next Human Beings Means To An End

“Whenever you meet anybody, it is a holy encounter. The primary event is the energy field of presence between you and the other human being that arises. You enjoy it. There is deep joy in the meeting.”

Humans Joy Energy Enjoy Human Beings Events Fields Holy Meetings Arise Primaries Encounters Energy Fields

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Honoring the moment is honoring every human being you meet. The only place where you can meet them is in the moment.”

Humans Moments Human Beings

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“The other person's presence ultimately is the same as your presence, because it is in presence that there is true meeting.”

Persons Meetings Your Presence

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Even if they don't know it consciously, people can feel when you are making them into a means to an end only. And people are much less likely to do what you want them to do - for example, to buy the car - when they feel you are reducing them into a means to an end.”

People Ifs Knows Want Feels Mean Ends Car Example What You Want Reducing Means To An End

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“The world is in such a mess because of the continuous conflict that arises between human beings - not only between individuals but between tribes and nations and this group and that group and so on. But change can come in only when people start with themselves.”

People World Humans Individual Nations Human Beings Groups Conflict Arise Mess Tribes

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Nations consist of individuals. It is for every individual to bring in a different quality - the quality of awakened consciousness - into their lives.”

Different Individual Nations Consciousness Quality Awakened

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Ego is an immature stage of development for humans, and that's what it will be recognized as when the consciousness changes on the planet. Children will develop an ego and quickly outgrow it. That's very different from developing an ego and being stuck with it for the rest of your life.”

Humans Children Different Consciousness Stage Planets Development Ego Stuck Developing Rest Of Your Life Immature Stages Of Development

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“For a long time humans probably were in touch on a deeper level with the depths of their being, unconsciously so, the same way an animal or a tree is. Gradually, though, more and more of their identity went into the movement of thought. They identified more and more with the movement of thinking.”

Thinking Way Humans Long Animal Levels Tree Movement Identity Long Time Depth Deeper

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“We are in the final stages of egoic madness. Almost the whole world is fighting each other. We witnessed the final stages of egoic madness in the 20th century, and even now it still is playing itself out. It has not quite come to an end yet.”

World Stills Ends Whole Fighting Century Stage Madness Finals Whole World 20th Century Fighting Each Other

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Humanity had to go through egoic madness and then outgrow it.”

Humanity Madness

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Humanity is reaching the end of the evolutionary stage of ego. The closer we get to the end, the more dysfunctional humanity becomes.”

Ends Humanity Stage Ego Reaching Reaching The End

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“There are many things that are still uncertain and that probably nobody knows, because so many factors determine what form the transformation of consciousness on our planet takes.”

Knows Stills Form Consciousness Planets Transformation Determine Factors Uncertain Our Planet Nobody Knows

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Terrorism is an example of that extreme madness. People blow themselves up just to kill others. Unconscious reaction to terrorism is equal madness.”

People Example Equal Madness Blow Extremes Terrorism Reactions Unconscious

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“With the egoic consciousness having become so dysfunctional, and now having at our disposal all these enormous technologies and scientific advances, if nothing changes the ego will use those things - as it already has been doing - and will amplify the technology that we now have. The scientific advances, to a large extent, will be used in the service of the ego, and they will become more and more destructive.”

Ifs Has Beens Use Used Consciousness Technology Ego Enormous Destructive Things Change Amplify

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“The egoic madness, or dysfunction, becomes enormously amplified by the science and technology we all have developed.”

Technology Madness Science And Technology Dysfunction

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“We would destroy ourselves and the planet if no change happens, because of the amplification of the egoic state through science and technology.”

Ifs States Happens Technology Planets Science And Technology Amplification

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“If we don't change, if the egoic consciousness continues, I don't believe that humanity as a species can survive, or at least human civilization can survive, for another hundred years.”

Ifs Years Believe Humans Humanity Consciousness Civilization Hundred Species Don't Believe Don't Change Human Civilization

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“It is quite possible even that the planet would no longer be able to sustain human life. Probably, the planet eventually would regenerate and produce some other life form. Consciousness would flow into some other life form and express itself through that, whatever that would be.”

Humans Would Be Able Form Consciousness Produce Planets Flow Human Life

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“I believe from what I can see there is a good chance the shift will happen in humanity before it is too late.”

Believe I Can Happens Humanity I Believe Chance Late Too Late Good Chance

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Germany is a nation that created an enormous amount of suffering on the planet. The German people also themselves have suffered, because it always goes together.”

People Together Suffering Nations Planets Amount Enormous Germany

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“The more suffering you create, the more suffering comes to you.”

Suffering

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Every individual is in touch with the deeper level of being, the aware consciousness. If these humans form groups, they do not derive their sense of self from the group, which does not mean there cannot be a sense of being part of this group. But the group itself does not become an egoic entity.”

Ifs Humans Mean Doe Self Form Individual Levels Consciousness Groups Deeper Entity Sense Of Self

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“A group needs enemies, because without enemies its identity cannot continue to be defined.”

Needs Enemy Groups Identity Defined

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Vigilance in oneself is very important. Vigilance means to be alert to what happens inside, so you can catch an old, collective habit pattern.”

Mean Important Happens Habit Patterns Oneself Collectives Vigilance

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“For spiritual teachers, it is important not to identify with the image people inevitably have of them.”

People Important Spiritual Teacher Spiritual Teachers

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“People always form images of who others are, and they can be inflated images. People may not realize that the enormous energy and spiritual power that comes through a teacher, especially in a teaching situation, has nothing to do with that person.”

People May Persons Spiritual Form Energy Realizing Situation Teacher Teaching Enormous Spiritual Power

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“I sometimes say to people, "I am a window frame - no more. The window frame is not that important. What is important is the light that comes through the window.”

People Important Sometimes Light Window

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“That is the challenge of a spiritual teacher: not to take on board the projections of specialness people have. This is especially dangerous for spiritual teachers who only have contact with disciples or followers, who may live in an ashram.”

People May Spiritual Challenges Teacher Dangerous Contact Boards Followers Disciple Projection Spiritual Teachers Specialness

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Thinking without awareness is the main dilemma of human existence.”

Thinking Humans Existence Awareness Dilemma Human Existence

Book:A New Earth (Oprah #61): Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

Source: A New Earth (Oprah #61): Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

“I drink a glass of wine or two occasionally with dinner. 'You drink alcohol?!' Well, if my state of consciousness is so fragile that a glass of wine would upset it, then it can't be worth very much.”

Ifs Wells Two States Consciousness Drink Wine Glasses Dinner Alcohol Upset Fragile States Of Consciousness Wine Glass

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“There is nothing that strengthens the ego more than being right. Being right is identification with a mental position - a perspective, an opinion, a judgement, a story. For you to be right, of course, you need someone else to be wrong, as so the ego loves to make wrong in order to be right.”

Needs Stories Order Courses Opinion Position Perspective Ego Judgement Identification

Book:A New Earth (Oprah #61): Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

Source: A New Earth (Oprah #61): Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

“The whole essence of Zen consists in walking along the razor's edge of Now - to be so utterly, so completely present that no problem, no suffering, nothing that is not who you are in your essence, can survive in you. In the Now, in the absence of time, all your problems dissolve. Suffering needs time; it cannot survive in the Now.”

Needs Whole Problem Time Suffering Walking Essence Who You Are Edges Absence No Problem Razors Time Of Need

Book:The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Source: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

“If the thought of lack -whether it be money, recognition, or love has become part of who you think you are, you will always experience lack. Rather than acknowledge the good that is already in your life, all you see is lack.”

Ifs Thinking Recognition Acknowledge

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“In any relationship, especially marriage, be as free of compulsive thinking as possible. In other words, the more space there is in the relationship - inner space - the more love there is because love arises out of the inner spaciousness.”

Thinking Space Arise Spaciousness

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Give yourself completely to the act of listening. Beyond the sounds there is something greater, a sacredness that cannot be understood through thought.”

Giving Sound Greater Listening Understood Sacredness

Book:Stillness Speaks

Source: Stillness Speaks

“The remnants of pain left behind by every strong negative emotion that is not fully faced, accepted, and then let go of join together to form an energy field that lives in the very cells of your body.”

Source: A New Earth (Oprah #61): Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

“Nothing that is of real value can be lost, only the false dissolves.”

Real Values Lost Real Value

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Bring your attention to your breathing and realize that you are not doing it. It is the breath of nature. You reconnect with nature in the most intimate and powerful way by becoming aware of your breathing and learning to hold your attention there. This is a healing and deeply empowering thing to do. It brings about a shift in consciousness from the conceptual world of thought to the inner realm of unconditioned consciousness.”

World Way Realizing Powerful Healing Attention Consciousness Becoming Breaths Breathing Intimate Realms Things To Do Empowering

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“But it is important to realize we are all trapped in mental constructs, and so we separate ourselves from reality; the whole world loses its aliveness-or, rather, we lose our ability to sense that aliveness, the sacredness of nature. When we approach nature through the conceptualizing mind, we see a forest as a commodity, a concept. We no longer see it for what it truly is, but for what we want to use it as. It is reduced. This is how it becomes possible for humans to destroy the planet without realizing what they are doing.”

World Want Mind Humans Important Whole Use Reality Realizing Loses Ability Planets Approach Concepts Environmental Whole World Forests Trapped Commodity Constructs Stewardship Sacredness

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“A work of art comes out of a state of deep stillness.”

Art States Works Of Art Stillness

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“When someone becomes transparent, then something shines through that person that has nothing to do with the person or any of his or her personal history. What is required is becoming so transparent that the self or ego dissolves.”

Persons Self Becoming Ego Shining Transparent Personal History

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“When the pain that the little me creates for itself becomes intense enough, the ego will self-destruct. It has a self-destruct mechanism built in, fortunately, so eventually every ego dies.”

Littles Self Enough Pain Dies Ego Built Intense Mechanism Self Destruct

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“When the ego dominates in organizations, even spiritual organizations, there is usually a big drama or upheaval of some kind, and self-destruction begins.”

Kind Self Bigs Spiritual Drama Ego Destruction Organization Self Destruction Upheaval

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“When there's somebody there who is transparent enough so that the stillness comes through unhindered, there's a reciprocal movement in you because the presence of stillness suddenly recognizes itself.”

Enough Movement Stillness Transparent Reciprocal

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“The thinking mind can be so noisy that it cannot relate to stillness. It doesn't even recognize it and certainly can't remember it.”

Thinking Mind Remember Relate Stillness Noisy Thinking Mind

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Peace can be threatening because peace is the absence of problems and conflict. There is something, perhaps in the personal you, that does not want freedom or peace, or the absence of problems. There's something that wants the opposite.”

Want Doe Problem Conflict Opposites Absence Threatening

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Every practice at some point will become a hindrance. No practice can ever take you there, to freedom, to liberation. That's important to realize.”

Important Realizing Practice Liberation Hindrance

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“Some people get attached to their practice. They get good at it, but even becoming a good meditator can become a hindrance.”

People Practice Becoming Hindrance

Author:Eckhart Tolle

“The ego is just waiting to identify with anything. Whether it's your misery or being a great meditator, it seeks some identification.”

Waiting Ego Misery Identification

Author:Eckhart Tolle

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