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Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle Quotes

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Famous Eckhart Tolle Quotes

“The most common ego identifications have to do with possessions, the work you do, social status and recognition, knowledge and education, physical appearance, special abilities, relationships, person and family history, belief systems, and often nationalistic, racial, religious, and other collective identifications. None of these is you.”

PersonsBeliefSocialReligiousAbilityCommonKnowledgeSpecialAwarenessEgoSelf AwarenessPossessionAppearanceRecognitionCollectivesIdentificationBelief SystemsPower Of NowFamily HistorySpiritual AwarenessEducation And KnowledgeSocial StatusPhysical AppearanceNationalisticStillness SpeaksPower Of Now Book
Author:Eckhart Tolle
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“I don't want it to end, and so, as every therapist knows, the ego does not want an end to its “problems” because they are part of its identity. If no one will listen to my sad story, I can tell it to myself in my head, over and over, and feel sorry for myself, and so have an identity as someone who is being treated unfairly by life or other people, fate or God. It gives definition to my self-image, makes me into someone, and that is all that matters to the ego.”

PeopleIfsKnowsWantGivingFeelsDoeI CanEndsSelfMatterStoriesProblemSpiritualFateIdentityEgoSorryDefinitionsTreatedTherapistsSad StoryTreated Unfairly
Author:Eckhart Tolle
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“When you let go of the belief that you should or need to know who you are, what happens to confusion? Suddenly it is gone. When you fully accept that you don't know, you actually enter a state of peace and clarity that is closer to who you truly are than thought could ever be. Defining yourself through thought is limiting yourself.”

KnowsNeedsShouldStatesHappensBeliefAcceptingGoneLetting GoEgoWho You AreConfusionClarityDefiningDefine YourselfLimiting Yourself
Book:A New Earth (Oprah #61): Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
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“In essence, you are neither inferior nor superior to anyone. True self-esteem and true humility arise out of that realization. In the eyes of the ego, self-esteem and humility are contradictory. In truth, they are one and the same.”

SelfEyeSelf EsteemHumilityEgoEssenceAriseSuperiorsEsteemRealizationInferiorsTrue SelfContradictoryTrue Humility
Book:Oneness With All Life: Inspirational Selections from A New Earth
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“Thinking, or more precisely identification with thinking, gives rise to and maintains the ego, which, in our Western society in particular, is out of control. It believes it is real and tries hard to maintain its supremacy. Negative states of mind, such as anger, resentment, fear, envy, and jealousy, are products of the ego.”

ThinkingGivingTryingMindBelieveRealHardStatesSpiritualFearParticularProductsEgoNegativeWesternEnvyState Of MindResentmentIdentificationSupremacyBeliveWestern SocietyJealousy And EnvyAnger Resentment
Author:Eckhart Tolle
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“The ego isn't wrong; it's just unconscious. When you observe the ego in yourself, you are beginning to go beyond it. Don't take the ego too seriously. When you detect egoic behavior in yourself, smile. At times you may even laugh. How could humanity have been taken in by this for so long? Above all, know that the ego isn't personal. It isn't who you are. If you consider the ego to be your personal problem, that's just more ego.”

IfsKnowsLifeMayLongHas BeensProblemHumanityLaughingTakenEgoBehaviorWho You AreUnconsciousPersonal Problems
Book:A New Earth (Oprah #61): Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
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“True freedom and the end of suffering is living in such a way as if you had completely chosen whatever you feel or experience at this moment. This inner alignment with Now is the end of suffering. Is suffering really necessary? Yes and no. If you had not suffered as you have, there would be no depth to you as a human being, no humility, no compassion. You would not be reading this now. Suffering cracks open the shell of ego, and then comes a point when it has served its purpose. Suffering is necessary until you realize it is unnecessary.”

IfsWayFeelsHumansEndsMomentsWould BeSpiritualPurposeSufferingReadingRealizingHuman BeingsCompassionHumilityEgoDepthChosenCracksShellsUnnecessaryAlignmentTrue FreedomNo CompassionYes And NoUnnecessary Suffering
Book:Stillness Speaks
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“To the ego, the present moment hardly exists. Only past and future are considered important. This total reversal of the truth accounts for the fact that in the ego mode the mind is so dysfunctional. It is always concerned with keeping the past alive, because without it - who are you?”

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Book:The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
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“Whenever there is negativity in you, if you can be aware in that moment that there is something in you that takes pleasure in it or believes it has a useful purpose, you are becoming aware of the ego directly. The moment this happens your identity has shifted from ego to awareness. This means the ego is shrinking and awareness is growing.”

IfsBelieveMeanMomentsHappensPurposePleasureGrowingAwarenessIdentityBecomingEgoThat MomentNegativityShrinking
Book:A New Earth (Oprah #61): Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
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“There have been many people for whom limitations, failure, loss, or pain in whatever form turned out to be their greatest teacher. It taught them to let go of false self-images and superficial ego-dictated goals and desires. It gave them depth, humility and compassion. It made them more real.”

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Book:The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
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“If you are content with being nobody in particular, content not to stand out, you align yourself with the power of the universe. What looks like weakness to the ego is in fact the only true strength. This spiritual truth is diametrically opposed to the values of our contemporary culture and the way it conditions people to behave.”

PeopleIfsWayLooksFactsSpiritualValuesCultureUniverseConditionsParticularTruth IsEgoWeaknessContemporaryBehaveStanding OutSpiritual TruthTrue Strength
Author:Eckhart Tolle
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“The word enlightenment conjures up the idea of some superhuman accomplishment, and the ego likes to keep it that way, but it is simply your natural state of felt oneness with Being. It is a state of connectedness with something immeasurable and indestructible, something that, almost paradoxically, is essentially you and yet is much greater than you. It is finding your true nature beyond name and form.”

WayIdeasStatesFormNamesFeltNaturalGreaterEgoFindingsEnlightenmentLikesOnenessAccomplishmentTrue NaturePower Of NowConnectednessSuperhumanIndestructible
Book:The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
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“When each thought absorbs your attention completely, it means you identify with the voice in your head. Thought then becomes invested with a sense of self. This is the ego, a mind-made "me." That mentally constructed self feels incomplete and precarious. That's why fearing and wanting are its predominant emotions and motivating forces.”

FeelsMindMeanMadeSelfForceVoiceFreedomEmotionAttentionEgoIncompleteSense Of SelfPrecarious
Book:Stillness Speaks
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“Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could spare them from all suffering? No, it wouldn't. They would not evolve as human beings and would remain shallow, identified with the external form of things. Suffering drives you deeper. The paradox is that suffering is caused by identification with form and erodes identification with form. A lot of it is caused by the ego, although eventually suffering destroys the ego-but not until you suffer consciously.”

IfsHumansFormPurposeSufferingHuman BeingsWonderfulEgoDeeperEvolveParadoxSparesShallowIdentificationErode
Author:Eckhart Tolle
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