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Originally Posted by The Coronet  However the very process of manifesting requires us to be considering a future goal. All goal setting requires us to not be fully present cause I am thinking about how I want my future to be. If I truely follow the power of now, I will never set any goals. In fact I would probably stop doing anything because i would just stare into space observing without any judgement quite happily , peacefully observing my body rotting away and i eventually dieing of starvation. It is only future desires and listening to the demands of my body that cause me to move. |
I too had this same problem understanding Tolle. After about a year of research I found that he got the concept of "Living in the Now" from a book called "A Course in Miracles" (ACIM). The problem is that while ACIM teaches that concept along with many many others, The Power of Now just teaches one concept. Therefore, it is, by itself, incomplete. It is because it's incomplete that it confuses people like you and me. ACIM teaches a whole bunch of stuff, and every person gets different lessons from it. Eckhart obviously needed that one lesson for his life, so he feels it is so profound. Others will need other lessons.
The way I look at Eckhart's lesson is to be present as much as possible in what we are doing NOW. It doesn't mean that what we are doing NOW has to be about the present moment. For example, I could choose to sit with family members and share stories from the past, or I could sit down and work on designing my FUTURE HOUSE with an architect. Whatever I am doing I should be present in the NOW while doing it. In other words, my thinking mind should be focused on the task at hand in front of me, while doing it. If you ever get the chance to watch the movie "THe Way of the Peaceful Warrior" go for it. It teaches the concept in visual terms in an awesome way.
Secondly, just because you are focused in the NOW doesn't mean you can't multitask. For example you could be sharing stories with family (in the NOW), and then the phone rings so you answer it and talk to the person on the phone (in the NOW) and then come back and talk to your family again (in the NOW).
What you DON'T want to do is be sitting there while your family is sharing stories of the past and you just sit there like a lump thinking about work, what files you forgot to file, what customers you didn't call back, how you did horrible at the bowling alley last night, what a short dress the waitress at the restaurant was wearing etc. not being present with your family. That's what most people do nowadays which is why Eckharts message is so profound for most. It always seems like when they are at home, they are thinking about work, and when they are at work they are thinking about home etc.
In my martial arts training I was training with a friend and my Sensei came by and asked my friend to demonstrate a technique we've been practicing for a few years now. My friend did it. My Sensei then said "Ok, that's great, now I want you to do it again, but this time clear your mind and stop thinking about what happened at work today." So them my friend did that technique again and it was WAAAAAAYYY smoother. I hardly ever think about anything else while I train, but I guess others do and it puts them at a disadvantage and opens them up to possible injury. Be PRESENT is probably the mantra that I would use myself, rather than be IN THE NOW.
BTW, if you're interested in the Course in Miracles, I would strongly suggest reading "The Disappearance of the Universe" first, as it's an intro into ACIM and ACIM is super hard to read by itself if you don't understand the premise behind it. That is why so few actually read it, even though quite a few own it. In my opinion it's just as hard to read as the Bible, and almost as long too. I've only read probably about 10% of it so far, and it's been drastically changing my life for the better. Every few pages teaches a concept just as powerful as the whole "Power of Now" concept Eckhart teaches.
Anyway, just thought I'd share my views on The Power of Now. Also, I'll say that his second book (The Earth one) was WAY better for me. Made way more sense.