The ego thinks happiness comes from expanding our sense of self through thinking, accomplishing, and accumulating. But constant thinking and doing disconnect us from the true source of happiness: the simple joy of Being. Happiness is the practice of awareness of Being, the inner space within.
Here are my notes and quotes on A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. My notes are casual and include what I believe are the essential concepts, ideas, and insights from the book, along with direct quotes from the author.
- Most humans see only their outer form and are unaware of their inner essence.
- New-born life-forms—babies, puppies, kittens, lambs—have a sweetness and beauty that delights even the relatively insensitive humans.
- This brings about an inner opening to the realm of spirit.
- This book aims to bring about a shift in consciousness or awaken the reader.
- Once you awaken, the process is irreversible.
- All world religions agree that humans’ “normal” state is to be ignorant and deluded, and humans can awaken to their true nature.?
- How “spiritual” you are has nothing to do with what you believe but everything to do with your state of consciousness.
- There is a dimension within each of us that is infinitely more vast than thought.
- Our challenge is the ego and total identification with form: physical, thought, and emotional.
- You are not the content of your life but the space where content arises and passes.
- Mental labels deaden things, people, and situations. Without mental labels, things regain their newness, their freshness.
- The ego is forever attaching itself to form because form is about feeling better about ourselves by enlarging our self-sense.
- The biggest dilemma of being human: is thinking without awareness.
- Most people live in a conceptualized reality, not reality itself.
- Whatever you experience is there to help you grow.
- The ego always wants more leaving us forever restless, bored, anxious, and dissatisfied.
- Body awareness anchors you in the present moment and relieves you of the burden of ego.
- When you are conscious, coincidences happen, and people become helpful and cooperative.
- Complaining and negativity are one of the most common forms of the ego.
- “Awareness and ego cannot coexist.”
- Nothing strengthens the ego more than being right.
- “Ego takes everything personally.”
- Awareness lets you see the totality of any situation.
- “Whatever you fight, you strengthen.”
- The ego forces are always the same: to stand out, be memorable, be in control, have power, get attention, and always want more.
- Fear is the underlying emotion of the ego.
- The ego relies on form to feel better, yet all structures are subject to change and decay. So depending on ego means putting our sense of well-being in the hands of unreliable things.?
- The more you identify with the things of the world and mental constructs, the more you become alienated from yourself, the more unhappy, and the more difficult it is to have relationships.
- “Behind every positive self-concept is the hidden fear of not being good enough.”
- Feeling superior or inferior is the ego talking.
- What you think primarily generates the emotions you feel.
- “Unhappiness covers up your natural state of well-being and inner peace, the source of true happiness.”
- “Awareness is the greatest agent for change.”
- Only awareness, or presence, can dissolve your unconscious past.
- Paradoxically, identification with form both causes and erodes suffering.
- Suffering is the catalyst for waking up.
- We are perpetually doing because we believe we will complete our sense of self with enough doing.
- Life mastery is finding the balance between doing and Being.
