Eckhart Tolle ( ; ; born Ulrich Leonard Tölle, 16 February 1948) is a German-born spiritual teacher and

self-help Self-help or self-improvement is "a focus on self-guided, in contrast to professionally guided, efforts to cope with life problems" —economically, physically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. When ...

author. His books include '' The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment'' (1997), '' A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose'' (2005) and the picture book '' Guardians of Being'' (2009). While working toward his

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

in 1977, Tolle abandoned his studies after a claimed spiritual awakening and later began working as a spiritual teacher. He came to prominence as a self-help author beginning in the 2000s, aided through promotion by

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...

. His teachings draw from traditions such as

Zen Buddhism Zen (; from Chinese: '' Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka ph ...

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

, and

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

, although he remains unaffiliated with any religion.

Early life

Ulrich Leonard Tölle was born in

Lünen Lünen () is a town with around 86,000 inhabitants in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located north of Dortmund, on both banks of the Lippe (river), River Lippe. It is the largest town of the Unna (district), Unna district and part of the R ...

, a small town north of Dortmund in the

Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr Area, sometimes Ruhr District, Ruhr Region, or Ruhr Valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 1,160/km2 and a populati ...

region of Germany in 1948. In 1961 he moved to Spain to live with his father, where he "refused all forms of formal education between the ages of 13 and 22, preferring instead to pursue his own creative and philosophical interests". At 15, he was "heavily influenced" by a gift of the five spiritual books by the German mystic Joseph Anton Schneiderfranken.

Career

When he was 19, Tolle moved to England and taught German and Spanish for three years at a London language school. After attending the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

, he enrolled in a postgraduate program at the

in 1977.

Spiritual experience

One night in 1977, at the age of 29, after having suffered from long periods of depression, Tolle says he experienced an "inner transformation". That night he awakened from his sleep, suffering from feelings of depression that were "almost unbearable," but then experienced a life-changing epiphany. Recounting the experience, he says, Tolle recalls going out for a walk in London the next morning, and finding that "everything was miraculous, deeply peaceful. Even the traffic." The feeling continued, and he began to feel a strong underlying sense of peace in any situation. He stopped studying for his doctorate, and for a period of about two years after this he spent much of his time sitting, "in a state of deep bliss," on park benches in

Russell Square Russell Square is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden, built predominantly by the firm of James Burton (property developer), James Burton. It is near the University of London's main buildings and the British Mus ...

, Central London, "watching the world go by." He stayed with friends, in a

Buddhist monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may ...

, or otherwise slept rough on

Hampstead Heath Hampstead Heath is an ancient heath in London, spanning . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London Clay. The heath is rambling ...

. His family thought him "irresponsible, even insane." He changed his first name from Ulrich to Eckhart; according to some reports this was in homage to the German philosopher and mystic,

Meister Eckhart Eckhart von Hochheim ( – ), commonly known as Meister Eckhart (), Master Eckhart or Eckehart, claimed original name Johannes Eckhart,

.Cathy Lynn Grossman (2010-15-04)
'Life's Purpose' author Eckhart Tolle is serene, critics less so
''USA Today''. Retrieved 24 May 2010. A 2012 interview article states that he saw the name Eckhart on one of a pile of books in a dream, and knew he had written the book; soon after in real life he ran into a psychic friend who called him Eckhart out of nowhere, so he changed his name.

Career as spiritual teacher

Former Cambridge students and acquaintances began to ask Tolle about his beliefs. He started working as a counselor and spiritual teacher. Students continued to come to him over the next five years. He moved to

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

, a center of alternative living. In 1995, he moved to Vancouver. ''

The Power of Now ''The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment'' is a book by Eckhart Tolle. It is a discussion about how people interact with themselves and others. The concept of self-reflection and presence in the moment are presented along with simpl ...

'', Tolle's first book, was published in 1997 by Namaste Publishing. The book was republished on a large scale by New World Library in 1999. In 2000,

recommended ''The Power of Now'' in her magazine '' O''. In August 2000, it reached ''The New York Times'' Best Seller Advice, Miscellaneous and Hardcover list,Best Sellers
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' (12 August 2000). Hardcover advice. Retrieved 4 June 2010. reaching number one two years later. By 2008, the book had been translated from English into 33 languages. In July 2011, it had appeared on the list of the 10 best selling Paperback Advice & Miscellaneous books for 102 weeks. His second book, ''Stillness Speaks'', appeared in 2003. That year, he stated that he had no intention of creating "a heavy commercial structure", nor of setting up an

ashram An ashram (, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< and said "one needs to be careful that the organization doesn't become self-serving". Nevertheless, his website sells his books and "a dizzying range" of materials offering spiritual guidance, and a separate website streams video of monthly group meditations and sells photographs and fundraising courses. In 2005, Tolle published '' A New Earth''. In January, Oprah Winfrey selected it for her book club, and high sales followed. In the four weeks following the announcement, 3.5 million copies were shipped.Oprah Winfrey Book Pick 'A New Earth' Shatters Records
''Associated Press'' via ''Fox News'' (28 February 2008). Retrieved 24 May 2010. It was ranked number one on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list 46 times by the end of 2008. In 2008, Tolle partnered with Winfrey to produce a series of webinars, each one focusing on a chapter from his books, with discussions, silent meditations, and questions from viewers via Skype. The third webinar attracted more than 11 million viewers. By October 2009, the webinars had been accessed 35 million times. In September 2009, he appeared with the

Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣识一切瓦齐尔达喇达赖喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...

at the Vancouver Peace Summit. The same year, he published '' Guardians of Being'', a

picture book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The ima ...

illustrated by Patrick McDonnell. In addition to his publishing activities and the release of film and audio recordings documenting his appearances worldwide, Eckhart Tolle has, for several years, also participated in online podcasts and interviews with YouTubers. During public appearances in his native country, Germany, as well as in interviews with German-speaking content creators, Tolle speaks in his mother tongue, German. ''Eckhart Tolle Teachings Inc''. operates ''Eckhart Tolle Now'', an English-language streaming platform that provides access to video recordings and other content by Eckhart Tolle through a paid membership model. Official YouTube channels are also maintained in both English and German. There is also a presence on audio platforms like

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

. In 2016, Eckhart Tolle established the ''Eckhart Tolle Foundation'', with the mission of bringing the spiritual awareness he advocates to underserved and disadvantaged communities. Eckhart Tolle regularly holds retreats worldwide, both in-person and online, often with his partner Kim Eng. He also gives talks called "An Evening with Eckhart Tolle".

Reception

Popularity

In 2008, ''

'' stated that Tolle was "the most popular spiritual author" in the United States. By 2009, total sales of ''

'' and '' A New Earth'' in North America were estimated at 3 million and 5 million copies respectively, and in 2011, the Watkins Review put him at number 1 in a list of "The 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People".

By the press and others

The books have received a wide range of praise and criticism from reviewers. In 2000, Carter Phipps wrote that "Tolle's clear writing and the obvious depth of his experience and insight set it apart". In 2003, Andrea Sachs characterized ''The Power of Now'' as "awash in spiritual mumbo-jumbo."Sachs, Andrea (21 April 2003)
Channeling Ram Dass
''

Time magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...

''. Retrieved 24 May 2010. Some have praised his re-working and synthesis of traditions.

New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...

writer William Bloom wrote that "Tolle is offering a very contemporary synthesis of Eastern spiritual teaching, which is normally so clothed in arcane language that it is incomprehensible", thereby providing "a valuable perspective on Western culture". Publisher Judith Kendra says, "The ideas hat Tolle istalking about have been in existence for thousands of years in both Eastern texts and with the great Western mystics, but he's able to make them understandable". Some critics have characterized his books as unoriginal or derivative. James Robinson in ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' in 2008 called his writings "a mix of

pseudo-science Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...

philosophy, and teaching borrowed from established religions". A 2009 article in ''The New York Times'' stated that he is "hardly the first writer to tap into the American longing for meaning and success". Sara Nelson, the editor-in-chief of ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'', said Tolle's writings had been successful due to surging public interest in

self-help book A self-help book is one that is written with the intention to instruct its readers on solving personal problems. The books take their name from ''Self-Help'', an 1859 best-seller by Samuel Smiles, but are also known and classified under "self-i ...

By Christian theologians

In 2008, an article in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' noted that "Tolle's theories are certainly seen by many as profoundly non-Christian, even though Tolle often quotes from the Bible", but that "Tolle does have fans in academic, even Christian, circles". It cited Andrew Ryder, a theologian at

All Hallows College All Hallows College was a college of higher education in Dublin. It was founded in 1842 and was run by the Vincentians from 1892 until 2016. On 23 May 2014, it was announced that it was closing because of declining student enrollment. The sale ...

in Dublin, who wrote "While he may not use the language of traditional Christian spirituality, Tolle is very much concerned that, as we make our way through the ordinary events of the day, we keep in touch with the deepest source of our being." Stafford Betty, scholar of religion at

California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a Public university, public university system in California, and the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest public university system in the United States ...

, Bakersfield, finds common ground between Tolle's worldview and that of Christian mystics. He notes that "one of the key elements in Tolle's teaching is that deep within the mind is absolute stillness in which one can experience 'the joy of Being'". Roman Catholic priest and theologian Richard Rohr credits Tolle for helping to reintroduce ancient Christian mysticism to modern Christians: "Tolle is, in fact, rather brilliantly bringing to our awareness the older tradition...both the ground and the process for breaking through to the theological contemplation of God, and acquired contemplation of Jesus, the Gospels, and all spiritual things." Conversely, James Beverley, professor of Christian Thought and Ethics at the

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, says that Tolle's worldview "is at odds with central Christian convictions" and that "Tolle denies the core of Christianity by claiming there is no ultimate distinction between humans and God and Jesus". John Stackhouse, former professor of theology and culture at evangelical

Regent College Regent College is an interdenominational evangelical Christian College of Christian studies, and an affiliated college of the University of British Columbia, located next to the university's campus in the University Endowment Lands west of Va ...

in Vancouver, says that Tolle "gives a certain segment of the population exactly what they want: a sort of supreme religion that purports to draw from all sorts of lesser, that is, established religions". Stackhouse has described him as one of several spiritual teachers who "purport to have investigated the world's religions (quite a claim) and found them wanting, who routinely subject those religions to withering criticism, and who then champion their own views as superior to all these alternatives".

In popular culture

Tolle and his teachings take a central role in

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...

's 2022 album '' Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers''. Throughout the album, Tolle is positioned as Lamar's spiritual teacher, and Tolle narrates some tracks.

Personal life

In 1995, after visiting the West Coast of North America several times, Tolle settled in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, British Columbia. There he met his partner, Kim Eng.

Publications

Books

* ''

: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment''. Namaste, 1997. . * ''Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from The Power of Now''. New World Library, 2001. . * ''Stillness Speaks: Whispers of Now''. New World Library, 2003. . * '' A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose''. Dutton, 2005. . * ''Oneness With All Life: Inspirational Selections from A New Earth''.

Penguin Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...

, 2008. .

Graphic novels

* '' Guardians of Being''. New World Library, 2009. .

Children's books

*''Milton's Secret: An Adventure of Discovery through Then, When, and The Power of Now''. Charlottesville, Virginia:

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...

, 2008. .

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tolle, Eckhart 1948 births Alumni of the University of London German expatriates in Canada Expatriate writers in Canada German male non-fiction writers German self-help writers German spiritual teachers German spiritual writers Living people Nautilus Book Award winners New Age spiritual leaders New Age writers New Thought writers People from Lünen Nonduality teachers