70+ Eckhart Tolle Quotes to Embrace the Power of Now

Here are the best Eckhart Tolle quotes, broken out by book and topic. I hope these help you to stay in the present moment so you an experience more joy in your life. You deserve to feel empowered and happy! These Eckhart Tolle quotes can help.  

Who Is Eckhart Tolle?

Eckhart Tolle is a beloved spiritual teacher who focuses on accessing your power by being in the present moment. He’s best know for his book The Power of Now, and more recently, A New Earth.  I’ve pulled the top quotes from these books below, along with his best quotes on life, love, letting go, and more. 

Eckhart Tolle doesn’t identify with any specific religion, but he does believe in God. His words of wisdom will soothe and enlighten you.

Enjoy and don’t forget to share!

‘The Power of Now’ Quotes

The book, The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle is about escaping the illusions of your mind so you can experience spiritual enlightenment.

It focuses heavily on freeing yourself from the falsehoods of the ego, which cause your emotional pain. The book opens with Tolle’s personal story of self discovery. He was suicidal at a very young age until he had a very personal, profound experience that put him on the path to becoming a spiritual teacher.

The book is done in a question + answer format. Also, he uses a special symbol throughout, to signal the reader to stop and contemplate certain lessons before reading more.

This is appropriate because the book is deep, and while the core concepts are repeated many times in different ways, it still takes quite a bit of mental energy to process Tolle’s message.

In fact, while the reviews are overwhelmingly positive, this book isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

So it really all depends on your personal style. While many people claim it transformed (and even saved) their lives, others find it difficult to get through (and even a little boring – it depends if you resonate with it).

I suggest you read the free excerpt available on Amazon. Then, if you vibe with it, grab yourself a copy.

Isn’t it wonderful that we have different spiritual leaders, each with their own teaching style? There’s something for everyone out there. So as always, feel free to take what feels good to you, and pass on what doesn’t.

Here are the best quotes from Eckhart Tolle’s first book, The Power of Now. It will give you a good flavor for Tolle’s message and writing style. Have you read the book? Let me know in the comments how you feel about it!

“You are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold. That is how important you are!”

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.”

“Any action is often better than no action, especially if you have been stuck in an unhappy situation for a long time. If it’s a mistake, at least you learn something, in which case it’s no longer a mistake. If you remain stuck, you learn nothing.””

“Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.”

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive. To put it more accurately, it is not so much that you use your mind wrongly – you usually don’t use it at all. It uses you.”

“You are awareness, disguised as a person.”

“Once you have identified with some form of negativity, you do not want to let it go, and on a deeply unconscious level, you do not want positive change. It would threaten your identity as a depressed, angry or hard-done by person. You will then ignore, deny or sabotage the positive in your life. This is a common phenomenon. It is also insane.” 

“Power over others is weakness disguised as strength. True power is within, and it is available to you now.” 

“The pollution of the planet is only an outward reflection of an inner psychic pollution: millions of unconscious individuals not taking responsibility for their inner space.”

‘A New Earth’ Quotes

This section contains quotes from Eckhart Tolle’s book, A New Earth, which focuses on the current state of humanity, and how we can create a more loving world.

The main purpose of human life, according to Tolle, is to transform your consciousness, and awaken to your spiritual truth.

Tolle cites teachings from Buddha, Jesus, and other spiritual leaders throughout history. But he takes great care to define the important differences between religion and spirituality.

He also explains why religion without true awakening does nothing to raise one’s consciousness. In fact, this leads us to one of his more popular quotes, which I’ve placed first on the top 10 list, at the bottom of this post.

Tolle actually comes out and says up front “this book is not interesting” – lol. In other words, it’s not meant to entertain or offer subjective ideas for debate. Instead, Tolle offers this book as a tool for awakening. So, you’ll either love it or hate it.

Again, as I mentioned above, Tolle has a very specific writing style that goes deep, it almost reminds me of reading poetry.

So if you’re a lover of philosophy and enjoy stretching the way you perceive the world, you’ll want to read A New Earth, for sure.

This book is going to challenge you to confront your own inner-crazy (I say that with love) so that you can rise above it and live with more joy. Tolle is big on the concept that we create our own suffering in life.

If you want to understand more about how you create your own reality: What Is Law of Attraction? Intro To Manifesting

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”

“Being aware of your breath forces you into the present moment – the key to all inner transformation. Whenever you are conscious of the breath, you are absolutely present. You may also notice that you cannot think and be aware of your breathing. Conscious breathing stops your mind.”

“If peace is really what you want, then you will choose peace. If peace mattered to you more than anything else and if you truly knew yourself to be spirit rather than a little me, you would remain nonreactive and absolutely alert when confronted with challenging people or situations. You would immediately accept the situation and thus become one with it rather than separate yourself from it.”

“Anybody who is one with what he/she does is building the new earth.”

“How do you let go of attachment to things? Don’t even try. It’s impossible. Attachment to things drops away by itself when you no longer seek to find yourself in them.”

“How you react to people and situations, especially when challenges arise, is the best indicator of how deeply you know yourself.”

“Knowing yourself deeply has nothing to do with whatever ideas are floating around in your mind. Knowing yourself is to be rooted in Being, instead of lost in your mind.”

“Don’t let a mad world tell you that success is anything other than a successful present moment.”

“When you don’t cover up the world with words and labels, a sense of the miraculous returns to your life that was lost a long time ago.”

Eckhart Tolle Quotes on Love

Eckhart Tolle teaches us that when we are enlightened, we see everything through the eyes of love.

In The Power of Now, he talks about feeling so filled with love and joy after his awakening, that he didn’t do much else than sit on a park bench for months, just enjoying being alive.

Can you imagine experiencing such inner peace that you don’t need any outside entertainment, or any particular reason to feel joy? This is what it means to have an awakened consciousness.

Tolle explains that when we fall in love, we’re really seeing a reflection of ourselves in the other person. We make assumptions about who they are, based on what we want to see. Once the initial high (based on our illusions) wears off, then the suffering begins.

However, if we can take a step back and find the love within ourselves, and for ourselves, then we’ll start to see that in our partner.

Then at that point, you’ll be drawing out all the best aspects of each other. Again, although he doesn’t use the term, this is very much an example of Law of Attraction, and how our focus dictates our experiences.

Here are the best Eckhart Tolle quotes on love.

 “After the initial euphoria has passed, there is so much unhappiness, so much pain in intimate relationships. They don’t cause pain and unhappiness. They bring out the pain and unhappiness that is already in you.”

“To the ego, loving and wanting are the same, whereas true love has no wanting in it, no desire to possess or for your partner to change.”

“The intensity with which true love is felt can vary. There may be one person who reflects your love back to you more clearly and  intensely than others, and if that person feels the same toward you, it can be said that you’re in a love relationship. The bond that connects you with that person is the same bond that connects you with the person sitting next to you on a bus, or with a bird, tree,  flower. Only the degree of intensity differs.”

“Love is a state of being. Love is not outside; it’s deep within you. You can never lose it and it cannot leave you.”

“True love has no opposite because it arises from beyond the mind”

“To love is to recognize yourself in another.”

“Internal and external are ultimately one. When you no longer perceive the world as hostile, there is no more fear, and when there is no more fear, you think, speak and act differently. Love and compassion arise, and they affect the world.”

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

“Love isn’t a portal; it’s what comes through the portal into this world. Your task isn’t to search for love but to find a portal through which love can enter.”

If you’re in need of heart healing, here is some additional reading to bring you comfort:

• How to Practice Self Love: 11 Life Changing Tips
• 6 Powerful Love Affirmations for Lasting Results
• Ultimate Guide to Your Heart Chakra
• 31 Heart Chakra Affirmations for Soothing and Inner Peace

Eckhart Tolle Present Moment Quotes

Eckhart Tolle is all about focusing on the present moment.

He has stated time and again that he has very little use for the past, and does not spend time thinking about it. This is because it causes suffering, and also because the past holds no power.

He offers some basic exercises in order to stay present. Take washing your hands for example. Instead of allowing your mind to wander, focus on how this simple task affects your senses.

Listen to the sound of the flowing water.

Study your hands.

How does the water feel on your skin?

What does the soap smell like?

This simple practice can be applied to all sorts of simple tasks as you go about your day. And this is so important because your day is filled with seemingly insignificant tasks!

But you can use them to retrain your mind to be more present. Plus you’ll be amazed by how helpful this can be to quiet the extra noise in your mind.

If you want my favorite way to stay present, check out: 1 Easy Tip To Be More Mindful.

Here’s my round-up of Eckhart Tolle quotes on the present moment.

“Realize the present moment is all you have. Make ‘the now’ the primary focus in your life.”

“Always say yes to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? What could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.”

“When you get into your car, shut the door and be there for just half a minute. Breathe, feel the energy inside your body, look around at the sky, the trees. The mind might tell you, ‘I don’t have time.’ But even the busiest person has time for 30 seconds of space.”

“Most humans are never fully present in the now, because unconsciously they believe  the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now.”

“Don’t wait to be successful at some future point. Have a successful relationship with the present moment and be fully present in whatever you’re doing. That is success.”

“You cannot find yourself by going into the past. You can find yourself by coming into the present.”

“Nothing ever happened in the past that can prevent you from being present now; and if the past cannot prevent you from being present now, what power does it have?”

“Be true to life by being true to your inner purpose. As you become present and thereby total in what you do, your actions become charged with spiritual power.”

“Most people treat the present moment as if it were an obstacle that they need to overcome. Since the present moment is life itself, it is an insane way to live.”

Eckhart Tolle Quotes on Awakening

The entire point of living is to awaken, according to Tolle. But this doesn’t mean that your newfound awareness is going to keep un-awakened people from showing up in your life.

In fact, Tolle explains that we need conflict and challenges with others, in order to continue to grow.

While it is true you’ll experience far less difficult people the more you practice his principles, you still need to experience some contrast to get a feel for where you still need work.

For example, when you encounter a difficult person, someone you would consider ‘un-awakened’, how do you react? If your initial response is to judge them or to wish they were more spiritually evolved, then you have more work to do, my friend!

When you’re really got these concepts down, you’ll be far less affected by the negative influence of others. Instead, you’ll have a positive influence on them!

You truly do make the world a better place by practicing spiritual awareness. Here are my favorite Eckhart Tolle awakening quotes.

“You attract and manifest whatever corresponds to your inner state.”

“The power for creating a better future is contained in the present moment: You create a good future by creating a good present.”

“The more consciousness you bring into the body, the stronger the immune system becomes. It’s as if every cell awakens and rejoices. The body loves your attention”

“Being spiritual has nothing to do with what you believe and everything to do with your state of consciousness.”

“Give up defining yourself – to yourself or to others. You won’t die. You will come to life. And don’t be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it’s their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don’t be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of conscious Presence. You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.”

“The awakening of consciousness is the next evolutionary step for mankind.”

“Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at the moment.”

“Fear arises through identification with form, whether it be a material possession, a physical body, a social role, a self-image, a thought, or an emotion. It arises through unawareness of the formless inner dimension of consciousness or spirit, which is the essence of who you are. You are trapped in object consciousness, unaware of the dimension of inner space which alone is true freedom.”

Eckhart Tolle Quotes on Acceptance + Surrender

Eckhart Tolle’s teachings around acceptance and surrender echo what he says about being in the present moment. Surrender is all about going with the flow of life, instead of resisting it.

In other words, you can’t be in the flow of your life if you’re stuck in the past.

It can be very difficult to accept yourself exactly as you are now. But this is an important key to relieving yourself from unnecessary suffering. And you deserve to be happy!

“It seems that most people need to experience a great deal of suffering before they will relinquish resistance and accept – before they will forgive.”

“Accept, then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.”

“Resistance is weakness and fear masquerading as strength. What the ego sees as weakness is your Being in its purity, innocence, and power. What it sees as strength is weakness.”

“You never surrender to the idea of illness. You don’t say, “I must surrender to the fact that I have COVID-19,” or, even worse, “I must surrender to the fact that I have this incurable condition.” All you surrender to is the present moment, whatever the body manifests in the present moment. That is what is; that is what you accept. With that kind of surrender, a doorway opens into the transcendent dimension, and that’s where the power of manifestation really comes through.”

“Accepting means you allow yourself to feel whatever it is you are feeling at that moment. It is part of the isness of the Now. You can’t argue with what is. Well, you can, but if you do, you suffer.”

“Surrender means acceptance. Acceptance initiates healing. The foundation for healing is to accept this moment as it is.”

Eckhart Tolle Quotes on Relationships

Ah, relationships. Eckhart Tolle has much to say on this subject, and the different levels of love.

First, there’s the initial clinging to someone that you experience when you’re swept off your feet. Although he warns this type of love, if it doesn’t evolve, can quickly turn into its opposite.

Next, there is emotional love, like the connection you feel to your closest family members. It waivers less.

Finally, beyond that, there is spiritual love. And that’s what Tolle advises should be the goal. Spiritual love is rooted in the truth of who you really are: pure love!

When you know this about yourself, you also know it about others. Here are the most powerful relationship quotes by Eckhart Tolle.

“If you both agree that the relationship will be your spiritual practice, so much the better. You can then express your thoughts and feelings to each other as soon as they occur, or as soon as a reaction comes up, so that you do not create a time gap in which an unexpressed or unacknowledged emotion or grievance can fester and grow. Learn to give expression to what you feel without blaming. Learn to listen to your partner in an open, non-defensive way. Give your partner space for expressing himself or herself. Be present. “

“If in your relationships you experience both “love” and the opposite of love – attack, emotional violence, and so on – then it is likely that you are confusing ego attachment and addictive clinging with love.”

“Some couples who may think they have ‘fallen in love’ are actually feeling drawn to each other because their respective pain-bodies complement each other. Sometimes the roles of perpetrator and victim are already clearly prescribed the time they meet. Some marriages that are thought to be made in heaven are actually made in hell.”

“A genuine relationship is one that is not dominated by the ego with its image-making and self-seeking.”

“If in your relationships you experience both “love” and the opposite of love – attack, emotional violence, and so on – then it is likely that you are confusing ego attachment and addictive clinging with love.”

“As a spiritual practice, I suggest that you investigate your relationship with the world of things through self-observation”

Eckhart Tolle Quotes on Death + Suffering

If you’re willing to look at death in a new way, these Eckhart Tolle quotes can be quite soothing.

He reminds us that when someone we love dies, they’re simply leaving behind their temporary, physical shell and returning back to the source consciousness that is all of us. And because of that, there really is no separation between us and them.

Tolle invites us to give ourselves permission to feel at peace with the concept of death, instead of feeding the idea that we are supposed to suffer when we experience this type of loss.

Of course there will still be grief for the loss of our loved one’s physical presence, but the larger part of them, their consciousness, remains with us always.

Science hasn’t yet caught up to this concept yet, and still associates life with physical matter. But we know better!

What do you think of Tolle’s views on suffering and death? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

“Death is a stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to ‘die before you die’ and find that there is no death.”

“Your mind says “I shouldn’t be feeling peace, that isn’t what one feels in a situation like this”. But that’s a conditioned thought by the culture that you live in. So instead, recognize it as a conditioned thought that is not true. It doesn’t mean that waves of sadness don’t come back from time to time. But in between the waves of sadness, you sense there is peace.”

“Suffering has a noble purpose: the evolution of consciousness and the burning up of the ego.”

“Death is not the opposite of life. Life has no opposite. Death is the opposite of birth.”

“Whenever death occurs, whenever a life form dissolves, God, the formless and unmanifested, shines through the opening left by the dissolving form.”

“When you feel you don’t want to live anymore, is it a resistance pattern that’s egoic because things are not going the way you want ? Or, maybe a kind of tiredness of life? Instead of committing suicide, practice dying, by surrendering completely to the present moment. Don’t demand the present moment to be different. It is what it is, then the ego dies. Try surrender then see what happens. That means no complaint of anything anymore, complete acceptance of this moment as it is.”

“The more you live in the present moment, the more the fear of death disappears.”

“Many people don’t realize until they are on their deathbed and everything external falls away that nothing ever had anything to do with who they are.”

“The end of illusion – that’s all death is. It is painful only as long as you cling to illusion.”

Top 10 Eckhart Tolle Quotes

“Man made God in his own image.”

“Where there is anger, there is always pain underneath.”

“Stress is caused by being “here” but wanting to be “there,” or being in the present but wanting to be in the future.”

“If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place.”

“Whatever you think people are withholding from you–praise, appreciation, assistance, loving care, and so on–give it to them.”

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change.”

“Don’t take the ego too seriously. When you detect egoic behavior in yourself, smile. At times, you may even laugh.”

“There is nothing that strengthens the ego more than being right. Being right is identification with a mental position – a perspective, an opinion, a judgment, 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.”

“What a liberation to realize that the “voice in my head” is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that.”

“Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.”

Conclusion

Did you love these Eckhart Tolle quotes? Which ones brought you the most clarity? Leave me a comment below!

XO,  Andrea

Andrea Scalisi

Andrea has been practicing Astrology, Numerology, and Tarot for many years. She is a certified Aromatherapist and Reiki Master in Central NY, and also holds a Masters Degree from Syracuse University. Andrea loves helping her readers bring more spiritual self-care into their lives.

Contact Andrea

Full moon photo by Alexis Antonio on Unsplash

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