Eckhart Tolle and Sri Aurobindo Two Perspectives on Enlightenment

Cambridge physicist Eckhart Tolle caught the attention of spiritual seekers with his first book, 'The Power of Now'. Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) is considered one of the foremost philosophers of the 20th century. This book compares aspects of Eckhart's teaching and Sri Aurobindo's yoga, and relates these to the author's own spiritual quest. Table of Contents 5 Preface 6 Acknowledgments 9 Publisher's Note 10 1. Eckhart Comes to Me 12 The Egoic Self 19 Fear — Insecurity 19 Resistance — Complaining 20 Needing Ever More — Desire 21 Looking to the Next Moment — Waiting 21 Self-Seeking 23 Mental Noise 24 Perceiving through the Veil of Mind 25 The Witnessing Presence 26 No Problems in the Now 27 Portals into Enlightenment 28 The Pain-Body 29 The Paradox of Enlightenment and Time 31 Chronological Time and Psychological Time 33 Enlightenment Distinguished from Liberation 34 The Simplicity of Enlightenment 37 The Grace of the Guru 39 Enlightenment — Slow or Sudden? 41 Enlightenment — Living in the Present Moment 43 2. Interview with Eckhart Pondicherry, India — February 2002 45 Note: 70 3. Questions and Answers at Esalen 71 4. Sri Aurobindo on the Witness Consciousness 74 5. The Teachings of Eckhart Tolle and Sri Aurobindo — Some Comparisons 83 Ego, Self, and Being 83 Evolution of Consciousness 86 Mind and the Spiritual Life 89 Mind and the Witness Consciousness 97 Mind, Thought, and Stillness 99 Parts of the Ordinary Mind 100 The Outer (Ordinary) Mind and the Inner (Subliminal) Mind 100 Levels of Spiritual Mind Above the Ordinary Mind 100 Personal Effort and Surrender 108 Method of Spiritual Practice 117 The Process of Inner Change 127 The Aim of Spiritual Practice 149 6. Postscript: Emerging Insights 152 Appendix I. Sri Aurobindo's Teaching and Method of Practice 159 Appendix II. The Three Instruments of the Teacher 163 Appendix III. Sri Aurobindo's First Major Experience 165 Note on Eckhart Tolle 167 Note on Sri Aurobindo 168 Note on the Mother 169 About the Author 170 Integral Yoga