Tolle starts Chapter 8 titled “The Discovery Of Inner Space” with an ancient Sufi story. In this story there was a king who was either in a state of extreme happiness or incredible depression. If something good happened to the king he would be overwhelmed with joy. But if even the slightest thing went wrong he would become furiously upset. Eventually even the king become tired of living in this way and looked for an alternative. To overcome his problem he sought out advice from a wiseman and asked him what the secret to his serenity was.
This Too Will Pass
The wiseman told the king that he would give him a gift that was so priceless that even his kingdom would not be enough to pay for it. He said before he would give this great gift to the king he must promise that he would honor the gift. The king agreed and several weeks later he was presented with a gold ring housed in an ornate jade box. Inscribed on the ring were the words “This too will pass.” The King demanded to know what the meaning of the gift was.
The wiseman told the king that he would give him a gift that was so priceless that even his kingdom would not be enough to pay for it. He said before he would give this great gift to the king he must promise that he would honor the gift. The king agreed and several weeks later he was presented with a gold ring housed in an ornate jade box. Inscribed on the ring were the words “This too will pass.” The King demanded to know what the meaning of the gift was.
Impermanence And Non-Judgement
As Tolle points out this story is a perfect illustration of the key ideas of impermanence and non-judgement. Any event that occurs in our life is transient. The idea that “this too shall pass” isn’t just a way of making us feel comforted when things are bad. It also shows that everything, good and bad will eventually pass away. By becoming detached it does not mean that we can no longer enjoy things. By being aware of their transient nature we can often enjoy them more because we don’t have to fear losing them.
Becoming conscious of being conscious
Tolle states that in order for humanity to regain its balance and sanity it needs to gain “space consciousness”. Humanity is for the most part currently object conscious. This means that are primarily conscious of things. The next step is humanity’s evolution is to become conscious of being conscious itself. This creates an inner stillness in the back of the mind while still being aware of what is occurring at the forefront. It is being aware of ones own presence.
Tolle highlights the fact that television is the favorite “non-activity” of millions of people. He suggests that the reason that people find it so appealing is that the longer they watch it the longer their own thought activity becomes suspended. But this does not mean that television creates inner space. Your mind may not be producing its own thoughts but it is passively absorbing the thoughts and imagery projected by the television. Over time excessive television watching can create increased passivity, decreased energy and shorter attention spans.
The Bliss Of Being
The first step to seeking inner space is understanding that exists. When you can simply enjoy being in the moment, whether that is admiring the beauty of the clouds in the sky or being kind to a stranger without expecting anything in return, then you have opened yourself up briefly to inner space. When this occurs you will experience a feeling of well being and peace. The wisemen of India would called this state ananda which is simply the bliss of being.
Tolle ends Chapter 8 by discussing the benefits of stillness. He points out that stillness has been described as the language of God, everything else is only a bad translation. Stillness does not have a form. Therefore through thinking we are not able to become aware of it. Rather to enjoy stillness we must be conscious without thought. Stillness is the state where we are most who we really are. This is who you were before you assumed the physical and mental form that you know call your person. It is also who you will become when the physical manifestation of you has ended.
Don’t forget to check the other chapters on this amazing book.
A New Earth By Eckhart Tolle Chapter by Chapter Summary Chapter 2: Ego The Current State of Humanity
A New Earth By Eckhart Tolle Chapter by Chapter Summary Chapter 3: The Core of Ego
A New Earth By Eckhart Tolle Chapter by Chapter Summary Chapter 5: The Pain-Body
A New Earth By Eckhart Tolle Chapter by Chapter Summary Chapter 6: Breaking Free
A New Earth By Eckhart Tolle Chapter by Chapter Summary Chapter 7: Finding Who You Truly Are
A New Earth By Eckhart Tolle Chapter by Chapter Summary Chapter 9: Your Inner Purpose
A New Earth By Eckhart Tolle Chapter by Chapter Summary Chapter 10: A New Earth
Let me know what you think about this book.
Self Help Robot