This online class is not for or against any religion. It is intended to help all human beings, all over the world, bring about a shift in consciousness. "How spiritual you are has nothing to do with what you believe but everything to do with your state of consciousness," Eckhart says.Some people wonder how spiritual awakening and engagement in a religious tradition can work together.

In The Power of Now, Eckhart writes, "When I occasionally quote the words of Jesus or the Buddha…or from other teachings, I do so not in order to compare, but to draw your attention to the fact that in essence there is and always has been only one spiritual teaching, although it comes in many forms. Some of these forms, such as the ancient religions, have become so overlaid with extraneous matter that their spiritual essence has become almost completely obscured by it. To a large extent, therefore, their deeper meaning is no longer recognized and their transformative power lost. When I quote from the ancient religions or other teachings, it is to reveal their deeper meaning and thereby restore their transformative power—particularly for those readers who are followers of these religions or teachings. I say to them: there is no need to go elsewhere for the truth. Let me show you how to go more deeply into what you already have."

Hear Eckhart Tolle on Public Radio's Speaking of Faith
Eckhart talks with Krista Tippett about his own spiritual development and his newfound celebrity, beginning August 14. Listen in!Listen

Visit SpeakingofFaith.org to listen to the full interview, download the program and check local broadcast times.
Quotes from The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. Copyright © 1999 by Eckhart Tolle. Excerpted with permission by New World Library. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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