Touching the Eternal: A Retreat on the Heart of Spiritual Surrender

by Eckhart Tolle

Honoring the Evolutionary Impulse to Realize Our Essential Nature Before there was darkness or light or the universe itself, there was stillness. Beyond time, space, and form―beyond birth and death―it continues. And this is who you are in your most essential nature. With Touching the Eternal, join Eckhart Tolle on retreat in India to rediscover the universal destination charted by the world’s wisdom the possibility of awakening to the truths beyond words. Transcending Conventional Ideas of Time and Self Reminding us not to "mistake the map for the territory," Eckhart shares here many of his hallmark pointers to presence. By surrendering to the present moment, we find that awakening is not something to be achieved in the future―it is within us right now. Illuminating common struggles of the spiritual seeker, Eckhart helps us release compulsive thinking, resistance to the now, addiction to suffering, and limiting "spiritual" beliefs. In the awakened state of consciousness, he explains, we can relate to both time and timelessness. We don’t need "more" of anything―including time―because we know that we are already complete. "The eternal stillness that preceded the Big Bang exists within you―it’s never gone away," explains Eckhart. "Our task is to move from an absurdly limited sense of self into the spaciousness of the eternal Self." Touching the Eternal is a life-changing program to help you catch what Eckhart calls "the evolutionary impulse," and realize the depths of freedom, wisdom, and peace that can be accessed within. Highlights • Practicing inner observation to work with egoic resistance
• The connection between surrender and compulsive thinking
• Meeting discomfort in a state of "yes"
• Stillness as the foundation of the phenomenal world
• Liberating insights on death and dying
• More than 15 hours of teachings for touching the timeless consciousness from which all things arise

Genres: Spirituality

Audio CD

Published April 1, 2016

About the author

Eckhart Tolle is a German-born spiritual teacher and internationally bestselling author whose work has profoundly influenced the contemporary spiritual landscape. Born Ulrich Leonard Tölle in 1948 in Lünen, Germany, he experienced a transformative spiritual awakening at the age of 29 after years of depression and anxiety. This profound shift in consciousness marked the beginning of his journey as a spiritual guide and thinker. Tolle abandoned his doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge to explore and embody the stillness and presence he had discovered, eventually becoming a spiritual teacher based in London and later in Vancouver, Canada.
Tolle rose to prominence with the publication of The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment in 1997. The book, which emphasizes mindfulness and present-moment awareness, resonated with a global audience and was later championed by Oprah Winfrey, catapulting it to international bestseller status. In 2005, Tolle released A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, which expanded on his earlier teachings and explored the role of ego in personal and societal dysfunction. The book also achieved massive commercial success, further solidifying Tolle’s reputation as one of the most influential spiritual authors of his time.
His teachings draw from a variety of traditions, including Zen Buddhism, Christian mysticism, Sufism, and Hindu philosophy, though he remains unaffiliated with any formal religion. Tolle emphasizes a non-dualistic approach to spirituality, focusing on the importance of presence, inner stillness, and the disidentification from ego-based thinking. His accessible language and calm demeanor have helped millions integrate spiritual practice into daily life.
In addition to writing, Tolle has delivered talks, retreats, and webinars to audiences around the world. In 2008, he partnered with Oprah Winfrey to produce a groundbreaking webinar series based on A New Earth, attracting millions of viewers. He also co-authored the illustrated book Guardians of Being in 2009, further exploring his core themes through the lens of animals and nature.
Tolle currently lives in Vancouver with his partner, spiritual teacher Kim Eng. Together, they continue to teach and support global audiences through online content, publications, and events. Widely regarded as one of the most spiritually influential figures of the 21st century, Tolle’s message of inner peace and awakening remains as timely as ever.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ekhart Tolle’s wisdom is timeless. I listened to this via the audiobook. It is my preferred way of digesting his teachings. I think hearing the direct transmission adds to the experience, and its impact upon you.

As with all his books, it takes you directly into presence and teaches you how to stay there. He teaches the same thing in all his books and retreats, albeit with slightly different words.


You can’t really go wrong with any of his work.

[Carlos Xavier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audible version of it. The book has an amazing world view... the teachings are very valuable. It helped me focus better my meditation exercises and just understanding it makes all the difference... sadly the audio is awful, the song between chapters became annoying. And at the end the book became very repetitive.