The Simple Truth: Discovering the Pathway from Suffering to Peace

by Eckhart Tolle

The world's religions share a universal peace is possible. Eckhart Tolle discovered this firsthand during a transformational experience at the age of 29--when the 'continuous mental noise' that made his life 'an unhappy story' spontaneously ceased. The Simple Truth is an illuminating session with the author of The Power of Now that traces the growth of Eckhart's teaching work--and offers the possibility for each of us to participate in the evolution of human consciousness. Fielding a series of questions presented by Danish journalist Anne Hjort, Eckhart -Discovering a dimension beyond your personal history
-Living in the moment instead of toward a 'better' one
-The primordial truth of being
-Taking action in the world while rooted in presence
-The role of suffering and the meaning of surrender
-The 'inner readiness' that precedes acceptance of what is
-Paying attention to your relationship to the present moment
-The purpose of all spiritual to reveal what's already here

Genres: Audiobook

Audio CD

Published November 15, 2015

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

[A.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A name I have seen around a lot but knew little about. This was just over an hour, and in a kind of interview audio format.
His philosophy seems to be to live in the moment; as in not the future. I can’t argue with that. I’ve seen people peg their lives to some goal in the ‘I’ll be happy when…’ kind of way. And if they reach that when goal, there are no fireworks, no fanfare, and they end up oddly disappointed.
Be grateful for what you have.
The interviewer was almost a gushing fangirl, bless her. So she seems to have ticked one of her goals. Lol
3 stars

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What is my relationship to the present moment?” "Your life is only ever now.”
“Thoughts cause suffering. Your interpretation of the situation, not the situation creates suffering. Resistance to what is. You must surrender to the now.”

I can’t get enough Tolle! This book was particularly good because it was a recorded conversation where Tolle shared some personal stories of his life and childhood. The context adds value to this incredible message. My resistance to reality is what causes suffering, not reality.

[Marcos Fuerte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eckort Tolle talks about that the secret of happiness is always here in the now. There seems to be a hard truth that what we need understand is there is not secret to happiness is it is always abundantly available to every one. Paying attention to your relationship to the present moment.

[Cherith Keeton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing author. Worth reading & rereading.

[Howard Altschuler · Rating 2 out of 5]

More about Tolle himself than his philosophy in interview format.

[Booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second lecture by Eckhart Tolle. To be listened to over and over again!

My favourite moments:

18:00 To most people the present moment almost doesn't exist because what they're really interested in is the next moment or the one after that. So they live always towards the future, they live towards the next moment. And unconsciously they regard the next moment, the next point in the future that they need to get to.. they regard that as more important than this moment, not realizing that the future moment they so desperately want to get to... wanting it to get it out of way as soon as possibility.... They don't recognize that the future has no existence except as a thought form. So when you always live toward the future, you live your life trapped in a conceptual reality of thought forms which assumes a greater significance for you than the immediate reality of life which is always now. Because your life consists entirely of the present moment.
48:00 You won't surrender. Surrender means only accept this moment as it is. But you won't be able to surrender unless you're completely fed up with suffering. You've had enough with suffering. ... You recognize that most of your suffering is self created. It is created out of resistance. It is created out of an interpretation of something that is. It comes from a thought, from an interpretation, not from the situation.
52:00 Your thoughts make your suffer more than anything else. It's not usually the situation. It's your interpretation of the situation, of how dreadful it all is. And so when you see that, then you see there's another way to live in which I no longer mentally argue with what is and that's the end of self inflicted suffering. And if I no longer inflict suffering on myself then I no longer inflict suffering on others, because they two go together.
53:00 Acceptance won't come unless you've reached this inner point of readiness. ... It's not the situation, it's the mental interpretation of the situation which in most cases is a form of resistance and that creates the suffering.
57:00 The essence is to make the present moment into your friend, not your enemy. To always ask yourself 'what is my relationship with the present moment'? ... That would be enough to bring about a change. When you realize that you are making the present moment into your enemy and you also know that's all you ever have in life then you realize it is a mad way to live. To treat this moment as if it were an obstacle to where you want to get to but you never get there because it's always now. Then your relationship towards the present moment changes, and your relationship becomes one of yes rather than no to what is.