Canada
Leader profile
German-born spiritual teacher and author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, known for his teachings on presence and the present moment.
Profession
Spiritual teacher, Author
Known for
Present-moment awareness, The Power of Now, Spiritual awakening, Presence and inner stillness, The ego, The pain-body, Observing thoughts, Consciousness, Acceptance and surrender, Inner peace, Relationships and presence, Life purpose
Born
February 16, 1948
Died
Birthplace
Lünen, Germany
Based in
Vancouver
Nationality
Canada
On this page
Eckhart Tolle, born Ulrich Leonard Tölle on 16 February 1948 in Lünen, Germany, is a spiritual teacher and author based in Vancouver, Canada. He moved to Spain with his father at 13 and to England at 19, where he taught languages, studied at the University of London and began postgraduate work at Cambridge.
In 1977, at age 29 and after long periods of depression, he describes an inner transformation that dissolved his identification with compulsive thinking. He spent the following years in contemplation before working as a counsellor and spiritual teacher in London and Glastonbury.
After moving to Vancouver in 1995 he published The Power of Now (1997), followed by A New Earth (2005). Oprah Winfrey’s support, including a 2008 webinar series and two book club selections, carried his teachings on presence and the ego to a global audience.
Why they matter
Eckhart Tolle is a German-born spiritual teacher and #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books The Power of Now and A New Earth helped bring ideas of presence and inner stillness into the mainstream. His books have been translated into more than 50 languages.
The New York Times called him the most popular spiritual author in the United States in 2008, and Watkins ranked him the most spiritually influential living person in 2011. He teaches through books, talks, retreats, online programmes and the Eckhart Tolle Foundation, founded in 2016.
He adopted the first name Eckhart, reportedly in homage to the medieval mystic Meister Eckhart.
Tolle’s partner is Kim Eng, a spiritual teacher he met in Vancouver who also teaches in his programmes and retreats. No children have been publicly documented.
He has described an unhappy early childhood in post-war Germany. In 1961, at 13, he moved to Spain to live with his father.
Tolle refused formal schooling between the ages of 13 and 22. At 15 he was strongly influenced by books by the German mystic Joseph Anton Schneiderfranken (Bô Yin Râ).
At 19 he moved to England and taught German and Spanish at a London language school for three years. He then studied at the University of London.
In 1977 he enrolled in a postgraduate programme at the University of Cambridge, but abandoned his doctoral studies after the inner transformation that redirected his life.
Before his awakening, Tolle worked as a language teacher in London and then as a postgraduate student at Cambridge. He struggled with depression and anxiety throughout this period.
After the 1977 experience he lived very simply, spending long periods on park benches in Russell Square and staying with friends. Former colleagues and acquaintances began to seek his guidance, and he worked as a counsellor and spiritual teacher in London and later in Glastonbury.
In 1995 he moved to Vancouver, where he wrote The Power of Now, first published by Namaste Publishing in 1997 and reissued by New World Library in 1999. He went on to teach worldwide through talks, retreats, recordings and online programmes.
Tolle’s teaching centres on presence: awareness of the present moment and freedom from identification with the thinking mind and ego. He describes awakening as an essential next step in human evolution.
The New York Times called him the most popular spiritual author in the United States in 2008. Critics have called his writing a mix of New Age philosophy and borrowed religious teaching, while some Christian writers argue his views conflict with core doctrine.
The Power of Now entered the list in August 2000 and reached number one about two years later.
Oprah Winfrey chose A New Earth in January 2008; it was ranked number one on The New York Times list 46 times by the end of that year.
Ranked first in the inaugural Watkins list, and has appeared in its top five every year since.
Named by Oprah Winfrey among 100 visionaries and influential leaders in her SuperSoul 100 list.
A New Earth became the only book chosen twice in the history of Oprah's Book Club.
Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and author, born Ulrich Leonard Tölle on 16 February 1948 in Lünen, Germany, and based in Vancouver, Canada. He is best known for the books The Power of Now (1997) and A New Earth (2005).
His teachings focus on presence, awareness of the present moment and freedom from identification with compulsive thinking. He is not affiliated with any particular religion, though his work draws on Zen Buddhism, Christian mysticism, Sufism and Hinduism.
The Power of Now is Eckhart Tolle’s first major book, published in 1997. Its central idea is that peace is found by being fully present in the current moment rather than living in regret about the past or worry about the future.
The book explains how people identify with their thinking mind and how stepping back to observe thoughts can reduce suffering.
Tolle has said that in 1977, at age 29 and after long periods of depression, he went through a night of inner transformation that left him with a lasting sense of peace. He describes it as the end of his identification with compulsive thinking.
He spent the following years in contemplation before beginning to work as a counsellor and spiritual teacher in England.
In Tolle’s teaching, the ego is a false sense of self built from identification with thoughts, possessions, roles and stories about the past. He argues that this identification is a major source of human suffering.
He teaches that becoming aware of the ego, rather than fighting it, is what weakens its hold.
The pain-body is Tolle’s term for an accumulation of old emotional pain that lives in a person and can be triggered by present situations. When active, it tends to feed on negative thinking and conflict.
He teaches that observing the pain-body with presence, without identifying with it, gradually reduces its power.
Tolle suggests observing thoughts rather than following them, noticing that there is an awareness behind thinking. Simple practices such as paying attention to the breath or to sensations in the body can create space between a person and their thoughts.
He presents this as a way to experience moments of inner stillness in everyday life.
Many readers begin with The Power of Now, which sets out his core teaching on presence. A New Earth (2005) builds on it with a closer look at the ego and the idea of a collective shift in consciousness.
Shorter options include Stillness Speaks (2003) and Practicing the Power of Now (2001), which present the teachings in brief passages and exercises.
Oprah Winfrey recommended The Power of Now in O, The Oprah Magazine in 2000 and selected A New Earth for her book club in January 2008. That year the two also hosted a 10-week webinar series based on the book.
The partnership introduced his teachings to a very large international audience.
Tolle’s official website, eckharttolle.com, offers his books, talks, online courses and information about events. His official YouTube channel also publishes talks and question and answer sessions.
Their work
Organizations
Eckhart Tolle Foundation
Eckhart Teachings
Books
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
Stillness Speaks
Practicing the Power of Now
Events and programs
Retreats and online teachings with Kim Eng
Keep exploring
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