Eckhart Tolle: Essential Teachings

By Oprah and Eckhart Tolle

Society & Culture

What's Eckhart Tolle: Essential Teachings about?

Oprah Winfrey is delighted to introduce a new weekly podcast series from one of the great spiritual thinkers of our time: Eckhart Tolle. Eckhart’s wisdom will help you learn to quiet your mind, separate your ego from your true self and live a fully present life. Essential Teachings by Eckhart will provide a path to discover an enlightened state of consciousness. Oprah says Eckhart transformed her life and hopes these Essential Teachings will inspire you to seek your own higher purpose.

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Finding Our Timeless Essence

09.21.2023

In this episode, Eckhart talks about the sense of guilt which has plagued humanity through the centuries. He says it’s part of the ego’s dysfunction: the feeling that not only is there something wrong with the world, there’s also something ...

Eckhart Tolle: Essential Teachings episodes:

09.21.2023 Finding Our Timeless Essence In this episode, Eckhart talks about the sense of guilt which has plagued humanity through the centuries. He says it’s part of the ego’s dysfunction: the feeling that not only is there something wrong with the world, there’s also something ...
09.14.2023 The Soul of The World In this podcast Eckhart talks about the soul of the world which in Latin translates to Anima Mundi. He says when we awaken to the transcendent dimension within ourselves, we are then able to discover the soul of the world ...
09.07.2023 The Greatest Mystery Is the Mystery Of the Universe In this podcast, Eckhart talks about the awakening universe. He says the great miracle and the mystery is that the universe is conscious. In fact, Eckhart explains it is a manifestation of consciousness itself and we are part of that. ...
08.31.2023 Creative Solutions Come From Stillness In this podcast, Eckhart answers questions from the audience. A woman is reluctant to experience another life on earth. She asks, “Do we actually choose to reincarnate?” Eckhart says if we’re compulsively reincarnating with every thought and emotion that occurs, ...
08.24.2023 The Danger of Deferring Satisfaction In this podcast, Eckhart talks about setting goals and deferring satisfaction. He says for many people, the activities they’re engaged in are just a means to an end. He believes they are not present in what they’re doing now, because ...
08.17.2023 Letting Go of The Narrative of Me In this podcast, Eckhart says we are at a critical juncture. He explains we must evolve to the next stage of development and transcend the ego. He says many people try to go back to their pre-egoic state of consciousness ...
08.10.2023 Everything Has A Soul In this podcast, Eckhart talks about an inspiring trip he took to Alaska. He describes the awe he felt on a tour through a majestic forest. Eckhart explains, at one point, he lagged behind his guided tour group so he ...
08.03.2023 The Most Difficult People In Your Life Are Your Greatest Teachers In this episode, Eckhart says no one person can make us happy because the demand is not only too much, but also an impossible task. He explains falling in love may feel wonderful. The honeymoon starts and everything is beautiful. ...
07.27.2023 The World Will Always Challenge You In this podcast Eckhart talks about the importance of remaining what he calls ‘teachable.’ He cautions us to be aware of the stories, concepts and labels we use to interpret the world. He encourages us to ask ourselves: when we ...
07.20.2023 The Crack Is How The Light Gets In In this podcast Eckhart talks about suffering and how to transcend it. He says suffering is everyone’s spiritual teacher because it drives us to a kind of willingness. He believes it cracks open the hard shell of the ego, suddenly ...
07.13.2023 We’re Born Connected To Being In this podcast Eckhart talks to a live audience in Hawaii. He says ‘Aloha’ to the crowd and then explains the spiritual meaning of the word. He also mentions stillness which he says is the essence of who we are. ...
07.06.2023 Expressing Our Deeper Purpose In this episode Eckhart discusses our deeper purpose. He emphasizes how important it is for humans to be connected to the kind of higher intelligence that comes from presence. While our careers matter, he says what we do in our ...
06.29.2023 Opportunities For Surrender In this podcast, Eckhart begins with a few thoughts on meditation. He talks about the Chinese philosophy of Taoism (dow-ism). He says one of its key principles is Wu Wei (woo way) which he explains loosely translated, means non-action or ...
06.22.2023 The Deep I Is Pure Light In this podcast, Eckhart answers questions from a live audience including a father who says he wants to help bring presence into the lives of his active and unconscious teenagers who spend too much time on their devices, computers and ...
06.15.2023 A Peace That Surpasses All Understanding In this podcast, Eckhart talks about the “Deep I” and the “Surface I” - two ideas he uses to teach spiritual development. Eckhart says the “Surface I” is our personality and is connected to the horizontal dimension, the realm of ...
06.08.2023 No One Can Act Beyond Their Level of Consciousness In this episode, Eckhart talks about human unconsciousness by telling the story of his father who he says had profound anger issues. Eckhart compares his father to a volcano, often brimming over with red hot rage. For years Eckhart says ...
06.01.2023 When The Mind Stops, Awareness Remains In this episode, Eckhart talks to a live audience in Arizona. He begins by saying the mind can be a wonderful thing – we can think, speak languages and engage in creativity. Eckhart also explains when we get too caught ...
05.25.2023 Alchemy: Transforming Our Difficulties into Spiritual Gold In this podcast, Eckhart answers a variety of questions from a live audience including a man who says he is legally blind from drug use and wants to know how to manage his fearful thoughts. Another audience member reveals he ...
05.18.2023 Healing Our Obsession with Doing Eckhart talks about how critical it is we balance being with doing. He says without it we will not reach the deeper dimension of consciousness which is our legacy. Eckart explains when we’re obsessed with doing and achieving, we cannot ...
05.11.2023 Narcissus And The First Selfie: Releasing Our Delusions In this podcast, Eckhart talks about self-seeking. He says many people who are unawakened look for an identity in self-centered thinking. Eckhart explains these people may define themselves through social status, good looks or the accumulation of wealth. Eckhart draws ...
05.04.2023 Awakening From The Dream State: Finding Balance Between Being And Doing In this episode, Eckhart talks about the importance of finding balance between Being and Doing. He explains, so many of us get lost in the doing because we’re so focused on external achievements, getting ahead and chasing after what we ...
04.27.2023 What The World Needs Is Wisdom In this podcast, Eckhart talks about the life-changing wisdom we acquire when we stop compulsive thinking. He says wisdom is very different from intelligence and that true wisdom arises from a place beyond the kind of intelligence that is generated ...
04.20.2023 The Most Fundamental Thing In Human Life In this podcast, Eckhart emphasizes the importance of stillness. He says through stillness we will reach the next step in human development… the evolution of our consciousness. He explains that for thousands of years we have been trapped in complete ...
04.13.2023 The Purpose of Your Life Is Becoming Conscious In this podcast Eckhart talks about outgrowing unconsciousness. Eckhart says only awareness can free us of our resentments, judgments and negative thinking which are the deeply ingrained patterns that keep us stuck. He says as our awareness grows, we realize ...
04.06.2023 You Are Already Complete In this podcast Eckhart addresses participants' concerns: an athlete wants to know if competition is incompatible with leading an awakened life? Eckhart explains that one can have the desire to win, but when winning becomes the key to one’s sense ...
03.30.2023 Ask For Inner Peace In this podcast, Eckhart takes the audience through his renowned inner body awareness meditation. He encourages everyone to sense the aliveness in every cell. He believes this is one of the tools which can free us from the ego. He ...
03.23.2023 Obstacles To Awakening In this episode Eckhart talks about the ego and other factors that block us from deeper awareness. Eckhart explains why the ego loves opposition and thrives on feeling superior. He says being obsessed with the need to be right in ...
03.16.2023 Acceptance Is the Way To Transcendence In this podcast Eckhart answers a variety of questions, a woman asks about identity at the soul level. She asks do we, in our most transcendent form, retain some aspect of individuality even though we all emanate from the one ...
03.09.2023 Beyond the Surface Layer of Reality In this episode Eckhart talks about our true purpose which he believes is to transcend our surface layer of reality and our superficial sense of self. He says most of us define ourselves as a person with a past, an ...
03.02.2023 Presence Is the Foundation for Everything In this podcast Eckhart explains why presence is the bedrock for our existence. He says without it nothing would be possible. He says most people define themselves through self-created labels based on our past or an imagined future. He says ...
02.23.2023 The Deep Mystery Of Existence In this episode Eckhart answers questions on various topics including the difference between a creative impulse and the ego. A woman asks Eckhart about his decision to move from England to the Pacific Northwest. Eckhart says when the call continued ...
02.16.2023 You Are the Present Moment In this podcast Eckhart gives a brief talk on his signature teaching: the power of presence and then answers questions from the audience. He says the important thing to understand is the presence that inhabits our bodies is not something ...
02.09.2023 Suffering and Awakening In this podcast Eckhart answers questions from a live audience, including one about how suffering can lead to awakening. Eckhart says we need challenges in order to evolve. The great paradox is we are liberated when we surrender to life’s ...
02.02.2023 You Are the Consciousness of the Universe In this episode Eckhart talks about the need for challenges. He says without them we would not grow in awareness. Eckhart explains the entire universe is evolving towards greater consciousness. He says beyond our individual lives, we are connected to ...
01.26.2023 Discovering Our True Identity In this podcast Eckhart discusses how we define our personal identity. He says it usually begins with the physical body, then possessions and achievements. He says we may have a long list of accomplishments - even personal wealth, but we’re ...
01.19.2023 Sensing Presence in Another In this episode Eckhart answers questions on a variety of topics, such as: What is the soul? Is it possible to awaken when we are depressed? And how do we sense presence in another? Eckhart says we experience the presence ...
01.12.2023 The Most Important Thing to Realize Is the Deep I In this episode Eckhart talks about a collective awakening growing on the planet even while the majority of people remain spiritually asleep. He explains most of us are completely identified with our thoughts - the constant, compulsive stream of thinking ...
01.05.2023 The Shift: From Thinking to Awareness In this podcast Eckhart asks his audience, “What are you certain of?” After some discussion, they conclude very little. He references philosophers throughout history who have said life is a dream and our individual lives fleeting. Eckhart explains there is ...
12.29.2022 Challenges Push Us Into Presence In this episode, Eckhart answers questions on how to deal with death… for ourselves and those we love. Eckhart says it’s critical that we break the taboo so we can overcome our fear. eckhart proposes that when faced with the ...
12.22.2022 Watch Your Mind In this podcast Eckhart discusses the path to awakening. He encourages listeners to detach from the mind, instead of being the mind. He says most of us get so enmeshed in our thinking we mistake it for reality. He also ...
12.15.2022 Forgiving Our Unconsciousness In this podcast, Eckhart talks briefly about what he calls the beingness behind our five senses which lead to the deeper essence of who we are. Eckhart then answers a question about forgiveness. He says until we are strongly connected ...
12.08.2022 The World Is Not Here to Make You Happy In this podcast, Eckhart answers a question about overcoming suffering and finding happiness. Eckhart says the world is not here to make us happy, it's here to make us conscious. He says the beginning of awakening is the end of ...
12.01.2022 Recognizing The Essence of Who You Are in Everyone Eckhart begins this episode discussing the purpose of suffering. He says suffering is the great awakener, that cracks the shell of the ego. He believes through the crack something beautiful and profound emerges. Eckhart describes it as our true essence. ...
11.24.2022 The Ego and the Need to Be Right In this podcast, Eckhart gives a brief talk about the difference between being versus becoming. He says when we focus on becoming, we look to the future for our fulfillment. We lose sight of our being which is connected to ...
11.17.2022 Suffering Consciously: Confronting Illness and Addiction In this podcast, Eckhart answers questions about addiction and facing illness consciously. Eckhart speaks with a woman who had cancer fears its return and the possibility of an early death. While difficult, Eckhart encourages her to practice presence by staying ...
11.10.2022 Liberation From Yourself In this podcast, Eckhart encourages participants to start with a moment of stillness. He says through quiet and calm we get in touch with that part of ourselves Eckhart calls “The Deep I.” Eckhart believes that by reaching beyond our ...
11.03.2022 Bringing Consciousness to the Grief Process In this podcast Eckhart answers questions about dealing with grief consciously. He asks what does the grief process look like for an awakened person? Do we experience the classic stages of denial, anger and bargaining? Eckhart says even if we’re ...
10.27.2022 Why Awakening Leads to Freedom In this episode, Eckhart answers questions about why it’s important to seek awakening and how we can learn to function in a world that seems chaotic. Eckhart says we must learn to awaken to free ourselves of suffering. It is ...
10.20.2022 You Already Are Who You Want To Become In this podcast, Eckhart talks with a live audience in Greece. He cautions participants against the belief that enlightenment is somewhere ‘out there’ or is something to be achieved in the distant future. He says we don’t have to go ...
10.13.2022 Presence And Letting Go of Control In this episode, Eckhart reflects on the power of presence and the accompanying state of stillness. He says it’s in those moments when we’re not thinking that we experience pure awareness. He then answers questions about what presence is not. ...

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