Stillness Speaks

Stillness amidst the World

By: Eckhart Tolle

Narrated by: Eckhart Tolle

Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

This long-awaited second book by renowned spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle goes deeper into the teachings so eloquently and clearly expressed in his first book, The Power of Now.

These short, clear entries are organized into ten topic clusters ranging from "Stillness and Silence" and "Beyond the Thinking Mind" to "Relationships" and "Suffering and the End of Suffering." Whether listened to individually or in topic clusters, these entries take on a rare transformative power.

While its message is broad and profound, Stillness Speaks is also highly practical. Eckhart Tolle shows us how to be with another in a relationship that can contain and weather all things, how to sit with a dying person, where to find wisdom, how to free ourselves of guilt, and how to control our constant stream of thoughts. Underneath the words, and in the spaces between them, we find the power of stillness, a vibrantly alive state existing only in the present moment. Stillness Speaks draws upon the essence of all spiritual traditions, offering a message that is both ancient and contemporary, filled with timely and powerful wisdom.

©2003 Eckhart Tolle (P)2003 New World Library

Critic reviews

"Enticing spiritual insights that expound on inner stillness" (Amazon.com)

In a certain sense, this is the BEST book Eckhart

This is a very special book that might best apply to those who are already fairly familiar with Eckhart's teachings. But in that sense, it is something QUALITATIVELY DIFFERENT from the Power of Now or the New Earth. Stillness Speaks is more akin to the Tao Te Ching. Let me elaborate.

I've read the Power of Now, the New Earth and watched several videos of Eckhart's talks. Although they convey the same message, they do it very differently, so it can well be that, depending on where you are at in your life, you cannot yet comprehend Eckhart's talks and other books, because they appear "mumbo-jumbo" to you. :)

If you are still at the very beginning of the awakening process, I think The Power of Now and/or the New Earth are the books where you should begin. However, if you are already fairly awakened (that is to say, you don't need any more lenghty, conceptual explanations on the workings of the ego, pain-body, awareness, etc.) you might find that these two books are quite a bit "too elaborative." And that's perfectly fine, because most people encounter Eckhart's teachings in a stage in that they are still identified with their mind, so these books first and foremost speak to your mind.

But in an already awakaned state, when reading these books, say, for the third or fourth time, you might cath yourself thinking: "OK, I already know and understand all these things on the conceptual level. Could you now please say more with less words?”
And that is exactly what Stillness Speaks does. It is a wonderful collection of wisdom-nuggets that are sometimes only a few sentences long but, because of that, extremely powerful. And even more: this is a book that the audiobook (Audible) format suits BEST! I also listened to The Power of Now and the New Earth audiobook, but in Stillness Speaks Eckhart talks much more slowly and operates with longer SILENCES between sentences.

When I first „listened” to this gap after a sentence, suddenly I felt something incomprehensible. The words affected my state of consciousness much more with these breaks than they could have if they followed each other in an uninterrupted way. I often even paused the listening voluntarily and just sat / walked in silence for minutes before I continued with the next sentence.

I have the feeling that The Power of Now and the New Earth are good informative books on spirituality but after having read them several times, one can "get" nothing more out of them. Stilness Speaks, on the other hand, is more like the Tao Te Ching. You can open it ANYWHERE, read / listen to it for even just a few minutes, then carry on with your life with heightened awareness. Almost like a meditation. Wonderful. And in THIS particular sense I can truly say that it is Eckhart's best book.

Ausome

Delivers a quiet inside mometary awaraness about oneself which is all we have. An awakening self in the monents and enjoyment of each one of them.

Read this extraordinary text

Would you consider the audio edition of Stillness Speaks to be better than the print version?

Yes--I can listen to it when I can't sit and read it.

What other book might you compare Stillness Speaks to and why?

The Power of Now and all other Eckhart Tolle's works because they are life-changing.

What does Eckhart Tolle bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He creates a meditative mood and exudes sincerity.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Watch this film first.

Any additional comments?

I wish I had discovered Eckhart Tolle's writing decades ago.

eye opening

Great read. loved it!! Listening to this brought instant peace to me. I liked the pauses and chimes and the content was very informative.

Dive deeper into Now

Stillness Speaks offers succinct and to-the-point material that stands firmly on its own merits. However, functions most optimally as the perfect adjunct accompaniment to The Power of Now. Well worth exploring.

The truth

Great story. Meaning the truth, whether we want to hear it or not. Life is truly a journey. Do your best to enjoy it

Amazing

I loved these reflections by Eckhart. The silence, the space, tha pause he uses between each word and phrase is a major gift for the soul.

STILL, LOOK, LISTEN!!

What made the experience of listening to Stillness Speaks the most enjoyable?

Content & the stillness in between which gives time to think about the point mentioned.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Nothing like a character in this book. But the Hero is the 'NOW (PRESENT MOMENT)'

Which scene was your favorite?

I really loved the last chapter in the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes lot of points moved me in particular the point 'Situations don't make you unhappy they may cause you a physical pain but they don't make you unhappy, your thought, interpretations, the stories you tell yourself make you unhappy'

Another great work by eckhart tolle.

Great boom to listen to. If you haven't heard the power of now then go grab that one first.

lt takes you to God

This short volume contains the essence of Tolle's other books (the Power of Now or the New Earth). lt is a most effective read once you are familiar with his teaching, which means that you are at least open to his ideas and willing to go on this journey of consciousness. Take this book with you on this journey. lt will take you to God.