Why you do not need to give anything up | Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle has spent time in Buddhist monasteries and visited Christian ones, and he is candid about what he found. Often the good intentions do not work. Many of the monks still had very large egos. That is worth knowing, because it says something about how this actually functions. For thousands of years, people have practised voluntary loss. Early Christians gave up everything they owned. Thousands of sadhus in India still do. There was a tradition where a householder, once his children were grown and his obligations met, would leave his family in his final years and go off into the unknown with nothing, living on what others gave him. In a monastery you hand over the clothes you identified with and wear the robe instead, which at least solves the question of what to put on in the morning. You give up your name too, which is interesting, because a great deal of the past clings to a name. And your name has very little to do with who you are. It is a sound made by your vocal cords. But the ego is cunning, and it returns through the back door. A monk is treated with reverence, people approach him differently, and slowly a new self-image assembles itself. I am the one who gave everything up, and I am therefore further along than you. Which is why he is clear that for most people this is not the path. The relinquishment that matters is internal. Letting go of your attachment to these things, so that you stop looking for yourself in them. The external version may help. It guarantees nothing. One more thing he says, and he says it carefully. Loss is spiritually more useful than gain. Not something to go looking for. But when life takes something away, that is the practice, and it is the one you have been given. Eckhart goes much further into this in the full session. Join Eckhart Tolle Now to watch. 👇 Sign up for a free trial: https://bit.ly/etnow-freetrial ✨🌟Take Your Practice Deeper with Eckhart Tolle Now🌟✨ You’ve already started your journey with Eckhart Tolle’s teachings on YouTube—now it’s time to take that journey even deeper. We’re excited to offer you an exclusive year-long discount to join Eckhart Tolle Now for just $139—that’s only $11 per month for a full year of transformative teachings and practices. ✨Here’s what awaits you as a member of Eckhart Tolle Now: ▪️Private Community: Connect with like-minded individuals in an exclusive, supportive online platform dedicated to living in Presence. ▪️Monthly Video Practices: Guided teachings each month to help you live a life of greater peace, clarity, and mindfulness. ▪️Member-Only Discounts: Get special offers on Eckhart’s newest teachings and online courses, plus access to exclusive content. ▪️Over 300 Hours of Teachings: A treasure trove of videos covering relationships, stress relief, parenting, and more, to support your growth. ▪️Q&A Sessions with Eckhart & Kim Eng: Direct answers to your questions from Eckhart and Kim to deepen your understanding and practice. ▪️Recorded Retreats & Events: Access video recordings from Eckhart and Kim’s global retreats, bringing you the essence of their transformative events. ▪️Conversations with Spiritual Luminaries: Enjoy deep, insightful conversations between Eckhart and other renowned teachers, including Jack Kornfield, Marianne Williamson, and Neale Donald Walsch. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/etnow-freetrial ▶️ Subscribe to Eckhart's Channel: bit.ly/ETYouTubeSub 🔒 Become a Channel member and get added perks: bit.ly/JoinETYT --- Eckhart Tolle is widely recognized as one of the most inspiring and visionary spiritual teachers in the world today. With his international bestsellers, The Power of Now and A New Earth —translated into more than 50 languages—he has introduced millions to the joy and freedom of living life in the present moment. The New York Times has described him as “the most popular spiritual author in the United States,” and in 2011, Watkins Review (now Watkins Mind Body Spirit) named him “the most spiritually influential person in the world.” Eckhart’s profound yet simple teachings have helped countless people around the globe experience a state of vibrantly alive inner peace in their daily lives. His teachings focus on the significance and power of Presence, the awakened state of consciousness, which transcends ego and discursive thinking. Eckhart sees this awakening as the essential next step in human evolution.