“The past cannot survive in your presence. It can only survive in your absence.”

— Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now (1997)

About Eckhart Tolle

Born 1948

German-born spiritual teacher, author of "The Power of Now".

“Forgiveness of the present is even more important than forgiveness of the past.”

“Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry—all forms of fear—are caused by too much future, and not enough presence.”

“The child has a deep longing for the parent to be there as a human being, not as a role.”

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

“He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.”

Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.

“The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.”

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”