Another 'How To' phenomena has hit Planet Earth. Promoted by spiritual seeker Oprah Winfrey, Eckhart Tolle and his book, 'A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose,' are attracting people around the world.

A friend bought me a copy of Tolle's book, saying 'Give it a chance --- if you read the first two chapters and don't like it, don't read anymore.' From beginning to end, I recognized the language and the words used. As little red flags flooded my mind, I took notes.

I painfully finished the whole book in one day. Painfully? Yes. It brought back memories of a 30-year journey seeking 'The Truth' in the wilderness of man's enlightenment. Much of my life was spent on a wild- goose chase without an ending in sight.

What is Tolle saying? Nothing new.

He just added one new interpretation. He interweaves Darwin's theory of evolution into the story of life with a 'spiritual' twist. The way he expresses our spiritual seeking is that while on Earth, we can discover our life purpose through 'awakening' to real 'awareness' of the 'Presence' (God Consciousness) within each of us.

Our Darwinian evolution will be 'spiritual transcendence' from our physical forms 'back' to the universal God Consciousness by ridding ourselves of our controlling, interpretative 'egos' which is the 'I.' This 'I' identifies with form and sets us up for 'illusion' dominating our lives.

Two little problems with this interpretation. One, he claims the ego '...embodies the primordial error .... this is the ego.' Two, he never takes into account that Darwin's own 'ego' interpretation of the origins of life and that man's ego-effort to explain 'how we got here' might be a pervasive 'illusion.'

The persuasive language Tolle uses is a compilation of words drawn from man's ideas and philosophies over thousands of years. The lingo is a mishmash intertwined throughout the book taken from: Eastern religions and reincarnation; pagan gods, psychology including existentialism and Maslow's self-actualization theory; Science; mysticism; natural laws; and sprinkled with New (old) Age and Occult concepts; and many more.

It's as if Tolle took bits and pieces of what he liked from all of them, pureed them in a blender, and poured out a fully formed Truth.

Tolle quotes Jesus Christ throughout his book to bolster his theory, the Truth --- but in no way I've ever seen used. He manages to infer new meanings while quoting Jesus completely out of context.

For example, to back up his Truth, in chapter 3, The Core of Ego, Tolle states, 'The Truth is inseparable from who you are. Yes, you are the Truth....The very Being that you are is Truth. Jesus tried to convey that when he said, 'I am the way and the truth and the life' (John 14:6a).'

Tolle continues: 'These words uttered by Jesus are ...one of the most powerful and direct pointers to the Truth, if understood correctly.' Of course Tolle is the only one who understands correctly.

Context, Context, Context! Tolle neglected to include the very next sentence Jesus spoke: 'No one comes to the Father except through me.' (John 14:6b)

Postulating about our species' creative use of the ego-mind to the 'manifestation of form,' Tolle again quotes Jesus from Mark 11:24, 'Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.' Shades of positive thinking!

This verse, in context, has to do with belief in Jesus Christ and walking in faith and obedience to the Will of God.

Tolle claims that we have nothing to look forward to except right 'Now' and if a 'new heaven and new earth' (from Revelation 21:1) are not arising in each of us right now, '...they're just a thought and therefore not arising at all.'

Of course, if we don't accept his theory -- we're just not ready. In the end, this book contains very little substance while utilizing truthful nuggets from all of mankind's wisdom over the ages.

Been there, done that! I and many others have been brought to the Knowledge of the permanent Truth that cannot be watered down, though many have attempted to so. The Truth is all contained in one book called the Bible, God's Word to mankind. There is only One who satisfies us so that we no longer have to seek what we are missing.

Jesus Christ and Christ Alone! He fills that void in each of us which can never be filled by anyone nor anything else.

Not my ego's illusionary truth. It's God's Truth!

© 2008 Bonnie Alba