"The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle

I spent several months re-reading this book, since it is written in the form of questions and answers covering multitude of topics, including sub questions and detailed explanations.  It is a deep book.  Maybe one of the most original teachings of modern times.  It seems like sublimation of Zen Buddhism and Gurdjieff's system with some salt-and-pepper Christianity thrown in.

It is very difficult to review this book, as it is very dense and varied and it doesn't (really) follow any sequential structure. The history of Tolle is interesting too. Highly educated but also very depressed and seeing no meaning or exit in his life he became suicidal.  In the darkest hour he received enlightment, which is decribed as the Power of Now.  He spent a year as a homeless guy (he has a PhD and comes from a relatively wealthy background) sleeping on benches and eating whatever, but being constantly happy and present.  Then he felt a calling to spread what he learned to others.  He moved to Vancouver, wrote the book, tried to sell it to bookstores, but there were no takers.  He gave free lectures and seminars and after a while the fame started to spread.

The basic tenet of the book is that we spend way too much time begrudging the past and fearing the future which robs us of the only reality we actually have - the now, the present.  Tolle teaches that we need to withdraw from desire and connection with the material world as much as possible.  The past is irrelevant, the future has not come yet, so the now is all we have and we have to remind ourselves over and over again of that obvious fact and always pull our emotions and thoughts from the past and future, and focusing them on the now.

He mentions an interesting concept of the "Pain Body" which is the sum of all grudges, insults, hurts and resentments we still hold and which acts as a vampire, sucking our energies and sapping our will, leaving us empty an powerless.  He teaches bringing consciousness to the Pain Body and its elements, as unconscious things are resolved when brought to the light of consciousness without resistance and denial.  

Tolle wrote a second book "A New Earth" where he describes the evolution of the human race and the planet once we all 'awaken'.