A New Earth: Create a Better Life

The common platitude that “this too shall pass” can “make you aware of the fleetingness of every situation, which is due to the transience of all forms—good or bad” (225). Once you are aware that every situation is temporary, your attachment to form lessens, and you are better able to participate in what is here now, without becoming lost in the illusion that it is graver than a temporary event should be.

Tolle argues that “suffering is due to an over-valuation of form and an unawareness of the dimension of inner space” (226). Being conscious of inner space requires awareness of the temporality of forms and of experience outside of these forms. You can access inner space by taking a conscious breath, which forces a space between thoughts and alerts you to something beyond them. You can also stumble on it when you appreciate the beauty of nature, are content with your own company, or are kind to a stranger without expecting anything in return. While the ego meets every situation opportunistically, the spacious mind meets the present situation exactly as it is.

People can achieve a break from thinking by falling below consciousness when they engage in activities like abusing substances or watching TV.