| Eckhart Tolle was originally born Ulrich Leonard Tolle | | | | Gita, the Tao Te Ching, and the Teachings of Buddha |
| on February 16, 1948 in a small area near Dortland, | | | | with helping him become enlightened. His conclusion is |
| Germany. He lived with his father in Spain from the | | | | that most religions have become so complicated they |
| age 13-19. During those years Tolle refused to go to | | | | are more divisive than unifying. |
| school, complaining that the environment there was too | | | | In 1995, Eckhart Tolle moved to Vancouver, Canada, |
| "hostile". Instead he studied literature, astronomy, and | | | | where he has remained. He travels extensively, giving |
| languages at home, on his own. When he was about | | | | retreats and seminars as well as lectures. He has |
| fifteen, he studied seriously five books given him by a | | | | conducted at least one retreat at Findhorn in Scotland. |
| German mystic, Joseph Anton Schneiderfranken. He | | | | In 2005, he wrote and published The Power of Now. |
| credits those with touching him deeply. Eventually, Tolle | | | | Unsure of its potential popularity, he had only 3000 |
| moved to the United Kingdom. He received a | | | | copies printed which he hand-distributed to stores in |
| graduation diploma from the University of London and | | | | Vancouver. By 2009 his book had been on the New |
| studied but did not complete his doctorate at the | | | | York Times Best Sellers list for 62 weeks. Since then |
| University of Cambridge. His studies focused on | | | | he has written further books explaining his philosophy. |
| literature, languages, and this time, philosophy. | | | | He has also founded Eckhart Teachings, a company |
| Long periods of suicidal depression plagued Eckhart | | | | that handles his products, including CD's, DVD's and |
| Tolle until, at about age 29, he experienced an inner | | | | picture books for children as well as adults. He has |
| transformation. He would spend the next ten years | | | | more recently started an Internet site with monthly |
| trying to formulate a philosophy around his experience. | | | | meditation groups. |
| Tolle has credited the New Testament, the Bhagavad | | | | |