Product Description
From bestselling author and visionary Eckhart Tolle comes this wonderful, enlightening and inspiring work on the importance of dogs and cats not just as pets, but as guides, guardians and beloved friends. Richly illustrated by Patrick McDonnell, creator of Mutts, "Guardians of Being" shows us that not only can we rely on our pets to help us, but that though their partnership, we can gain a deeper understanding of the universe and its love, as well as ourselves. Through this extraordinary exploration of our relationship with animals, Tolle demonstrates that our relationship with the animals we know and care for is not simply a bond of love, but a spiritual one too, transcending words to form an uplifting, enlightening experience.
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“Dogs emanate a goodness that people respond to. One of the joys of walking your dog is that often people come up to you and immediately their hearts open. They are not interested in you, of course. They want to pat your dog.” – Eckhart Tolle, from the book Guardians of Being
In a delightful collaboration between spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle and Mutts comic strip creator Patrick McDonnell, the book Guardians of Being combines the Now-centric words of Tolle with the whimsical drawings of McDonnell, illustrating the oneness of all life, the joy found in simplicity, and the profound truths conveyed by our furry friends.
Frankly, I dare anyone to read this book and not have at least one belly laugh at best or several wide grins at worst (as if that’s really a “worst”!). I read Guardians of Being yesterday, and I can honestly say that joy and stillness overflowed from within. My 10-year-old son wanted to know what I was chuckling about, so after I was done reading the book, he read it! (And he actually erupted into laughter several times.)
Here are but a few gems from Guardians of Being (although the meaning is magnified by McDonnel’s adorable comic strips):
* “When you pet a dog or listen to a cat purring, thinking may subside for a moment and a space of stillness arises within you, a doorway into Being.”
* “I have lived with many Zen masters, all of them cats.”
* “You just watch the tail…with some dogs you just look at them–just a little look is enough–and their tail goes… `Life is good! Life is good!’ And they are not telling themselves a story of why life is good. It’s a direct realization.”
* “Give yourself completely to the act of listening. Beyond the sounds there is something greater: a sacredness that cannot be understood through thought.”
* “The one life, the one consciousness, takes on the form of a man or woman, a blade of grass, a dog, a planet, a sun, a galaxy… This is the play of forms, the dance of life.”
Perfect for animal lovers, Guardians of Being reminds us that all is one, God resides in stillness, peace is our core, and that we’re all connected by the same precious life force. Those who resonate with Tolle’s teaching will also treasure this lovely book, as would anyone needing a good dose of inspiration, gentle humor and uplifting wisdom.
It’s not only a wonderful book for adults, but also for children–and waiting rooms, doctor’s offices, libraries, coffee tables, churches and daycares would be the richer for having the Guardians of Being close by.
– Janet Boyer, author of Back in Time Tarot
I just loved this book!
Patrick McDonnell and Eckhart Tolle make a great partnership of minds.
This tiny, extraordinary book absolutely captures the essence of Tolle’s work illustrating his profound concepts using the example of animals, for whom ‘being in the moment’ is purely instinctual.
I looked at my cat after I read this amazing book and it occurred to me, wow! he lives ONLY in this moment of now! And I do not mean to sound trite here. Literally, he doesn’t work on himself, he doesn’t work on his parents, his kittenhood, which was spent roughing it on the street, does not exist for him anymore, nor does the future. When he was sick, he was just sick, not worried about the future, not resisting it, not comparing himself, not feeling sorry for himself.
Sunlight on his face, chasing a fly, curled up…I believe, far from trite, this is EXACTLY Tolle’s point to us all. It is what living in the moment actually looks like – from a being that is just ‘being,’ that in fact only knows how to just live in the now.
McDonnell and Tolle have made a great example to their readers with this lovely, illustrated text of how to live in the moment. If you enjoy ‘Guardians of Being’ – and you absolutely will – check out two of my other favorite books by two of my favorite authors, the awesome Ariel and Shya Kane, Working on Yourself Doesn’t Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment Enjoy!
Guardians of Being is another delightful collaboration between spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle and Patrick McDonnell, the creator of the Mutts cartoon characters. Despite the cartoon illustrations, unless your child is a little Buddha, this is really a book for an adult’s inner child.
The charm and quirky humor of McDonnell’s cartoons marries perfectly with the deep peace and serenity of Tolle’s words, lifting the combination to a new plane and calling you into the moment like an irresistable siren song. It is the perfect book for the bedside, coffee table or “Throne Room,” and would make a wonderfully subversive gift for Type A personalities.
My twin sister in the US introduced me to Patrick McDonnell’s “Mutts” just around the time I discovered Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now. I acknowledged the deep wisdom inherent in Tolle’s teachings, but found his book rather dense and difficult to read.
However, when I met Mooch, Earl and the rest of the Mutts family, I instantly recognized kindred spirits, and have been an ardent fan ever since. I receive the Daily Mutts cartoon and monthly newsletter online, and The Gift of Nothing, Just Like Heaven, an autographed copy of Sunday Mornings, and now Guardians of Being are cherished gifts and hold a special place in my book collection.
Guardians of Being is a divinely inspired collaboration. Tolle’s insights are bite-sized and easy-to-digest, and are beautifully complemented by McDonnell’s uplifting, humorous illustrations. The message is simple yet profound: that the plant and animal kingdom can open our hearts and teach us to be still, to be present, and to just BE. It gave me a renewed sense of appreciation for all the wonders of God’s creation, but especially my beloved dog and cat. I will be ordering many copies of Guardians of Being for friends who are both animal lovers and spiritual seekers.
Eckhart Tolle has a large following in Australia, but Patrick McDonnell is relatively unknown. I hope Guardians of Being will help spread his imaginative joy to a wider international audience.
PS: Has anyone else noticed how much Eckhart Tolle and Patrick McDonnell resemble their dogs?
This is one of those books I would like to purchase for the whole world! I felt that way about The Power of Now and A New Earth, too, however I know that it would be more difficult going for a lot of folks to just plunge right into one of those!
But here we have a Gateway — our pets. And the drawings are stunning. I will read this again and again.
It is the first book in a long time that I have not bought on my Kindle, this is one that needs to be held and cherished over and over.
Please get this book today!
Welcome back Hanna!
Hehe that's why you'd notice I don't update my blog as often as I used to. I'm taking sometime off to spend it together with my beloved friends. God knows when we all can meet each other again after graduation!
LOL, I never realized how scary I look with the protruding eyes until my friend took those pictures. I think I'm qualified for a horror movie
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