| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Ulrich Leonard Tölle |
| Profession(s) | Author, Spiritual Teacher |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5' 7" (170 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Blue |
| Hair Colour | Salt & Pepper |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 16 February 1948 (Monday) |
| Age (as of 2025) | 77 Years |
| Birthplace | Lünen, Germany |
| Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | German |
| Hometown | Lünen |
| College/University | • University of London • University of Cambridge |
| Educational Qualification | Bachelors degree in languages and history from University of London |
| Social Media | • Instagram • YouTube |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Kim Eng (Spiritual Teacher) |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Eckhart Tolle
- Eckhart Tolle was raised by his parents in a German Catholic family.
- In 1961, Eckhart Tolle relocated to Spain to live with his father. Between the ages of 13 and 22, he rejected all forms of formal education, choosing instead to explore his own creative and philosophical interests.
- At the age of 15, he was deeply influenced by a set of five spiritual books gifted to him, written by the German teacher and author Joseph Anton Schneiderfranken.
- Eckhart is said to have been heavily influenced by these books, and his writing also draws heavily on the New Testament, the Bhagavad Gita, and Sufism.
- When he was 19, Eckhart Tolle moved to England and taught German and Spanish for three years at a London language school.
- During the winters, Eckhart used to spend time in the University of London Library reading deep, spiritual books. Soon, students began to say he was not just a regular wanderer, but someone special who had gone through a powerful inner change.
- Despite everything, he eventually attended the University of London and was recognised by Cambridge University as having enrolled there as a postgraduate student in 1977, at the age of 29.
- After leaving Cambridge, Eckhart Tolle experienced a significant personal downfall. Sharing the entire experience, he was quoted as saying in one of his interviews that
I was unhappy, depressed and anxious. I was not trying to become enlightened or anything like that. I was looking for some kind of answer to the dilemma of life, but I had been looking to the intellect for the answer; philosophy, religion and intellectual inspiration. The more I was looking on that level, the more unhappy I became.”
- By age 29, Eckhart Tolle was a respected scholar at Cambridge, but despite his success, he fell into deep depression and even thought about ending his life. In that dark moment, he had a powerful realisation that set him on the path to becoming a spiritual teacher.
- After his time at Cambridge, some of his old classmates and friends became curious about his beliefs. He began helping people as a counsellor and spiritual guide.
- Over the next five years, more and more people came to learn from him. He later moved to Glastonbury, a place known for alternative lifestyles, and then settled in Vancouver in 1995.
- Soon after, during a difficult time, he had a sudden realisation. He noticed that the part of him that was always stressed or unhappy was not his true self. This made him question, “Who am I really?” That moment changed everything and helped him understand himself on a deeper level.
- For the next two years, Eckhart stopped studying for his doctorate and spent a lot of time just sitting on park benches, feeling deeply peaceful and joyful. He used to stay with friends, in a Buddhist monastery, or otherwise slept rough on Hampstead Heath in London.
- In that period of time, Eckhart Tolle’s family used to call him irresponsible and even insane. Soon after, he changed his name to Eckhart in a homage to the German spiritual leader Meister Eckhart.
- After that, he wrote his first book titled ‘The Power of Now,’ which was published in 1997 by Namaste Publishing. The book was republished on a large scale by New World Library in 1999 and stayed at the top of bestseller lists for years.
The cover of Eckhart Tolle’s book titled ‘The Power of Now- A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment’ (1997)
- His first book blends ideas from Buddhism, mysticism, and some teachings of Jesus. Its main message is that most emotional struggles come from overthinking. The past and future are just thoughts, and what truly matters is living in the present moment.
- In 2000, Oprah Winfrey recommended Eckhart’s book ‘The Power of Now’ in her magazine, named ‘O, The Oprah Magazine,’ and in August 2000, it reached The New York Times Best Seller Advice, Miscellaneous, and Hardcover list.
Eckhart Tolle with Oprah Winfrey
- His second book, titled ‘Stillness Speaks,’ was published in 2003. That same year, he mentioned he had no plans to build a big business or open an ashram or spiritual centre.
- In 2005, Eckhart released his book titled ‘A New Earth.’ In January 2008, Oprah Winfrey chose it for her book club, which led to a huge boost in sales. Within just four weeks, 3.5 million copies were shipped. By the end of 2008, it had reached the number one spot on The New York Times Best Seller list 46 times.
- Eckhart never planned on writing his book ‘A New Earth.’ He described the whole experience in one of his interviews and said that
I hadn’t planned to write A New Earth. After The Power of Now, my teachings evolved through talks and retreats. Though I was given transcripts to turn into a book, I felt inspired to write something entirely new in the moment instead.”
- By 2008, the book ‘The Power of Now’ had been translated into 33 languages. By July 2011, it had spent 102 weeks on the list of the top 10 best-selling paperback advice and self-help books.
- In the same year, Eckhart Tolle teamed up with Oprah Winfrey to create a series of online sessions, each one covering a chapter from his book titled ‘A New Earth.’
- They included talks, quiet meditations, and live questions from viewers on Skype. One of the sessions drew over 11 million viewers, and by October 2009, the series had been watched 35 million times.
- In 2008, The New York Times described Eckhart Tolle as ‘the most popular spiritual author’ in the United States.
- In the same year, he started his own self-named YouTube channel and started posting videos related to his spiritual teachings. His YouTube channel holds more than 2 million subscribers, as of 2025.
- By 2009, his book ‘The Power of Now’ had sold an estimated 3 million copies in North America, while his book ‘A New Earth’ had reached around 5 million copies.
- In 2009, Eckhart Tolle appeared with Dalai Lama at the Vancouver Peace Summit, which was organised by the international charitable organisation and an education centre named ‘Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education.’ The summit was all about discussing spirituality, science, psychotherapy, the arts, business, and education.
Eckhart Tolle (left) with Dalai Lama at the Vancouver Peace Summit in 2009
- In the same year, he published his book titled ‘Guardians of Being,’ which was a picture book that was illustrated by the cartoonist Patrick McDonnell.
- In 2011, the Watkins Review (now Watkins’ Mind Body Spirit) ranked him number 1 on its first-ever list of ‘The 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People.’ Since then, Eckhart Tolle has consistently remained in the top 5 each year, which is a distinction shared only with the Dalai Lama.
- In a 2012 interview, he shared that he once saw the name ‘Eckhart’ on a book in a dream and felt he was the one who had written it. Shortly after, a psychic friend randomly called him Eckhart, which led him to adopt the name.
- In 2016, Eckhart Tolle’s children’s picture book titled ‘Milton’s Secret’ was adapted into a film of the same name, starring Donald Sutherland and Michelle Rodriguez in leading roles, which was directed by Barnet Bain.
- In the same year, Eckhart Tolle founded the ‘Eckhart Tolle Foundation,’ which is a foundation that aims to speed up the awakening of human awareness to help build a more peaceful and balanced world.
- Under his foundation, Eckhart has launched many initiatives and programs, and some of them include ‘New Earth Initiative,’ ‘Prison Outreach Initiative,’ ‘Hospice & Elder Outreach Initiative,’ and ‘Small Grants Program.’
- Eckhart Tolle and his teachings play a prominent role in the American rapper Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 music album titled ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.’ Exkhart was presented as Kendrick Lamar’s spiritual guide, and he also appeared throughout the album and even narrated parts of several tracks.
- As of 2025, Eckhart Tolle’s website sells his books along with a wide variety of spiritual guidance materials, while another site streams monthly group meditation videos.
- In 2025, Oprah Winfrey chose Eckhart’s book titled ‘A New Earth’ for her book club once again, making it the first and only book to be selected twice in the club’s history.
- Eckhart Tolle mentioned in one of his interviews that he does not usually bother telling the public he’s married to Kim Eng, who is also a spiritual teacher, specialising in body work and energy.
- He also stated in one of his interviews that when he was younger, he never thought he would be able to speak in public. Eventually, he began to respond to invitations in England to speak in living rooms to groups of 10.
- Eckhart Tolle stated once that his body went through a major physical transformation during his phase of spiritual awakening. While recalling the experience, he was quoted as saying that
My body felt completely at ease. My body suffered greatly during my years of suffering, and some of that suffering is lodged in the bone structures. That may not change, but it’s not alive as suffering anymore. Only the footsteps of suffering remain.”
- Oprah Winfrey mentioned Eckhart’s book titled ‘The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment’ as one of the most transformative books she has ever read. She also mentioned in one of her talk shows that she keeps a copy of the book with her wherever she goes, and also keeps it at her bedside.
- Eckhart’s simple but deep teachings have helped many people around the world find a sense of peace in their everyday lives. He teaches the importance of being fully present in the moment, beyond overthinking and ego. He believes this way of living is the next important step for human growth.
