The Power of .. Now?

I placed a muffin in front of the lady by the window, not watching what I was doing. The outside captured my attention - Royal Oak was as vibrant as ever, soaked in warm sunlight that I couldn’t feel underneath the roof of Ristretto Cafe. For a brief moment, I wished I was out there, enjoying the sunshine and tasting the breeze. Not in here, working. I turned, and hurried back to the counter. There were coffees to be run, customers waiting to be served…

I finished work at 3.30, and had seemingly forgotten about the gorgeousness of the day when I closed the cafe door behind me. That same aliveness I noticed earlier was still meandering the streets, only a little less pronounced. I breathed it into my chest - as much of the fresh air as I could - and started on my way home.

Walking home was my favourite part of the day. To be outside, walking through the suburbs of Auckland in the lazy afternoon, was enough to keep my mind happy and calm. But I was still curious. Quite curious..

As I headed past the Royal Oak mall, I felt a faint tugging. It was coming from inside the mall. I tilted, turning on my heels, and walked casually into Royal Oak mall. It was bright inside, and only a handful of people ambled about their business. I felt the tug again to my left. It was coming from Whitcoulls, the book store. Hmmm I thought, scanning the shelves of books as I walked in amongst them. I wondered why I was willed into a book store. I hadn’t picked up a book in years… 

I found myself standing before a stall, gaping at nothing in particular. I still wondered why I was in there at all. I supposed I was just enjoying my day… doing whatever.. I shuffled to another bookshelf, and tilted my head to read some of the titles. One title jumped out at me. ‘The Power of Now’. I recognised it. I had heard of this book before, from a life coach I followed on Youtube. He spoke about this book, and how he had read it over 100 times. It must be quite good.. I pulled it out from the shelf and gave the cover a quick look over. Then, quite spontaneously, I just bought it. I took to the counter, and purchased it for 20 dollars. Cool, I thought, walking back out into the splendid afternoon clutching The Power of Now.

Breathing in the air again, I headed on my way home. I was quite surprised to be holding a book in my hands, particularly one titled The Power of Now. It seemed strange.. I wasn’t thinking anything when I walked into the mall, nor when I purchased this book. I just did. It seemed like my body was acting without the consent of my mind. As I walked, I just looked at the cover of the book as if it was some kind of artefact. ‘The Power of Now’. Maybe there is some power in the ‘Now’, whatever that is anyway… I slipped the book into my bag, and quickened my pace. Home-bound. 

As I headed up Manukau Rd towards Greenwards Corner, I looked over at the big park on the other side of the road. It was a slice of One Tree Hill, and it looked so alive - a paradise of green, plush and glowing in the afternoon sun. It was so beautiful, and it was beckoning me over. Glancing up and down the road, I crossed and ventured into the park, walking into the shade cast by the grand trees above me. There was a playground to my left, buzzing with children, and a field of green to my right. Immediately I felt happy to be there, so I took a seat on one of the benches. It seemed only natural to pull out The Power of Now, so I opened the flap of my bag and reached inside. The book fit in my hands comfortably, and even felt soft under my fingers. I found myself just gazing into the cover again, hesitant to open the first page.

After some moments, I glanced upward - the green field stopped abruptly with a fence, but then it trailed further into the distance and up the big hill we call ‘One Tree Hill’. It has always been one of my favourite parks - there is something particularly special about it. Maybe it’s the wide, lush expanses of green. Or the meandering hills and their quaint pockets of wonder. I envisioned my favourite place in the whole park - a copse on the other side, and quite a walk. But I felt that tugging again… I wanted to go there. So I shoved the book back into my bag, leapt from the bench, and headed up into the park.

I never expected to find myself sidling up the steep hill like a mountain goat that day. But now I had almost reached the very top after spontaneously deciding to walk over the hill instead of around it. The top was a sundeck, touched lightly by a soft wind, guarded by the big stone obelisk imposing itself into the sky. Auckland city sprawled all around me. I could see Mt Eden in the near distance, plump and unassuming, the city rising up behind it. Suburbs on all sides were joyous in the afternoon Spring. So many trees… Auckland is so green!

I looked down to the other side, and could see the place I had envisioned. I vaulted over the rock wall, and started shimmying down the grassy hill. It was a challenge to avoid the sheep ploppings and cow dung, strewn across the hills like chunks of cookie. I leapt over fences, rested in glens, and carried on my way through the park. An hour could have passed… I lost track of time. 

The spot was just as beautiful as I imagined it would be. Exploding in colour and vibrance, I didn’t think such a shade of green was possible. Just looking at the area made me calm. It came with a flavour of nostalgia - I recalled coming here many times as a kid, for picnics with the family, or for games of frisbee and other such nonsense. The copse of trees looked enticing, so I walked towards it, and found myself a nice tree to sit against. Plopping myself down, I just relaxed into the atmosphere. 

With a deep breath, I pulled out the Power of Now, and once again looked wonderingly at the cover. And then I opened the first page, and began reading.

The Power of Now is a spiritual book. The author, Eckharte Tolle, recounts his spiritual awakening experience at the opening of book. Despite being unable to relate to his experience, I was thoroughly intrigued…

After a few pages, I felt incredibly tired. It was as if this text was imbued with some kind of potent spell, and it was working its sorcery on me. Maybe I’ll take a nap.. I thought, glancing around. Not far from where I sat, the sun was reaching through the trees and spilling into the soft grass. Perfect for a little lie down. I ambled over, and lay down, shutting my eyes… Just a small nap. Just a little…rest… Sleep consumed me.

When I woke, I felt strange. Very strange. Time had slowed down - I noticed that much. It was as if I was still sleeping.. but I was awake, surely.

I very slowly lifted myself from the soft grass, and glanced around. It was still the same beautiful park.. Mesmerising .. It was a truly mesmerising park. Grass the colour of life itself was abundant and thriving as far as my eyes could see. Trees swinging peacefully to the sound of the wind rose above me, merging with the blue sky. I felt waves of pure happiness emanating from the field over there - it was the kids playing their games, splashing joy into the air. I felt like I was a part of the jubilation. My senses were heightened, and the natural feeling of life in my body enhanced.

As I stood, I almost felt as one with the trees swaying in the calm afternoon breeze above me. I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on; why I was feeling so… so dreamy. Am I lucid dreaming? I asked myself, pulling up my hand to double check. I surely wasn’t asleep… In fact, my mind felt more awake than it ever had. It was like a sponge, soaking in the atmosphere all around me. I had never felt this wondrous in my entire life; all I did was take an afternoon nap. Was it the book.. The Power of Now? Is this the ‘power’ of now?? Is this what Eckharte Tolle had experienced?? I wondered. I just didn’t know… I was two parts enraptured and one part confused. I just stood there, dazzled by it all, afraid that if I started to walk somewhere, it would all go away.

I took a few fragile steps. And then a few more. The feeling didn’t seem to fade, it was definitely still there. Ever so slowly, I made my way out of the trees and started crossing the field - the grass was springy underneath my feet. Before me was a whole new scene, and the sight of it sent ripples through my body. The trees looked majestic and wise in their years, and I felt an affinity for them and for their magnificence. They arched upward, uniting their broad arms. Although I had been here many times in the past, it was as if I was seeing it for the first time, and with a fresh set of eyes.

Half sub-merged into the ground, the public toilets looked like a secret rocky bunker. Walking carefully towards them, I suddenly felt an immense sense of adventure. It looked like something out of a fantasy world. I never thought going to a public toilet could feel like such a journey. Even when I went inside, it was as if I was in an entirely different world.

After about 5 minutes, the feeling of magic dissipated, leaving behind a afterglow of warmth. The sun had at last retreated, and the vibrance of the park was thinning. I decided that it was time to head home. As I followed the sidewalk out of the park, I had the Power of Now in my hands.

I headed on my way home, walking as if I was on the moon, trying to unravel the experience I just had. I couldn’t believe it. I still didn’t know what happened. In the passage that I was reading, Eckharte Tolle was recounting his awakening experience; his breakthrough into a higher state of awareness, of consciousness. I couldn't help but wonder if what I just experienced was some kind of heightened state of consciousness too. It surely felt like it - life was enhanced to a tremendous degree. It was utterly, outrageously beautiful. Everything about it - the birds, the colours, the sensations in my body, the very fact that I was blessed to be at the centre of it all, experiencing such an explosion of beauty...

I was never really into spirituality, nor did I have any religious affiliation. I was never interested in things such as meditation, or yoga, or other such eastern practices. But this.. this experience… it changed everything. It was like pulling a rug from underneath the feet of my soul. As I headed along the main road home in the fading day, the traffic was frenetic. So many cars.. but I felt so calm as I walked along the sidewalk, exploring my deeper thoughts. I wondered if perhaps life was meant to be a journey into a higher embodiment of the spirituality within us. I knew nothing about spirituality... why was that the case? It seemed quintessential to .. to everything! 

I was excited to learn more from Eckharte Tolle in The Power of Now. But maybe that was just the tip of the iceberg...