Guardians of Being [Hardcover]

Eckhart Tolle (Author), Patrick McDonnell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2009

This wonderfully unique collaboration brings together two masters of their fields, joining original words by spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle with delightful illustrations by Patrick McDonnell, the creator of the acclaimed comic strip MUTTS. Every heartwarming page provokes thought, insight, and smiling reverence for all beings and each moment.

More than a collection of witty and charming drawings, the marriage of Patrick McDonnell's art and Eckhart Tolle's words conveys a profound love of nature, of animals, of humans, of all life-forms. Guardians of Being celebrates and reminds us of not only the oneness of all life but also the wonder and joy to be found in the present moment, amid the beauty we sometimes forget to notice all around us.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“...an inspired collaboration between spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle
and comic strip artist Patrick McDonnell...A book to make you wriggle
with joy.“

— O, The Oprah Magazine


“A lovely meditation on the power and grace animals bring to our lives.“
— The Bark

“Beautiful, thought-provoking, and enlightening...This thoroughly charming book deserves a place on your coffee table. While you're at it, why not pick up a copy for your best friend, too?”
— Modern Dog

“The gentle humor and profound insight found in this book — thoughts such as 'Allow your dog to take you for a walk every day. It's good for the body and it's good for the soul' — make it the perfect gift for animal lovers of all ages.”
— Inspired Retailer

Praise for Eckhart Tolle:
“He is a prophet for our time.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine

Praise for MUTTS:
“One of the best comic strips of all time.”
— Charles Schulz, Peanuts creator

About the Author

Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers The Power of Now and A New Earth. He lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Patrick McDonnell, the creator of MUTTS, has more than twenty books in print, including the New York Times bestsellers The Gift of Nothing and Hug Time. He lives in New Jersey with his wife Karen and formerly feral feline MeeMow.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: New World Library; Ill edition (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577316711
• ISBN-13: 978-1577316718
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Joy in Simplicity, Stillness Among Furry Folks September 3, 2009

By Janet Boyer HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

"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

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Power of Now! October 9, 2009

By A Reader

Format:Hardcover

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!

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Power of Now for Your Inner Child August 31, 2009

By Miriam Knight

Format:Hardcover

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.