Book Review

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Guardians of Being
Eckhart Tolle, Patrick McDonnell
New World Library 10/09 Hardcover $18.00
ISBN: 9781577316718

Here is a delightful treat for those who cherish the spiritual teachings of Eckhart Tolle; for those who are fans of Patrick McDonnell, the creator of the comic strip Mutts; and for all lovers of dogs and cats. This collaboration has yielded a book of words by the bestselling author and illustrations by the celebrated cartoonist. This journey begins with the advice: "True happiness is found in simple, seemingly unremarkable things" and ends by advocating "loving the Creator in the creature."

Along the way, Tolle admonishes us to be quiet, to pay attention, and to be present to all the marvels of the natural world. Animals have always been great spiritual teachers of this way of living. Tolle calls them "Guardians of Being" because they tutor us in stillness and encourage us to get out of our thinking minds into the moment where we can experience unadulterated joy. Listen to a cat purr, and you know what this means. Watch your dog wagging his or her tail, and you will sense the pleasure in sheer being. In one of the cartoons, a dog out for a walk speaks to his human: "Heal."

How are these companions able to do this? Tolle states: "Because dogs and cats still live in the original state of connectedness with Being, they can help us regain it." Another way of putting it: "Every being is a spark of the Divine." So tap into the beauty and the bounties of dogs and cats and, every day, reverence them as best you can.

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by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat