Many spiritual traditions have described our everyday level of consciousness as a kind of dreamlike state—which for many of us feels like a nightmare we can’t seem to escape. Awakening from this dream, explains Eckhart Tolle, starts by coming into a new relationship to the present moment—and discovering who we are beneath the noisy surface of our lives. Recorded at Riverside Church in New York City, Transcending the Ego offers Eckhart’s helpful pointers for realizing what he calls our “being nature”—our deeper identity beyond the personal sense of self.

Eckhart begins by describing the suffering inherent in the pursuit of “egoic fulfillment” and how turning to the mind rarely, if ever, produces inspired solutions. In this foundational talk, he shares guidance on remaining rooted in presence as we meet the challenges of our lives, discussing:

• A simple practice for embracing internally “the things that happen”

• The universal longing to be ourselves fully

• The illusory “I” and the timeless “I”

• Openness to life and the power of allowing

• Stillness and intuitive knowing

“When we relinquish resistance to the present moment, we become the space for whatever arises,” teaches Eckhart. Transcending the Ego brings us his insights for the continuous practice of bringing presence into daily life, and exploring the peace and freedom of being.