In this monologue, Eckhart Tolle explains the ancient symbolism of the cross as representing two dimensions of human experience. The horizontal line stands for the temporal, doing‑oriented dimension—past, future, action, and ego—both individual and collective, which he identifies as the source of most human‑made problems and suffering. The vertical line represents the present moment, the dimension of being, consciousness, and wisdom. Tolle argues that most societal issues (politics, crises) are effects of unconscious egoic activity, while the true work lies in addressing the cause by cultivating awareness of the vertical dimension. By accessing the vertical, a greater intelligence flows into the horizontal, transforming how we act and relate, and freeing us from psychological suffering (dukkha) as taught by the Buddha. He emphasizes that losing the vertical dimension leads to frustration and irritation, whereas embracing it ends suffering.
Chapters
One of the meanings of the cross, which is actually a symbol that's even older than Christianity, the symbol of the cross is two dimensions: the horizontal dimension, which evolves in time, the temporal dimension, shh, and the intersection of the horizontal with a vertical dimension. Now the vertical dimension is now. The horizontal dimension is past, future, doing in order to achieve a purpose, walking towards there. Time is needed for everything. Whatever you do, you need time. It's also the doing dimension, the dimension of doing. It includes thinking. Thinking is also a kind of doing, although it's done to you. It's still— it's a doing. So the horizontal is where things— where you do things, where things happen, and that's fine. You need to honor that. You need to— but The danger is, and this is the unawareness that is creating lots of other human-made problems in this world, are created by lack of conscious awareness of the vertical dimension, which, without which you're only trapped in the horizontal, which is ego in its individual and collective aspect. And the ego in its collective aspect is responsible for virtually all the troubles of humanity. As you probably know, we are facing a variety of so-called problems or challenges collectively in this world, increasing number of challenges. But what is the origin of these challenges? They're all human-made. They haven't come out of nowhere. They're all human-made out of certain dysfunctions in the human collective consciousness. It creates all the troubles of humanity. So this is why I rarely or almost never address political things or those things, they— for you it may be important to take action for some humans, for some humans' destiny is to be active in that field, but the important thing is don't lose yourself in it. I'd— to me the political aspect exists on the level of effect, But my function in this world is to address the level of cause. So you have the level of effect, is what manifests in this world, often through human unconsciousness, through dysfunction, unnecessary— ultimately unnecessary suffering if humans were more conscious. So it's up to us to be the bringers of consciousness, awareness into this world. So we need to go beyond the human ego and soul. Let's come back to this very important image. Horizontal, that's your— where your life unfolds. Vertical, present moment. The, the most important thing in your life is to access the vertical dimension. Then, of course, your life continues on the horizontal dimension, but you won't lose yourself in it anymore, and something else from the vertical will flow into the horizontal, the way in which you operate, the way in which your relationships unfold, something from the vertical, a greater intelligence, which I would call wisdom, flows into even into the— what you do on the horizontal dimension. So two other terms you can use is horizontal dimension is doing, vertical dimension is being. And so if you lose the vertical, which is a loss of the transcendent dimension, which is a loss of this— what do you call it— spirit dimension, whatever you want to call it. If you lose that, then your life is very— not a very satisfactory experience. It might be satisfactory for brief moments, the interludes, but on the whole it's very frustrating and irritating and ultimately suffering, suffering. As the Buddha said, dukkha is the word for suffering. Buddha said, wherever you go, whatever you do, you will find suffering sooner or later. Sooner or later, I'm adding, but I'm sure he said it. Sooner or later you'll find suffering, usually sooner. If you have not awakened to the depth dimension, the being, the being dimension frees you from what we call suffering. It's a psychological suffering. The, the being dimension frees you from that. That's why the Buddha said, I teach suffering and the end of suffering, which means I show you how suffering arises through your dysfunctional your unconsciousness, and then I show you the way beyond suffering. That's, uh, it's very simple.
