The Way of Liberation

by Adyashanti

Genres: Spirituality, Buddhism, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Zen, Personal Development

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Adyashanti is an American spiritual teacher from the San Francisco Bay Area who gives regular satsangs in the United States and also teaches abroad. He is the author of several books, CDs and DVDs and is the founder of Open Gate Sangha, Inc. a nonprofit organization that supports, and makes available, his teachings.

Reviews

[Andrea Roth-trimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you only read one spiritual book in you life, make it this one. Even if you don't consider yourself spiritual!

[Rae Lewis-Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for beginners on a Spiritual path.. Adyashanti gives clear guidelines for seekers. Many of these seekers ideas are hard to grasp but this is a simple guide for newbee's. For me there were a lot of I get it and at other times I had to reread and let the ideas sit with me... It's a quick and easy read with a lot of profound information given in such a small book.. I'm sure this book will be a go to as I continue on my seekers path.. Advance spiritual readers can probably take a pass on this book...
Namaste..

[Magdalena · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazingly brilliant, like all adya's books. fiercely graceful, uncompromising and naked in the best possible way... the essence of adya's teachings presented in a higly concentrated format; maximally potent for new readers and longtime students alike. i absolutely love it.

[Bhakta Kishor]

Liberation is not about seeking a new world or going to heaven. Heaven is just a new world where everything is supposed to be better than here. Even if it is a little better than here or much better than here, after some time you will get bored with what’s better. A lot of people living in remote places think America is fantastic. But, people in America are pretty bored. Otherwise, why such a big entertainment industry?

What is new will become old within 24 hours if you have a very active intelligence. If you are a little dull, it may take 24 years but it will get old. New is a trap, old is a cesspool. If you jump out of the cesspool into a new trap, that’s not going to help. Spirituality means you are not looking for something new, you are looking for liberation from all that is old and new.

[Sanja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that it tells you new things with every new reading. As your awareness grows, so does the understanding about what Adyashanti talks about.
It has been a bit more than a year since I first read it and now, I discovered a new depth to his guide towards Liberation.

I recommend it only and only if you are trying to attain Awakening. Following the teaching is not an easy task, but who ever said that it was going to be easy. It's not a common piece of literature you just read for philosophical purposes, it's a literal guide, step by step into doing that will lead to your undoing. I love every word in it, there is not one phrase that doesn't belong in there.

My bows and love to the Enlightened one who was so kind to bless us with this gift.

[Beth Crit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore his clarity. I endeavor to live in the way this book reveals.

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esse livro me foi recomendado como o livro de espiritualidade que todo ateu deveria ler e é assim que gostaria que ele ficasse recomendado para quem quer tentar, nisso o livro é bem sóbrio, apresentando a espiritualidade de forma bem real e pouco platônica.

"In fact, the only thing there is to see, hear, smell, taste, touch, or feel, is Reality, or God if you like"
(...)
"The aim of this teaching is to wake up to the absolute nature of Reality, then embody and live it to the fullest extent possible."

Para viver a Realidade ao máximo o autor usa de algumas ferramentas interessantes como meditação, questionamento da realidade aparente e momentos de contemplação de algumas máximas que são apresentadas ao longo do livro, estou tentando algumas e posso dizer que tem sido uma experiência interessante e completamente pé no chão.
O fim dessa experiencia é que possamos ver a vida além do véu do que é aparentemente real, nos despir da pessoas que achamos que somos, das visões que achamos que são verdadeiras.. Apesar do autor ser norte americano acredito que suas visões e ensinamentos são ligadas/inspiradas a filosofias orientais, a leitura é uma experiencia muito diferente de qualquer coisa religiosa que tenha lido na minha vida.

"So let us understand that Reality transcends all of our no- tions about Reality. Reality is neither Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Advaita Vedanta, nor Buddhist. It is neither dualistic nor non- dualistic, neither spiritual nor nonspiritual. We should come to know that there is more Reality and sacredness in a blade of grass than in all of our thoughts and ideas about Reality."
(...)
"Now imagine that you stop to sit on a bench in the park. As you sit there everything stops, absolutely stops. Your mind is so still and quiet that you can hear dust particles floating in the air. Suddenly you are falling, and falling, and falling. There is no ground below or sky overhead, just a crushing thunderous silence, racing faster and faster. You suddenly realize that it’s go- ing to kill you, rip you limb from limb and explode your lungs into dust. There’s no way out, no possible means of survival. And so you do the only thing there is to do. Surrender. All goes blank and empty, more empty than limitless space. Prior to life and death, you blink out of (or is it into?) ex- istence. Timelessness is all there is, all there ever was, or could be. Eternity reigns supreme, and is radiantly present in every particle of being.
Something unborn and undying stirs to life and opens its eyes—your eyes. You or It is still sitting on the park bench. It is smiling, radiant, and content. A little girl on roller skates passes by. The sun glitters through the aspen leaves as an old man smokes his pipe on a footbridge crossing over a stream that feeds into a pond filled with goldfish. Everywhere you look is emptiness. Each “thing” is a veil, a shroud, cloaking Infinity. Nothing is as it seems, and everything is exactly as it is. Somehow perfect in all its apparent chaos, Infinity prevails. You know with exact precision that there is nothing else—nothing could be other than this vast and absolute void, this pure and Infinite Potential, this unborn and unformed Infinity."

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the length deceive you. This little book is challenging and thought-provoking, but also invites you to let go of thoughts. The book describes practices like inquiry, contemplation, and meditation and provides insights about "the Nature of Reality." The book stirred up more questions than answers for me, and I suppose those questions are the ones I should sit with too. This book challenges a lot of Western thinking and doing, which I also appreciate.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who you really are

Many paragraphs marked. I'm working on living life as it is and this book is the perfect guide. It would take a lot of time to study and implement this, maybe even a life time work. You're supposed to challenge your beliefs and lay them aside, but I also think this fits nicely within the beliefs I already have. You can come to know who you really are.

[Phil Calandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Way of Liberation...." is a book about spiritual awakening. The main contention is that we are beyond the body, mind and individual personality. The "self" or "ego" is essentially a psychological process occurring in the mind that organizes, translates and makes sense of all the incoming data from our senses. This sense of self pervades our consciousness and tricks us into believing that we are a separate entity. As one passes through the delusion of "self," this "self" is reborn into what maybe characterized as a "Presence" which is formless, ageless and is an expression of "being". This "being, in turn, may be described as an expression of the Infinite or "Ultimate Reality." The author's discussion of the foregoing is rather muddled and difficult to understand. The hallmark of the book, in terms of practice, are The Five Foundations which are the bedrock in which the teachings are based. These apply to the human, relative, aspects of reality. Included in the teachings are the three core practices of meditation, contemplation and inquiry. In closing, this book is a general outline into the principles and practices leading to one's liberation that encompasses both Buddhist and non-dual philosophy.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I pick up this book in the evening shortly before going to bed, I'm astounded at how Adya picks up a nuance in a question and uses it to reveal a deep, profound insight. He shows what's really behind the question, a bit like pulling back the curtain and revealing the Wizard of Oz - surprise! An old man with frazzled hair, someone so ordinary, so direct, so vulnerable behind the big, booming charade of the Great and Powerful Oz. Most deep, profound truth is simple, and powerful. In the introduction he talks about how this book was written shortly after he fully awakened, and how he wanted every word to count. I sense that clear, compact urgency in his words.

[Thyme Wisper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have both the kindle version and a paperback version. I even have a PDF version! And, yes, I have read all three. Many times over. I can never read this book in one sitting. It isn't meant to be read that way. And each time I even reread a section, I find that it is as if I am reading it for the first time. Thus I never feel like I have "finished" the book. I am finally realizing that it will always be so. It is a book that I will return to often way into the future. And that is okay...

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent......

[Javier Villar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably, it's full of truth... well, half truths... like I've heard of something but I haven't actually understood it.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as an introduction to a yoga teacher certification program. I read it in a night, so it’s a very quick read. It’s clearly written and straightforward. As the introduction says, it is a “stripped-down, practical guide to spiritual liberation.”

I question almost everything in life, especially spiritual ideas and concepts. So, the book captured my attention right off when it said, “The primary task of any good spiritual teaching is not to answer your questions, but to question your answers. For it is your conscious and unconscious assumptions and beliefs that distort your perceptions and cause you to see separation and division where there is actually only unity and completeness.”

The guide offers three core principles for enlightenment/self-realization/awakening: meditation, inquiry, and contemplation. And for each of the three principles, the author provides a list of common questions and useful, realistic responses. I found this to be useful.

What connected me to this book was the idea that all the problems of the world are human problems ��� “the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking.” When I see the divisiveness in the world, the growing racism, the lack of concern for our environment, and so many other things, it all stems from human beliefs and fears. The answers or solutions come from each of us individually or at least that is the starting point. If we keep blaming everyone else for everything that is wrong, then nothing is going to change and we will grow fearful and unfriendly toward anyone who is different. So in that sense, this book is a guide to build a better world, so to speak, and it starts with each of us individually practicing the three core principles consistently.

I realize some would see this as a replacement for religion. I don’t think it’s that at all. I think it simplifies the basic concepts of almost all world religions (love one another, treat one another as you would be treated, etc.) and helps you find simple ways to do that easily every day. I guess I see it as an extension of religion or a next step in the evolution of religion.

If you’re open to or curious about self-realization and maybe trying to improve the world a little, then this quick read is for you.

[Last Melancholic · Rating 3 out of 5]

კიდევ ერთი წიგნი იმის შესახებ, თუ როგორ უნდა მივაღწიოთ შინაგან ბალანსს და ჰარმონიულობას სამყაროსთან შერწმიმს გზით. პირველი შეხვედრა ამ ავტორთან, ალბათ ალან უოტსი რომ არ წამეკითხა უფრო მეტად იმოქმედებდა ჩემს ცნობიერებაზე, მაგრამ ახლა , როდესაც უტსისეულ თეორიებს გავეცანი ეს იდეები ცოტა არ იყოს სუსტი მომეჩვენა.
ადიშანატის მიხედვით ერთადერთი რამ, რაც ბედნიერებაში ხელს გვიშლის ჩვენი ყალბი "ეგო" და თავსმოხვეული კონცეფტებია, თუკ��� საკუთარ თავს ჩამოვაშორებთ ყოველგავარ შეძენილ თვისებასა თუ იმ ფიქრებს რაც თავადვე შევქმენით საუთარ გონეში, დაგვრჩება მხოლოდ unltimate ground of being ანუ უბრალოდ არსებობა, ყოველგვარი განსჯისა, ბრძოლისა და მიზნისკენ სწრაფვის გარეშე, მაგრამ ამავე ავტორის მიხედვით, თუ გვინდა რომ საკუთარი არსებობის სიღრმეებს ჩავწვდეთ, სამ ძირითად ჭეშმარიტებას უნდა დავუმეგობრდეთ: მედიტაციას, დაეჭვებასა და ჭვრეტას. წიგნში დეტალურადაა ამ სამი ჭეშმარიტების არსი განმარტებული და ისიც თუ როგორ უნდა მოვახდინოთ მათი სწორი ინტერპრეტაცია. ავტორი მაქსიმალურად ცდილობს, რომ გაემიჯნოს ყველა ფილოსოფიურ თუ რელიგიურ დოქტრინას და საკუთარი ინდივიდუალური მმიდგომა შემოგვთავაზოს, მაგრამ იმასაც აღნიშნავს, რომ წიგნში არსებული მოსაზრებები, არავითარ შემთხვევაში არ გვაძლევს იმის მზა გარანტიას, რომ მათი საშუალებით თავისუფლებას მოვიპოვებთ, რადგან ყველა ადამინის ცხოვრებაში ეს გამოცდილება სხვადახვა სახით მოდის.
ზემოთ ჩამოთვლილი პუნქტები საინტერესოდ მომეჩვენა, ასევე ისიც , რომ დღევანდელი ადამინი ინფორმაციის ზღვაში ცურავს და განიცდის ე.წ " ინტუიციური" თუ " შინაგანი " ინტელექტის ნალებობას, რომელიც მხოლოდ გამოცდილების საფუძველზე შეიძლება მოვიდეს, მაგრამ ჩემთვის ცოტა არი იყოს და ბუნდოვანია,ეგოსაგან დაცლილი და შინაგან სამყარო ჩამონგრეული ადამინის " არსებობა" ეს იგივეა, გასაგებია, რომ ადამინი ისევე როგორც ყველა სხვა დანარჩენი არსება მხოლოდ სამყაროსთან მიმართებაშია ნამდვილი, მაგრამ თუკი მას ანალიტიკური აზროვნების უნარს წავართმევთ და მხოლოდ შეგრძნებების ამარა დავტოვებთ, შეძლებს კი იგი რომ (ავტორის მიერ შემოთავაზებული) დაეჭვება, მედიტაცია და ჭვრეტა განახორციელოს?

მოკლედ ამ წიგნმა კარგი მასალა დამიტოვა ფიქრისთვის, ჰოდა highly reccomended by me .

[Tara Outman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book was my first direct experience with Adyashanti although I had heard his name before. I was tempted to give this book three stars at first, because, although there are some sublime phrases among its prose and it is packed with good insight, I didn't find it particularly remarkable. What Adyashanti puts forth here doesn't strike me as a cohesive practice or unique revelation but rather as a short set of vague principles, practices and insights that are easily found, and in many cases in better articulated, in other sources. Furthermore, his tone, at least initially, comes off as some what arrogant and admonishing, which is surprising given the non-doctrinal nature of the teachings and more generous tone of the book's conclusion. That said, if I were to rate the "experience" of reading this book and not simply judge the artifact itself, I would have to admit that it did seem to work some subtle magic on me at a more unconscious level. I did find that after each of my reading sessions I felt more open and aligned. My dreams were lucid and my awareness of synchronicities and connections between this book and other media I encountered around this time, piqued. This leads me to believe there is more to The Way of Liberation than I may have been ready to receive on a conscious level. I can see developing a greater appreciation for it over time or, perhaps, in the context of a study group.

[D Schmudde · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In the end we all get what we value most, and if we don’t like what we have gotten, we had better take an honest look at what we are valuing."

I have been practicing various Buddhist traditions for more than a decade. I still feel that I am a beginner and read this book from that perspective. While the book does lean on a common Buddhist tendency to enumerate qualities - an approach to teaching I don't find compelling - I have to say it carries a directness that I find refreshing.

Wisdom pervades every page of this short text; it's so clear that just perusing a randomly selected page is sure to provoke thought. Highly recommended.

[Andrew Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Beyond ego is universal being; beyond being is the Infinite.

The Infinite is pure formless potential,
prior to being and non-being, life and death,
form and formlessness.

The Infinite is neither one nor many,
neither dualistic nor nondualistic,
neither worldly nor spiritual,
neither self nor other.

The Infinite knows itself
through a simple intuitive regard it has for itself
in every aspect of itself.
Thus it knows itself as utterly unknowable
and absolutely present.

To realize the Infinite is to lose your inner world.

To lose your inner world is eternal silence.
It is to become the shining.

All is well,
and more well than can be imagined. "

[someone · Rating 5 out of 5]

With every time i read or listen to Adya, i realise how great teacher he is, i always get what i m looking for, or may be beyond that.

As i could learn alot from eckhart tolle, through videos , retreats and books i found with Adyashanti a new dimension to my spiritual journey,
Simply coz he knows what is.

Spirituality is a complete and full world that we better get into with guidance, this guidance happens be more than one teacher, i have a feeling that teachers just handle us to one another, until no end.
All love Adya

[Jaroslav Vašák · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a masterpiece. It's short yet it contains everything. It contains no unnecessary words.
I'm not sure if a beginner to a spiritual journey can grasp the depths of this book, but if yes, you don't need to look elsewhere - maybe you can read something more about meditation.

Definitely, recommend this book to all the people. You may find it's hard to grasp (read), but at least you know that it's delivered by an honest purpose of something deeper and not superficial.

[Alicia Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and Deeply Personal

A powerful and deeply personal account of our collective journey, an exploration into the Self through our interconnected reality. Adyashanti guides us through the fallacies of our egoistic perceptions, showing us that spiritual liberation is and always has been right here in front of us. We have only to find that space within each of us that reveals our personal truth and its inextricable connection to the universal.

[Heather Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

So insightful

Every time I read Adyashanti teachings I come away feeling different than I was before I read or heard them. This book feels like a form of a road map I have been searching for to get into a deeper experience. I recommend this book big time.

[Roxanne]

It's unclear how I should rate this book. It's a guide to enlightenment. For a book about such a lofty aspiration it is blessedly short, but then, you'd expect enlightenment to be a pretty simple event. It's not overwordy. Adyashanti offers three processes and doesn't talk them to pulp.

[William Keiper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written treatment of concepts difficult to articulate.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Very to the point.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be free, be free, be free . . . self-realization and the conditioned mind . . .

[hideki kuribayashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It helps a lot for His Youtube Materials

I love to listen to his YouTube materials very much, but often with some ambiguity. This book helps me to gain clarity there.

[Richard Bowie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awakening

This book is short and very precise. I would even say that it’s surgical. No unnecessary fluff. However some people prefer fluff.

[Liane Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

So wonderful

This book is powerful and healing and has you pondering. Such a great book. I will be rereading this. Thank you. Wow.