The End of Your World
May 3, 2009Just reading Adyashanti’s new book, “The End of Your World“. While it’s written for the awake to assist them through the changes and learn to ask the right questions, it is applicable to anyone on the path as well.
“In fact, the spiritual process isn’t any different before awakening than afterward. It’s just that, after awakening, the process is happening from a different perspective; you may think of it as a bird’s-eye view versus a ground-level view.”
In the first, we can see the illusion or dream, in the second we are still inside it, making it harder to see. Post awakening, the process and view typically becomes much clearer, making it easier in some ways. But harder in the sense that the conditioning is now much more blatantly obvious. Yet we still may observe it playing out.
“Certain fixations and conditionings will linger even after we perceive from the place of oneness.”
While there is a “radical dissolving of the ego” with awakening, it is a process. Much of the conditioning is destroyed or “blown out of the system” in waking but how much remains varies widely. Put another way, awakening is instantaneous, the ego and conditioning fall away over time.
I’ve talked here a number of times how the core ego can fall away but ego shrapnel still lingers until it is seen through. It can be amazing how strong the “gravitational pull” of some conditioning is, that it can even resist the clarity of source. But it has been held for a very long time and can be central to our identity.
At the same time as all this, the rules have all changed. The seeker and many of the drivers have fallen away. So while we clean up the old, we are also adapting to the new + the new perspective of the old.
He talks about non-abiding, abiding, and full awakening. How all are valid awakening. He talks about what it is and isn’t, and some of the unique challenges of a complete change of perspective. It’s very well done and not information that is widely available.
I suspect I’ll have more to say as I get further in. But I certainly recommend it – even only a few dozen pages in. I’m also working on a long article on Pain – why it exists and how we escape it.
Davidya
Yeah, definitely. I’ve got the audio version of this program and it’s such a fantastic program. I’m glad to hear the book is excellent as well.
It’s really amazing, this shift you talk about. Like it can instill doubt because it’s still possible to doubt…
There’s a totally different perspective on even doubt, literally like a birds-eye view as Adya pointed out.
Thanks for the info about the book, Davidya.
Hi Ariel
Yes, and the subtle habits of mind can take some time to see through. Meantime, they can get in the way of oneness.
Thanks!
I’ll check out the book; it sounds balanced. It is funny that conditioning happens, even as we are watching it happen and laughing about it.
thanks…
Yes, it is very curious. More so how deeply we cling to it.
Understanding habit mind is how we learn to ride a bike, walk, or drive a car, so conditioning makes sense. What becomes odd though is when we make false assumptions, make them part of our identity, and then hide and protect them.
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