Adyashanti, The Way of Liberation

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I recently read The Way of Liberation, A Practical Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Adyashanti, It is an incredible little book and I highly recommend it.This book came to me at a perfect time and his information has been incredibly helpful to me. I have captured below his first steps, the Five Foundations, along with some of his, and my notes. I keep this list printed in my journal so I can see it every morning and every night.You can read about his work at his website, http://www.adyashanti.org.The Five Foundations [of awakening}

1. Clarify your aspiration

• Life unfolds along the lines of what you value most.

• Become more unified, clear and certain of your direction.

1. Unconditional Follow-through

• Gather energy and attention together into a unified force and directing it toward your aspiration.

• What are you willing to do or let go of doing?

• Be present, sincere and committed

• Aspiration of the heart.

• Aspiration and unconditional follow-through and love is the strongest force in the Universe.

• Unified and one-pointed enough for aspiration to survive.

1. Never abdicate your authority

• Take full responsibility for your life and never abdicate over to someone else.

• A spiritual teaching is a finger pointed toward Reality, it is not Reality itself.

• Apply teaching – don’t just believe.

1. Practice absolute sincerity

• Honesty, genuineness and integrity.

• Let go of being; judgment toward yourself.

• True sincerity reveals powerful clarity and discernment in order to perceive yourself honestly without being captive to your conditioned mind’s judgment and defensiveness.

• The capacity and willingness to be honest with yourself is your greatest guard against self-deception and deceit and aligns you with your genuine aspiration.

1. Be a good steward of your life.

• Do not use spirituality to avoid any aspect of yourself or your life – this will inhibit the dawning of spiritual enlightenment to a great extent – and its depth and stability.

• Completely face yourself – your life without withdrawing into denied, judgment or magical thinking.

• Embrace every aspect of your life, inner and outer, pleasant and unpleasant.

• Give each moment the attention, sincerity and commitment it deserves. A failure to do so is more costly that you can imagine.

• Pay attention to what life is trying to reveal to you. Say yes to its fierce, ruthless and loving grace.

The Way of Liberation, A Practical Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. Adyashanti, pages 1-7.