If You’re Going To Wake Up, First You Have To Give Up
The secret’s in spontaneity.
The student asked, “what is Zen?”
Old master Hiakajo replied:
“When hungry eat, when tired sleep.”
Adyashanti (born Steven Gray) practiced Zen meditation for years before awakening.
In his conversation with Sam Harris, he describes his hardcore meditation schedule from his 20s. This guy was hitting the cushion twice a day, for 2 to 3 hours at a time. He was totally committed. Yet Kensho (“Ken” = “seeing”; “sho” = “nature/essence”) eluded him.
One day, Steven went to his meditation station, a small hut out in his teacher’s garden. There he sat, concentrating, trying yet again to transcend. But he just couldn’t do it anymore. He’d been doing this for years. He’d made great progress, but something was missing. He hadn’t found the liberation he sought.
So, Steven gave up. He just stopped trying. And at that moment, Adyashanti was born.
The moment he gave up, Adyashanti experienced Kensho. He became liberated from the bonds of ego. He transcended the illusion of self. He saw the essence of things, and began to levitate.
