The Most Important Thing, Volume 1

Discovering Truth at the Heart of Life

By: Adyashanti

Narrated by: Adyashanti

Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

From esteemed teacher Adyashanti comes an eight-hour audio learning series on the search for the ultimate reality beneath the narrative of our lives.

“Our inner lives are every bit as astonishing, baffling, and mysterious as the infinite vastness of the cosmos.” - Adyashanti

We all define our lives through the lens of stories. Whether we see ourselves as heroes or victims, good people or bad, everyone lives according to interwoven strands of narrative.

“And yet,” teaches Adyashanti, “the truth is bigger than any concept or story.”

The Most Important Thing, Volume 1 presents a series of intimate, deep-dive talks devoted to the search for the ultimate reality of a self that exists beyond the bounds of storytelling.

In the first of two volumes of vivid anecdotes, incisive observations, and teaching stories, Adyashanti illustrates the felt experience of his teachings - those moments of grace in which every stone, tree, ray of light, and fraught silence reveal that none of us is alone and no one is ever truly isolated from the whole of existence.

These selections consider:

• Why a good question can be far more powerful than a concrete answer
• How grace can arrive both through struggle and as an unexpected gift
• Discovering the wisdom found in surprise, sadness, and challenging moments
• How the things you choose to serve shape your life path
• The moments of grace upon which all great religions pivot
• How revelation arises from darkness and silence
• The great vitality that underlies even the most difficult circumstances
• How surrendering the need for control opens you to a much wider experience of life
• Transcending the fear of ego annihilation

What is the story of your life? Is it happy or adventurous? Sad or lonely?

In The Most Important Thing, Volume 1, this esteemed teacher tells you how to look past your personal narratives, delve inward, and connect with the truths that fundamentally animate all of us.

©2019 Adyashanti (P)2019 Sounds True

Critic reviews

“In The Most Important Thing, Adyashanti, long known as a kind teacher of embodied being, shares stories of his personal awakening as a way to surface insights that can help us discover the most important thing for ourselves. Central to his journey and ours is the question he offers as our constant guide: ‘How can I be a living expression of what I love?’ This book is a spiritual resource for the necessary arts of dedication and release, immersion and surrender, and the courage to be and love.” (Mark Nepo, author of More Together Than Alone and The Book of Awakening)

“Hopefully, you're interested in being happy in the deepest and most central way possible...happy independent of conditions. If so, this book will point you to the real deal.” (Shinzen Young, author of The Science of Enlightenment)

“While you read this book, you will want to underline wisdom gems on most every page...and you will want to keep pausing and listening to your own Being. Adyashanti offers the blessing of pointing us toward the reality awakening through us right in this moment.” (Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge)

“In The Most Important Thing, Adyashanti shares his remarkable gift of being able to put the most ineffable and precious truths into down-to-earth language. These short, heartfelt essays are just the right length to get wisdom bites, hints for awakening, and moments of grace when you need them. I hope you will enjoy this generous and important gift for our times." (Loch Kelly, author of Shift into Freedom)

spiritual growth

anyone interested in understanding the implications of spiritual growth and evolution should read this book.

Life changing

Eckhart Tolle and Don Miguel Ruiz have always been my go to spiritual teachers. I can now add Adyashanti to that list. 🙏🏽

Listen lightly

Adya teaches in a way that speaks to the mind about itself, giving a layout of what one might experience during a spiritual journey. It's important to keep in mind that reality is real for everyone. All at the same time, consciousness is interacting with itself and playing around. Keep things light and let yourself speak through the teaching.

Great book

Tons of Golden nuggets ! The authors voice is just a bit monotone but look pass that and you will gain plenty of wisdom.

the poem

simple ,deep and the poem of the dark in the back will stay clear in my mind

Excellent

I have a greater understanding of the spiritual path. Dense, but it is worth a read.

listening to this was the most important thing

I've listened to this multiple times over the past couple months and each time I related to it in a different way, and each time it brought me comfort and healing. when I notice myself getting wrapped up in my mind or any kind of cognitive constriction I can turn to it for relief. someday I hope to have no need of an external resource or crutch, but as I learn to walk the path on my own I am so grateful to have a qualified teacher at my side (or in my pocket).

Other than myself, Adyashanti is my most favorite spiritual teacher

Adyashanti’s teachings are very inspiring and easy to follow. His voice is extremely calming and his approach is simple. This is it, folks. Awakening, to whatever degree, doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. The more simple, the more true it is. We all already have the answers, we’re just conditioned to believe we do not and are powerless. We’re not powerless, not even a little. The more you decide to drop your story & awaken to the presence already within, the more clear it will become. Thank you, Adyashanti and thank you, anyone who travels this path - and even those who do not. Somehow & some way, we’re all contributing to the expansion of the collective consciousness. Love.

The most important topics of spiritual development

Adyashanti, a spiritual teacher who literally wakes you up from your ego centric identity, tackles spiritual topics that are not usually discussed in mainstream spiritual books. Each talk is complete in itself and answers one or more questions you have or will encounter in your spiritual journey. I loved the clarity with which Adyashanti conveys hard, murky and sometimes painful topics that are essential facets of spiritual wisdom.

Adyashanti invites readers to a cozy and simple table and then flip through the menu to choose a dish

We often think of chance in relation to experience, but sometimes grace is the disappearance of something – one day we wake up and realize the burden has been lifted.