Falling into Grace

by Adyashanti

In the same way that we fall into the arms of a loved one or drop our heads on the pillow before sleep, we can let go into the beauty and truth of who and what we really are. Falling Into Grace presents Adyashanti's response to anyone looking for a way out of suffering and into the freedom of spiritual awakening. With his first introductory book, he offers what he considers the fundamental teachings on ''seeing life with clear eyes'' to transcend the illusions that lead to unhappiness. Readers join this sought-after teacher to explore: The concept of a separate self as the root of all suffering - and how to stop believing the thoughts that perpetuate our self-image How to take ''the backward step'' into the pure potential of the present moment Giving up the control we only think we have The essential invitation of spirituality: wake up from the dream to embrace what is When we realize that there is grace in every moment, our minds will open, our hearts ...

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Buddhism, Philosophy, Self Help, Religion, Meditation

272 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2011

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

[Vani Kaushal · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The peace and happiness can arise when we profoundly let go, when we really decide to stop struggling," says Adyashanti in this book.

Truly speaking, this book has changed my life. It came to me at a time when I most needed it, and that too as a gift. Adya writes about suffering, and enumerates its causes -- one of them being this constant struggle we have with WHAT IS. He says that the moment we stop struggling with WHAT IS, our life changes. Its all about tuning into THIS MOMENT and what it offers. I am trying to apply Adya's teachings in my life. In fact, I have even started wordless meditation. No thoughts at all. The silence feels peaceful. It has made me touch base with my inner being and trust the higher guidance. This is one of my most favourite books and I would recommend it to all my GR friends.

[Smitha Murthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you are on the path of understanding yourself and the Universe, you need books like these. You need books that you may not understand fully. You need books like these that make you think before you realize that you shouldn’t be thinking at all, but moving into the realm of being and feeling.

You need books that make you realize the vast unknown boundaries of Life. You need books like these that make you question the questions and answer the answers. You need books where you learn that pain is a consequence of life but suffering is an option. You need books where you can take a deeper breath during your meditation and find in the breathing the openness that you knew you had all along. You need books like these that point to the space within you and the cramped room in our mind.

Sometimes, you just fall into graceful books.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way *Adyashanti* writes.

My personal 'favorite' book by *Adya*, >> (the nickname that the local community calls him), is 'emptiness dancing". I re-read it many times!!! Its a VERY VERY beautiful book!!!

His writing is soooooooooooooo lovely!!!

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me through the death of my 11 year old golden retriever. Not more than a week after I began, she passed away. What this book allowed me to see was that my fear of the pain I thought I would feel when it was time to say goodbye was actually more painful than the actual goodbye. With the aid of this book I was able to see that one moment she was here and the next she wasn’t. But each moment was its own. And only in the actual moment of saying goodbye was I in pain. Everything else after (and before) was just the memory of pain or the anticipation of it.
I have wanted to read this book for a while. Years, in fact. I think I picked it up at just the right time. Love how that works....

[Magdalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd say this is a good one to start with if you haven't read or listened to much of Adya's teachings before. (Not as great as Emptiness Dancing, but still good!) It's a beautiful book; full of relevant and clear pointers, all expressed in Adya's familiar, compassionate and heartful style.

However, for me personally it's not really plunging deep enough into the aspects I would have like it too... After reading his previous book The End of Your World - which truly touched and illuminated my heart in more ways that I could possibly say - I realise I was hoping for this book to penetrate even further in the same directions... but instead it's got a different, more general feel to it... seemingly speaking to a wider audience. I'm still enjoying it, just not in the same deep and intimate way I enjoyed some of his earlier ones.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure if I'll ever find a more soothing audiobook to listen to before falling asleep. One could even argue that Adya's teachings are best suited to speak to a disarmed consciousness in slumber, rather than a fully awake and energized one

[Rahi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I would call 2020 and 2021 the start of my journey into awakening. The books I came across (somehow randomly) drew the path for me. The things I felt and experienced can't be expressed through words and it wouldn't be fair to do so. Now, my favorite parts of the book:
"To be born as a human, to take this particular form, is to be challenged. Even for the awakened ones, life is not always smooth. As I like to remind people, even when enlightenment comes, even when you realize the innate and natural freedom of being, it doesn't get you a pass on life. It doesn't mean you're never going to go through anything difficult. Quite the opposite. The more awake we become, often the more capable we are of having life hand us bigger and bigger situations as our capacity to accept and embody our spiritual essence grows."
"When we come to see that words aren’t the truth, that what people say about us tells us about them, not us, we don’t worry so much about what someone might say about us. And when you say something about someone else, you can actually see that in most cases you’re revealing more about yourself than about the other, revealing your projections and your ideas."

[Szeee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Csodás példája ez a könyv annak, hogy hogyan lehet ugyanazt az 5 gondolatot majdnem egy egész könyvön keresztül ügyesen ismételgetni :D A kötet utolsó 1/4-ében voltak csak számomra új gondolatok, amikre felkaptam a fejemet. Azokért érdemes volt elolvasni.

Kegyelem alatt azt érti, amikor elengedjük minden görcsünket és ragaszkodásunkat, megadjuk magunkat és megértjük, hogy mi a valóság és hogy nem érdemes, nem is lehet ellenkezni vele. Jobb ha nyitott szívvel és szellemmel felülünk az Élet nevű vonatra: vigyen, ahová és úgy, ahogy akar. Ekkor lesz vége a szenvedésünknek.

Mindig éreztem, hogy a kereszténység Bibliája semmiben nem mond ellent a buddhista tanoknak, csak más nyelven fogalmaz. Ennek a kötetnek a végén is van néhány gondolat Jézusról, ami ezt megerősíti.

[Golshan Tabatabaie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly skimmed most of it because I already know a lot about spirituality. Read this only if you’re a beginner!

[Iiro Korhonen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tämä kirja liikutti minua. Yleensä luen kirjat melko suorittavalla mentaliteetilla pyrkien maksimoimaan saatavan hyödyn suhteessa ajankäyttöön. Tämä kirja oli poikkeus. Kirjan tiiviydestä ja käsiteltävien aiheiden näennäisestä yksinkertaisuudesta huolimatta lukeminen kesti yli 3kk pelkästään siksi, että tuli useita pysähtymisen paikkoja ja oivalluksia, jotka pisti liikkeelle aitoa muutosta. Tätä kirjaa en halunnut ”suorittaa”, vaan se kutsui olemaan läsnä ja katsomaan asioita tarkemmin. Suosittelen niille jotka tykkäävät hämmentää itseään ja ihmetellä elämää ja olemista.

[William Arsenis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book before reading the actual text. Adyashanti speaks freely from a profound depth that resonates with his every word.

He covers a vast range of perspectives that all point to the same awakening. As with many of his talks, though he repeats himself often, I would find it challenging to outline his points and quote what he said.

This is to say that the experience of reading the book transcends the content itself. One is immediately transported to the living of it rather than the theory of freedom, his words constitute the path/technique/meditation in the moment.

He manages to make clear and simple what cannot be made clear and simple. Moving through words to that which cannot be described with words.

I experienced FALLING INTO GRACE as a meditation in and of itself.

I recommend this book to readers with an open heart, whether they’re on a spiritual path or not.

[Xavier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever come across a book so powerful it made you change a good 90% of your past-read ratings because it set such a high standard? Well, Falling Into Grace did that for me. I did not expect this to be as mind blowing as it is.

Adyashanti gets to the core of why we suffer and what it means to be truly awake every moment of our lives. There’s so much magic in this book, I feel it deserves a short review so the words can speak for themselves.

[Ro Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling into Grace landed for me less as a book to agree with and more as a practice of loosening my grip on certainty.
The central thread I kept returning to was the invitation to notice the difference between reality and the stories my mind tells about reality. To see how much suffering comes from arguing with what already is. Simple. And radical.
One of the biggest gifts of the book was its relentless questioning of knowing. The reminder that thoughts are symbols rather than truth, that we mistake names for the living thing itself, and that awakening may be more about unlearning than acquiring wisdom. As someone who loves inquiry, I found myself less interested in finding answers and more interested in becoming intimate with not knowing. The St. John of the Cross quote, “In order to come to the knowledge you have not, you must go by a way in which you know not,” became the quiet center of the whole reading experience.
I also appreciated Adyashanti’s insistence on spiritual autonomy. The strongest teachings, to me, point us back toward our own direct experience. That emphasis on freedom to meet life, rather than freedom from life, resonated deeply.
The book wasn’t without friction. At times it leans toward an essentialist view that our original nature is peace and love. I don’t know that I believe that’s objectively true. For me, it’s a beautiful and useful myth rather than a fact. As long as it doesn’t become moralistic or imply that struggle means spiritual failure, I find that framing supportive. But readers looking for a less metaphysical approach may find those sections less compelling.
Ultimately, what I’ll carry forward isn’t a philosophy so much as a question: What happens when I stop trying to know? When I stop indulging every thought, stop defending every position, and simply become curious about what’s here before the mind rushes in to explain it?
This is a book I’ll likely return to and share because he has a beautiful way of distilling heady lessons and gently dismantling dualistic beliefs.

[austyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

it wasn't a bad book per-say, just filled with things i personally found very repetitive. i've sort of learned that after you read a couple of these types of books, you've read them all. yes, there can be some stuff that is really important to re-read and hammer in, but i did not feel like i took anything new away. i was also very much put off by the fact this book was written by a white guy who changed his name. sometimes it seemed like a very egotistical story about how to not be egotistical. i'm sure someone out there could take something new away, but for me personally i got enough from other books i've read.

[Noor Abu Hassan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like this book and the auther, i like how he illustrate his journy in spirituality. It is inspiring. Have very usefull insights.Enjoy it really. ❤

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This went along nicely with other things I've read.

[Jules Farrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prachtig ♡ Ik heb het langzaam gelezen en het zal ook nog lang doorwerken verwacht ik.

Het is een boek over dezelfde thematiek als ‘de kracht van het nu’ maar met net weer andere invalshoeken.

[Steven H · Rating 3 out of 5]

A BOOK OF ‘FUNDAMENTALS OF SPIRITUAL DISCOVERY’

Adyashanti (born ‘Stephen Gray’ in 1962) is a former spiritual teacher, who, in his twenties, began studying Zen with several different teachers; he claims to have had spiritual awakenings starting at age 25, and began teaching on his own at age 34, giving talks and writing books. (He retired from teaching in 2023 after experiencing a long period of physical pain.)

Editor Tami Simon (of Sounds True) wrote in her Preface to this 2011 book, “In the spring of 2009, I was talking on the phone with Adyashanti about potential ideas for a new book and audio series with Sounds True. I mentioned that I wanted to publish a book of his teachings that would be welcoming to people who are new to the spiritual path, a book that would have reach as much as depth. Adya… surprised me and said, ‘The more I teach, the more I discover that that fundamentals are the most important part of any teaching. I notice that when I talk in a very clear way about essential spiritual insights, people who are newcomers as well as people who have been on the path for decades derive tremendous benefits.’ This idea of a book on the ‘fundamentals of spiritual discovery’ became the organizing principle for a series of talks given over five days in the fall of 2009… These talks were then transcribed and edited into [this book].”

He wrote in his Introduction, “I was reflecting recently on my many years of teaching. One of the things I’ve noticed is that the most transformative element of any spiritual teaching is its basics, its fundamentals. These are also the easiest to forget, because our minds have a natural tendency to move into complexity. The mind believes that the more subtle and complex something is, the more accurately it reflects reality.
What I’ve seen, however, over the many years of my own teaching, is that it is actually the fundamentals of the teaching that are the most impactful; that it is the basic elements of the teaching that hold the true power to help transform our lives.” (Pg. ix)

He continues, “Beyond even any teaching, though, the aspect of spiritual life that is the most profound is the element of grace. Grace is something that comes to us when we somehow find ourselves completely available, when we become open-hearted and open-minded, and are willing to entertain the possibility that we may not know what we think we know. In this gap of not knowing, in the suspension of any conclusion, a whole other element of life and reality can rush in. This is what I call ‘grace.’ … The teachings in this book are simply ways to open ourselves to grace, to open ourselves to that mysterious element of light that enters in the hidden and quiet moments. This sparks a revolution in the way that we perceive life, a revolution that goes a long way toward helping us to end the suffering and strife that so many human beings live with day to day.” (Pg. x-xi)

He notes, “There was a saying attributed to Jesus in ‘The Gospel of Thomas,’ written shortly after Jesus’s death, in which he says: ‘The seeker should not stop until he finds. When he does find, he will be disturbed. After being disturbed, he will be astonished. Then he will reign over everything.’ … What are human beings really seeking? We all have many names for what we’re seeking, but really, whether we call it God, whether we call it money, whether we call it approval, whether we call it power, whether we call it control, what we’re really seeking is to be happy. We’re only seeking these outward forms because we think if we attain them, we’ll be happy. So really, no matter what we SAY we’re seeking---God, money, power, prestige---what we’re really seeking is happiness. If we didn’t think that what we are seeking would give us happiness, we wouldn’t seek it… Jesus is pointing to a way to seek that was revealed long, long ago: to seek within.” (Pg. 11-12)

He states, “All of the great spiritual teachings direct us to look within, to ‘know thyself.’ Unless we know ourselves, we can never find our way beyond suffering. In fact, it’s because we don’t know ourselves that we’re so prone to suffering, that we’re so prone to misunderstanding the nature of who we are and reality itself. So this assumption that we are something separate, something other than everything around us, is the basis of what I call our ‘egoic consciousness.’ … When our mind starts to imagine that we are something separate and different from the world around us, it changes the way we perceive, which means it changes our state of consciousness. The thoughts that we believe alter and change our state of consciousness.” (Pg. 31-32)

He explains, “Now I want to introduce a different type of suffering… I’ve come to call this ‘generational suffering.’ The notion … is based on the fact that each of us comes from a generational life, which goes back as far in time as we can imagine…. We’re actually the outcome of a long chain of many, many generations. Each of our family systems is imbued… what we might call ‘generational pain,’ or ‘generational suffering.’ This is an actual energy that is unconsciously passed down from one generation to the next.” (Pg. 45-46)

He recounts, “When I was in my mid-twenties, I had a beautiful dog… and he was a constant companion… We were together almost all of the time… And then he developed a form of epilepsy… Eventually, he ended up having to be put down. This was one of the saddest moments of my life… One afternoon, some friends, family, and I went out in the back yard for a final goodbye… as I kept crying, as I kept speaking the eulogy, this point of happiness began to expand… and became absolutely immense, and there was this very strange, paradoxical experience. On one hand, in was enmeshed in this deep state of grief and sadness. But at the very same moment, there was a greater happiness and greater sense of well-being than I’d ever experienced in my life. It was one of the most profound experiences I’d ever had. What is revealed to me was that even in the deepest states of darkness, even in the most intense states of loss, grief, or depression we can find some measure of happiness and well-being when we really open to the difficult feelings, when we let go of our resistance, when we completely let go of trying to contain those painful experiences, when we finally just allow them to be there, to be as overwhelming as they may want to be. The peace and happiness can arise when we profoundly let go, when we really decide to stop struggling.” (Pg. 67-69)

He states, “Essentially, we fall into grace. By that I mean that a certain mysterious quality reveals itself and cradles us within an intimacy with all of existence… Almost everybody is looking for intimacy---a closeness, a sense of union with their own existence or with God, or whatever their concept of higher reality is… When we open to life in this way, we begin to find an inner stability simply because we are no longer at odds with our experience.” (Pg. 126-127)

He recalls, “When I began my spiritual search at 19 or 20 years old, I had the idea that when I finally found what reality was, when I found the enlightenment I was looking for, then that would be it. I imagined that enlightenment was the goal and the end-all. Most of what I’d read in spiritual literature and heard in spiritual teachings reinforced that once you get to enlightenment, it’s basically over. You’ve gone as far as the spiritual life can take you. What I discovered, however, was something quite different… Spiritual awakening is the ground from which a whole new movement of spirit starts to occur, and that now movement that comes out of our own sense of freedom is what I call ‘awakening into our true autonomy.’” (Pg. 177-178)

He recounts, “Once my teacher sent me to another teacher because I’d said I wanted to do a traditional retreat. So… I drove up to Zen temple in Somoma, California…. I knew that Zen retreats were known to be quite austere and rigorous, and the schedule required us to meditate at least nine times a day, every day, and all through the night on the last day. I looked at this sesshin with almost mythic eyes, through all the stories I’d heard about what happens on these retreats. I’ll never forget the first private meeting with the teacher. He asked me how I meditated, and so I told him… how I was basically just sitting in silence and more or less following my own inner guidance as to what seemed the right thing to do…. He looked at me very sternly, and he said, ‘You didn’t come here to do what you want to do. You came here so that I could help guide you. Which is it that you want?’ I remember feeling quite taken aback… I was quite shocked, because I’d listened to him give talks, and he was quite sweet and kind and warm. Now he was here laying a demand upon me at our very first meeting… So I said, ‘I think I’ll try to do what you suggest.’ The teacher told me about a meditation technique that sounded quite boring… I went home from that retreat a couple of days later, after it ended, and I decided that I was going to keep doing the meditation that he had taught me… After a few months, I wrote him a letter… [explaining] I’m getting this intuition that maybe I could let go of counting my breaths… ‘But if you think that's not a correct thing to do, then let me know.’ I got a letter back… he said, ‘That sounds good to me… do it that way.’

“It was my first understanding of what it was to be in a true relationship with a spiritual teacher. What he did on our first meeting was more important than the fact that he told me about a certain meditation technique… What he was telling me… was that my ego, my preferences, played no part in the spiritual life, and … that our relationship was not going to be based on this. He drew a line in the sand.” (Pg. 186-189)

This book will appeal to fans of Adyashanti.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites, I have read several times including reading to my husband . . . more on true freedom and getting out of suffering . . .

[Philosopher Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of ideas are pretty good. I realized that I wasn't really letting emotional turmoil inside me a way out, just having them bubble over all the time.

[Sotiris Yannopoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Adyashanti!

This book is a great read for the curious mind. The one who seeks answers going beyond the obvious and self created beliefs. Adya explains simply and brings to life difficult concepts using powerful examples and experiences.

[MizzSandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Adyashanti.
His teachings, his persona, his words, his voice, his presence, his caring and loving nature, his peace, his humor, his downtoearth-ness, his smile, his grace.
He may not always be all of this, but that is how I know him. From the YouTube videos and the satsang I was lucky enough to attend, here, in Copenhagen where I live.
This was my first book with Adya.
And I've got to admit: I prefer him live. Or as close to it.
I missed his voice, his laugh, and the way he speaks his words that goes right to the core of me and that I carry with me, as reminders.
Much of what was said in this book I've already discovered for myself, so I didn't have many revelations. The brick wall image stuck with me. But there are some of the YouTube videos and the satsang that has had more piercing impact on me.
Nevertheless, Adya is a teacher whose words and wisdom and presence reach me, deeply and profoundly, just by being close to them, I'm reminded of all this, that lies in me, in the universe. And that makes me better able embrace Life and What is.
And that is a gift for which I'm grateful.

[Susan Wight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling into Grace --- one of the best books I've ever read to date. While every page is deeply insightful, there's a section as well about transmutation; about welcoming reactions when you have a reaction. I loved realizing that you can't get rid of something like fear or anger for example. Everything is one. But you can transmute it. And to "do" that you're not really doing anything but surrendering to what is, and then whatever reaction is present naturally transmutes itself to its higher essence in its own time. Falling into Grace supports me in my practice of awakening, presence and surrendering. To me, it's not a "read once" type of book, but a great wealth of awakening energy on each page.
Blessings,
Susan Nancy Wight

[Bev Siddons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard Adyashanti on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday and ordered his book immediately. As a spiritual teacher, he encourages us to let go of our struggles a be open to Consciousness.

"What we all aspire to, and what is in fact natural to us, is openness, peace, love, and well-being. These qualities are completely natural qualities of spirit. They arise in us when we become conscious of our spiritual nature, of our on-separate, non-somebody nature. Then love flows quite naturally." (p 75)

Let go. Relax. Be present now. Grace is yours.

[Yanal · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Falling Into Grace, we learn about human psychology and the thought processes of using language and mental images, starting early in life. Ultimately, we suffer, struggle and get into conflict because we believe what we think (and what others think about us). The idea of letting go of our ideas, beliefs, and opinions brings up resistance and fear. Yet if we can avoid becoming lost in our thoughts, projections, beliefs, and opinions, we can begin to unravel our suffering and discover true happiness.

[jonathanwm]

In the same way that we fall into the arms of a loved one or drop our heads on the pillow before sleep, we can let go into the beauty and truth of who and what we really are. Falling into Grace presents Adyashanti’s response to anyone looking for a way out of suffering and into the freedom of spiritual awakening.

[Amy Mosow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This took me a long time to read. I would read a little than stop to absorb it and practice it in my daily life. I highly recommend reading this. We all suffer in so many different ways and Adya shows us how we don't have to. Stay in the moment!!

[Barbara Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

.Mesmerizing

I want to and will read every book by Adyashanti. After seeing an interview with Oprah, I was impressed.
This book was full of grace and kindness. Exactly what I saw in this author. It will lift your spirits..

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breaks down why we suffer in a simple to follow manner. If we are in conflict with what is true (happening) there will be struggle.