How Adyashanti Makes Big Decisions
In a recent letter announcing his retirement from teaching, Adyashanti shares how he made the decision.
Earlier this week, the venerated teacher, Adyashanti announced that he will be retiring from active teaching, both in-person and online.
The announcement letter he shared, is a beautiful and heartfelt explanation, full of wisdom and humility, but what really stood out for me was how he decided to step away from the role of a teacher.
He writes:
The reasons for me stepping down from active teaching are many and varied. And yet I waited to make any decision about my future teaching role until I got a very clear and unambiguous intuitive knowing of what to do. And when it came it was absolutely clear. Body, mind, and spirit aligned into a united knowing that this is the time to step down from active teaching. The words when they came were as simple as could be, “it is done.” When this happens, I call it “united knowing,” when the body feels a deep and embodied “yes,” and the mind knows and understands, and the spirit brightens and dances. This intuitive knowing has always served me well, and I rely on it day to day.
WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY ‘UNITED KNOWING’?
Alignment of Body, Mind, and Spirit: Adyashanti says that "body, mind, and spirit aligned into a united knowing." This suggests that every aspect of his being—physical, mental, and spiritual—came together in agreement.
Deep Embodied Sensation: The "body feels a deep and embodied 'yes,'" indicating that this isn't just an intellectual or abstract realisation. It's something felt deeply and viscerally.
Clarity of Mind: He mentions that the "mind knows and understands." This emphasises that the mind is in full trust of the felt intuition, and understands the implications.
Spiritual Resonance: The "spirit brightens and dances" indicates that this knowing is not just grounded and understood but also resonates on a deeper, spiritual level.
Reliability: Adyashanti also notes that this kind of "intuitive knowing has always served [him] well," implying that it's a form of guidance he's come to trust over time.
In summary, "united knowing," as Adyashanti describes it, is a holistic form of understanding wherein the physical, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of one's being converge into a clear, cohesive, and trustworthy union. It's an intuitive clarity that is felt on every level of one's existence.
How different this approach is from the thought-oriented, top-down, analytical and linear approach to decision making I prioritised for most of my life.
Sure, for practical decision making, linear reasoning has its place. But for the big, hairy, complex decisions, an intuition-first approach is necessary. And perhaps, in a rapidly changing world, increasingly so.
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Take care,
David