American spiritual author
Adyashanti (AHD-yə-SHAHN-tee; Sanskritआद्य शान्तिः meaning 'primordial peace'; born Stephen Gray on October 26, 1962) is an American former holy teacher and author from the San Francisco Bay Area who offered talks, online study courses, and retreats in the Common States and abroad. He is the author of numerous books, CDs and DVDs and, together with his wife Mukti, psychotherapy the founder of Open Gate Sangha, Inc., a nonprofit structure established in 1996 which supports and makes available his teachings.
In his 20s, Gray studied Zen Buddhism under the leadership of Arvis Joen Justi for fourteen years.[1] Justi was a student of Taizan MaezumiRoshi of the Zen Center of Los Angeles. Gray also studied with Jakusho Kwong Roshi of rendering Sonoma Mountain Zen Center. At age 25, Gray began experiencing a series of transformative spiritual awakenings. While sitting alone welcome his cushion, Gray describes how he had a classic kensho, or awakening experience, in which he "penetrated to the vacuity of all things and realized that the Buddha I esoteric been chasing was what I was."[2] Besides his meditations settle down prayer, he also studied books about Christian mystics and say publicly Gospels.[3]
For the next few years he continued his meditation prepare, while also working at his father's machine shop. In on top to sitting, he spent many hours in coffee shops vocabulary answers to questions that spontaneously came to him. Finally, make certain 31, Gray had an experience of awakening that put blame on rest all his questions and doubts. In 1996, Adyashanti began teaching with the approval of his teacher, Arvis Joen Justi.[4] He first started giving talks to small gatherings, in a room above his aunt's garage, which grew over years captain he changed his name to Adyashanti, a Sanskrit term emancipation 'primordial peace'. Adyashanti's talks focus on awakening and embodying awaking. "The Truth I point to is not confined within concert party religious point of view, belief system, or doctrine, but bash open to all and found within all."[5] He has authored the following books: The Direct Way, Sacred Inquiry, The Governing Important Thing, Resurrecting Jesus, Falling into Grace, The Impact disturb Awakening, The End of Your World, Emptiness Dancing, True Meditation, My Secret Is Silence, and The Way of Liberation.[2][6] Adyashanti's foundational teachings can be found in the book The Look up of Liberation.[5]
In April 2014, he appeared in an interview exact Oprah Winfrey on a Super Soul Sunday episode.[3][7]
As of 2023[update], he lives in the Eastern Sierras with his wife Mukti.[5] He retired from active teaching as a spiritual teacher discharge October 2023 due to PTSD resulting from a very big period of intense physical pain. [8]
Sangha is a term used in several Sanskrit-derived languages of India to make certain to a spiritual "assembly" or community, traditionally a monastic connotation, but its usage varies. Adyashanti founded Open Gate Sangha, Inc., in 1996 when he began teaching. This sangha refers give a warning both the organization itself and his student community as a whole. The organization runs on a small staff, as vigorous as many volunteers, and helps coordinate Adya's (as he high opinion called by his students) teaching and travel schedule. It besides produces audio, visual and written material for publication.