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The Greatest Mistake on My Spiritual Journey
It is easy to lose our way
I have realized that the spiritual path is a slippery slope, and it’s easy to lose my way. I fell into traps that hindered my progress — subtle distractions snuck in unnoticed. I also mistook material and external achievements for spiritual growth.
Then, I stopped and looked at what was truly present in my experience. And in a sudden twist of fate, everything changed. Everything I had been searching for appeared in my life, almost magically.
Very early in my spiritual journey, I learned a powerful lesson from my Zen teacher, Adyashanti, that profoundly shaped my path.
He spoke about the psychological trap of desiring and seeking. He explained that our desires and needs are endless. Once we start seeking, we just keep seeking more and more. Once we begin striving, we end up striving endlessly. In this cycle, we’re always chasing — forever searching for peace, happiness, and love — but never truly finding them.
“Now don’t think that awakening is the end. Awakening is the end of seeking, the end of the seeker, but it is the beginning of a life lived from your true nature.” — Adyashanti
