Most people do not have the dramatic story. Their experience is gradual, a few punctuated moments rather than anything like a nuclear explosion. So Tami Simon asks Adyashanti directly: can someone reach real depth that way, or does there have to be a big event? His answer holds two things at once. Yes, he has watched people have quite gradual awakenings, recognised mostly in retrospect. Not ordinary psychological change but a genuine shift in how they perceive life, one they seem to slide into. A day arrives when they think, oh, yes, and they cannot tell you when it happened. And yet he cannot imagine any real awakening without moments of recognition somewhere in it. Not mind-bending experiences necessarily, just moments of realising unmistakably that you are perceiving differently than you used to. What decides whether an opening arrives violently or gently is not depth. It is pressure. His first was so explosive, he thinks, because of how hard he had been pushing, like a bottle of carbonated liquid shaken for five years before the cap comes off. A later one was revelatory and entirely calm, because by then he was not striving and nothing had accumulated. Some people are simply not built to strive that way, and their shifts tend to be more like a flower opening, with a gentleness and ease to them. Which leads him somewhere worth hearing. He no longer encourages a pursuit that builds that kind of tension. It was not ultimately necessary, he says, and it is not always wise. Handling those experiences takes a certain ordinary groundedness, without which you can come out disoriented rather than free. So his counsel is plain: if you are already tight inside, do not push hard. You may end up more ungrounded than you are ready for. Want to go deeper with Adyashanti? Join Sounds True One for more teachings like this. Get your first month FREE at https://bit.ly/4ctecMn Subscribe to Sounds True's YouTube Channel ► https://bit.ly/SubscribeSTYT Sounds True is a mission-driven learning and media company, and a recognized leader in wellbeing, personal growth, and spiritual transformation. Partnering with the world’s foremost wisdom teachers and best-selling authors, the company reaches millions worldwide with its unique programs, digital learning experiences, and worldwide events. The company also features a variety of original series, weekly shows, and live online experiences on Sounds True One, its global platform and community with members across more than 125 countries. Sounds True is a Public Benefit Corporation and also the home of the Sounds True Foundation. Connect with us: ▪️Facebook: http://bit.ly/2XFIIeE ▪️Instagram: http://bit.ly/2UlEoiH ▪️Website: http://bit.ly/2tOl02d