Walking the Open Road

In two specially-selected retreat talks, Adyashanti explores the kind of aloneness and openness that is inherent in the journey of true spiritual autonomy. In the first talk, he reveals how a truly autonomous being is rooted in a deep state of aloneness, which so many human beings protect against through various forms of identification— including joining spiritual communities. Paradoxically, it is only when we are completely at home within the deep well of aloneness that we actually encounter our absolute connection with all of existence.

In the second talk, Adyashanti provides his insights on Walt Whitman’s poem, “Song of the Open Road.” He emphasizes that it is only when we actively rebel—without violence—against our patterns, and question all of our assumptions about ourselves and the world, that we can truly step onto the open road of the unknown and discover the great freedom in life’s unfolding.

Topics from Talk #1:

• Aloneness vs. Loneliness
• Defending Against Aloneness
• The Disappearance of Self in Meditation
• Essential Connectedness
• When Life Is Not a Threat
• The Gift of Giving Freedom to Others
• Functioning from Spiritual Autonomy
• Aloneness Beyond Thought
• The True Freedom of Autonomy

Topics from Talk #2:

Commentary on Walt Whitman’s “Song of the Open Road” / Divesting Yourself of What Holds You / A Different View of Being in the Moment / The Unknown Ground of Support Awaits / Stepping Outside Familiar Patterns / Loving Rebellion Against Our Confines / Stepping Into New Vistas / What Clouds Your Embodiment Process? / Trusting Life / How Awakening Gets Stagnant / Receiving with an Empty Mind

Quotes from this Download Set:

“The open road is often the road less traveled. The road that everybody is on is the road of sleepwalking.”

“Only in absolute aloneness do we find absolute connectedness.”

“Spiritual autonomy is someone who feels absolutely at home in their aloneness.”

“If there's nobody in the fortress, there's not a self in there to be wounded by the arrows of disapproval, dislike, or disagreement.”

“Spiritual inquiry is to rebel, to rebel against our current perspective.”

“It takes trust to allow the universe to right itself within you.”

Please Note: The recordings in this CD album were originally published in the two download sets of the February 2014 Mt. Madonna retreat titled, Silent Retreat Vol. 37.

Recorded live on retreat at Mount Madonna Center in Watsonville, California on February 17 and 19, 2014.
© 2014 by Adyashanti. All rights reserved.