If you prefer smoke over fire then get up now and leave. For I do not intend to perfume your mind’s clothing with more sooty knowledge. No, I have something else in mind. Today I hold a flame in my left handand a sword in my right. There will be no damage control today. For God is in a mood to plunder your riches and fling you nakedly into such breathtaking poverty that all that will be left of you will be a tendency to shine. So don’t just sit around this flame choking on your mind. For this is no campfire song to mindlessly mantra yourself to sleep with. Jump now into the space between thoughts and exit this dream before I burn the damn place down.
Adyashanti is an American spiritual teacher. Though trained in Zen Buddhism, he describes his teachings as “free from any tradition or ideology.” The main theme of his work is spiritual awakening.