I was really excited to read this book, but it didn’t meet my expectations. It offers a lot of the same guidance as Be Here Now, The Power of Now (which is derivative of Be Here Now), and The Untethered Soul, but it does it in a far more abstract, unmoored way. For those seeking out spiritual guidance–like myself–concrete examples and anecdotes make a big difference. I don’t doubt Adyashanti’s wisdom, but it needed a better presentation.

The End of Your World is, more than anything, a series of lectures followed by an interview with Adyashanti. Adyashanti’s view of “enlightenment” is humanistic and grounded: it is less about “transcendence” than about inner peace and being satisfied with what is. Non-action, the “uncarved block,” and other concepts central to Taoism are relevant here, even if Adyashanti uses different language to present them. Unfortunately, it is nearly as illegible as the Tao Te Ching (which, thanks to its poetic, literary value, I often found even more comprehensible than The End of Your World). The book left such little impact that I don’t have much in the way of specific examples to talk about here.

I think that Adyashanti was well-received by much of the public, but his book doesn’t work for me. I’d urge spiritual seekers to look elsewhere, especially as they begin their journey.