Adyashanti took his name (which means “primordial peace” in Sanskrit) after a series of spiritual awakenings. His first came while sitting alone on his cushion, when he “penetrated to the emptiness of all things and realized that the Buddha I had been chasing was what I was.” In his latest book, The Most Important Thing, he tells the story of his first teacher, who for years sat alone, preparing for students who did not come.