The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide and The Original Awakening to Reality Guide
Soh

Welcome to Awakening to Reality

Hello! Welcome to the Awakening to Reality site.

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You’re welcome to join our archived Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/AwakeningToReality.

Update: The group is closed to new posts, but you can still join to access past discussions.

1) The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide — by Nafis Rahman

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  • AudioBook on SoundCloud
  • Feedback: "The shortened AtR guide is very good. It should lead one to anatta (the experiential realization of no-self) if they really go and read. Concise and direct." – Yin Ling
  • Download links: PDF  · EPUB (Note: If you experience formatting issues with Apple Books, we recommend using a third-party reader like eBoox to open this EPUB file.)
  • Update: Portuguese translation now available here
  • Update: Chinese translation (中文译本) now available: PDF · EPUB
ATR Practice Guide cover
The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide — cover

2) The Awakening to Reality Guide — Web Abridged Version

3) The Awakening to Reality Guide — Original Version (compiled by Soh)

  • Latest update: 26 January 2026
  • PDF · EPUB

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  • This is the original 1300+ page document on which the practice and abridged guides are based.
“"I also want to say, actually the main ATR document >1200 pages helped me the most with insight... ...I did [read] it twice 😂 it was so helpful and these Mahamudra books supported ATR insights. Just thought to share." – Yin Ling

 

"To be honest, the document is ok [in length], because it’s by insight level. Each insight is like 100 plus pages except anatta [was] exceptionally long [if] I remember lol. If someone read and contemplate at the same time it’s good because the same point will repeat again and again like in the nikayas [traditional Buddhist scriptures in the Pali canon] and insight should arise by the end of it imo.", "A 1000 plus pages ebook written by a serious practitioner Soh Wei Yu that took me a month to read each time and I am so grateful for it. It’s a huge undertaking and I have benefitted from it more that I can ever imagine. Please read patiently." – Yin Ling
ATR Guide preview
ATR Guide preview

Listening to PDFs on Various Devices

How to download PDFs and listen with text-to-speech (TTS).

iPhone (iOS 18+)

  1. Download & unzip: In Safari, download the ZIP. Open Files → Downloads and tap the .zip to extract.
  2. Add to Books: In Files, select the PDFs → Share → Books (may appear as “Save to Books”).
  3. Listen with Speak Screen: Settings → Accessibility → Read & Speak → Speak Screen → turn on Speak Screen (and optionally Show Controller / Highlighting). Open the PDF in Books, then two-finger swipe down from the top, press Play on the floating controller, or say “Siri, speak screen.” Adjust Voices & Speaking Rate there.

Android

  1. Download & unzip: In Chrome, download the ZIP and extract in the Files app.
  2. Open a PDF: Use Drive PDF Viewer, Acrobat, etc.
  3. TTS options: Turn on Select to Speak in Settings → Accessibility (voices/speed under Text-to-speech output), or use an app like @Voice Aloud Reader.

Windows

  1. Open the PDF in Microsoft Edge.
  2. Click Read aloud (or press Ctrl+Shift+U).
  3. Use Voice options to change voice and speed.
Adobe Acrobat Reader: View → Read Out Loud → Activate → choose a mode; voices in Preferences → Reading.

Mac

  1. Books / Preview: Select text → Edit → Speech → Start Speaking. System-wide: Accessibility → Spoken Content → Speak selection (shortcut Option+Esc).
  2. VoiceOver: Toggle with Command+F5.
  3. Acrobat Reader: View → Read Out Loud → Activate; adjust in Preferences → Reading.
Tip: If a PDF is only scanned images, run OCR (e.g., Acrobat “Recognize Text”) so TTS can read it.
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Updates: ATR Practice Guide & Original ATR Guide
Soh

Just a quick note to let everyone know that both the ATR Practice Guide and the Original ATR Guide have been updated.

Please check out the link below to access the latest versions.


The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide and The Original Awakening to Reality Guide

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Mimicking Realization
Soh

Also See: Genuine Realisation is Rare, Most Claimants are Delusional


In a discussion with Kyle Dixon, I shared my observations of people I've encountered over the years:

"Most people lack true realization and just mimic or claim it. That’s partly why I closed the ATR Facebook group. Otherwise, it would have ended up in a dire state like the Dharma Overground forum or the Stream Entry subreddit.

What happens is that when their delusion of being realized finally collapses, they project that onto others, assuming everyone else claiming realization is also deluded. I’ve witnessed this happen to more than one person. It is quite sad and tragic."

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The Importance of Anatta/Anatman as a Nondual Insight
Soh

Nafis: I have always had conflict with Pali Canon purists and Suttavadins. They always tried to downplay Anatta and other non-dual realizations despite not having realized them directly. Mr X and Mr. Y, when I spoke to him privately... He didn't downplay Anatta, but downplayed total exertion... ...I don't know how people can be so overconfident and presumptuous despite not having insight. Imagine telling the co-founder of ATR what the ATR stages is supposed to represent..

Soh: Yeah, they just don't get it. John Tan already said this in 2008/2007 [about hardly any modern Theravadins properly realising anatman as a nondual insight]: https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2025/01/tejanandas-early-writings-and-john-tans.html

(Sharing 2008 Log)

Thusness: For now, just know about Anatta. You see, even for one to know that Anatta is non-dual and as manifestation, it is already rare. For so many Theravada practitioners misunderstood it.

(Sharing 2007 Log)

Thusness: How many explain no-self in terms of mirror-like, non-duality? So far, many I have seen explained it baselessly and nonsensically. Only Dharma Dan [Daniel M. Ingram] explained correctly. And Longchen [Sim Pern Chong] experienced correctly even without me telling him. I only said "no-self"; now is the time to refine the understanding and experience. Hopefully he knows what I meant, then the job is done.

AEN: I see. Bob posted this in that forum last year.

Thusness: He is progressing very fast.

(End of Logs)

Soh: Even to describe Anatta as a form of non-dual insight is super rare in Theravada. How many explain it misleadingly like Thanissaro or some other nonsense.

Nafis: If Mr P explores the Pali Canon seriously, the only commentary worth reading is Nanananda and Geoff, although the latter isn't an official teacher.

Soh: Luckily Mr P likes Geoff [https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2012/09/great-resource-of-buddha-teachings.html].

Nafis: Ajahn Brahm has Anatta, but doesn't provide detailed commentaries on the Pali Canon.

Soh: But I don't understand why he can't see the importance of the Anatta insight if he takes Geoff's writing seriously.

Nafis: The rest are hopeless.

Soh: I think Geoff is quite clear and realized Anatta. Unfortunately, he did not write about his realization, like Malcolm—at least not publicly [Soh's comments: Acarya Malcolm did describe more about his personal insights in his spoken teachings].

Nafis: Yeah, he points to it, but doesn't mention it explicitly.

Soh: Yup. I don't think he [Geoff] can write so well if he didn't have insights.

Nafis: In many of those cases, they even end up being similar to Ajahn Amaro. Borderline Anatta. I remember someone posted Ajahn Amaro before in the group, Yin Ling said it was very amazing, and afterwards we had to send her further excerpts.

Soh: Ajahn Amaro is clearly Stage 4. Just like John Tan broke through the Anatta stanzas but still held the sort of "One Mind" view. But unlike John Tan, who overcame that phase in, I think, one or two years, Ajahn Amaro just got stuck there since. Probably held his master Ajahn Chah's views too deeply. Yeah, the Bahiya Sutta one is very good. But if you read the rest of his book, he still can't overcome the mirror and reflections—unlike John Tan.
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