In The Natural State, Don Oakley explores how spiritual awakening is only the beginning — not the destination — of a deeper inner journey. He argues that many seekers misunderstand enlightenment as a final state or peak experience. Instead, Oakley emphasizes that true transformation lies in recognizing and living from our “natural state”: a constant, ever-present awareness that underlies all thought, emotion, and experience. The book guides readers to distinguish their true nature from the fluctuating energy of awakening experiences, and encourages stabilizing perception of this awareness by letting go of grasping patterns. Living from this natural state means learning to function in the everyday, dualistic world — not as an escape from reality, but embodying presence while engaging with ordinary life.

Oakley offers practical insights into the challenges of post-awakening life: times when clarity fades, when spiritual enthusiasm wanes, or when daily conditioning pulls one back into old habits. Rather than prescribing a fixed method or ritual, he presents an invitation to investigate inner life, study one’s habitual mental and emotional patterns, and respond with awareness instead of reactivity. The book becomes a roadmap for integrating awakening into everyday living — transforming “enlightened moments” into a stable way of being. The Natural State by Don Oakley thus addresses not only the mystery of awakening, but also the real task of living as presence in an ordinary human world¹.