Enlightenment for Lazy People by Paul Smit - Book Summary
/How I Stumbled Upon the Most Mind-Blowing, Playful Book on Enlightenment
During the pandemic, like many of us, I found myself staring into the abyss of my own existence… and my bookshelf. I was already knee-deep in mindfulness, ACT, and all things present-moment-y, but something was missing. I still had this nagging voice that whispered: “You're not there yet.”
Then one day, while surfing the depths of the internet (possibly after one too many oat milk lattes), I stumbled across an intriguingly titled book: “Enlightenment for Lazy People” by Paul Smit. The title alone had me. Lazy? Enlightenment? YES PLEASE.
The only problem? It wasn’t available in print.
So, in true pandemic-era DIY style, I downloaded the PDF and printed the entire thing out.
What started as a curious skim turned into a series of existential mic-drops. This book didn’t just nudge my thinking—it karate-chopped it. Repeatedly. With love.
Here’s what happened:
I realised that free will is an illusion. Yes, the thing we cherish so dearly. Turns out, I’m not the CEO of Shamash Inc. after all. My decisions are more like spontaneous fireworks exploding from a mysterious void. Pop! Bang! Enlightenment?
I saw that enlightenment isn't some dramatic spiritual Big Bang waiting for me at the end of a 10-day silent retreat. It’s actually… nothing. Which sounds like a cosmic rip-off until you realise it’s the most liberating “nothing” you’ll ever find.
Why? Because there’s no one to get enlightened in the first place. That independent, separate “me” I thought was driving the car of life? Just a fictional character born around 18 months of age, stitched together by thoughts, memories, and a lot of overthinking.
It hit me like a Zen pie to the face: life is a game. A mysterious, chaotic, hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking game. The birds sing. The rivers flow. And humans do what humans do. No one’s in charge. There’s just energy dancing.
So with all that in mind, let’s dive into the lazy (and lovely) genius of Paul Smit’s book.
Enlightenment for Lazy People: A Summary That Won’t Put You to Sleep
As you’re reading a summary of a very short book, you’re like me: not just lazy, but super lazy. You’re an advanced spiritual seeker! Embrace that inner sloth as you scan through the summary:
1. The Big Fat Illusion: You’re Not Who You Think You Are
Paul starts by pointing out that most people live in a kind of hypnosis. We believe we’re separate individuals, each with our own little command center making decisions, controlling life, and managing everything from our careers to what brand of oat milk we buy.
But here’s the twist: the “I” we think we are is just a mental construct. It’s a story created by the brain, reinforced from childhood, and powered by language. There's no little homunculus behind your eyes directing traffic.
This “self” is like a character in a dream. And enlightenment? That’s waking up and realising the character was never real.
Now, before you freak out—this isn’t a problem. In fact, it’s the ultimate cosmic joke.
There’s no burden of “self” to carry anymore. Life doesn’t need “you” to keep spinning. It’s been doing just fine for 13.8 billion years.
2. Free Will: Spoiler Alert…You Don’t Have It
You might feel like you chose to read this blog, but did you really?
Paul dives into the idea that free will is an illusion. Your thoughts arise out of nowhere. Your desires pop up uninvited. Even the decision to meditate, eat vegan cake, or take a nap was just… happening.
The brain creates a story after the fact that says, “I did that!” But really, it’s like someone jumping in front of a moving train and yelling, “I’m leading this thing!”
In other words, the sense of “control” is a retroactive myth—like claiming you invented TikTok because you downloaded the app.
3. The Brain’s Favourite Soap Opera: The Story of “Me”
Your brain is like a never-ending Netflix drama called “This Is My Life”—complete with anxiety, flashbacks, future fantasies, and dramatic plot twists. It creates a narrator (a.k.a. YOU) to make sense of the chaos.
But here’s the kicker: there’s no real person behind the scenes. It’s just a story looping 24/7.
Once you realise this, the mind-chatter loses its grip. You stop taking yourself so seriously. You're not the main character anymore. You’re more like… background jazz in a Quentin Tarantino film.
4. Life Is a Movie (And You’re Not the Director)
Paul beautifully illustrates that life is just unfolding—like a movie playing on a screen. The plot, the actors, the dialogue… it’s all happening. And you’re not the screenwriter.
Trying to control life is like trying to direct a film that’s already been shot. “Cut! No no no, I want the romantic scene AFTER the financial crisis!”
Sorry, darling. That’s not how this works.
Freedom lies in letting go. Trusting the flow. Laughing at the chaos. Crying at the beauty. And maybe getting popcorn.
5. Duality vs. Nonduality: Team “Me vs World” vs. “It’s All Just One Thing, Baby”
Most of us live in duality—seeing ourselves as separate from others, from the world, from life. Me here. You there. Mind here. Body there. Good here. Bad there.
But Paul invites us to see the world through nonduality, where everything is connected. Where the boundaries dissolve and all that’s left is… this. Being. Isness.
No division. No separation. Just Life.
It’s not something you “achieve.” It’s what you are. Right now. Even while picking your nose or doing the dishes.
6. There’s No Path to Enlightenment—You’re Already “There”
Here’s where the book gets delightfully lazy. Paul insists: you can’t “do” anything to get enlightened. Because it’s not something you gain. It’s something you realise.
It’s the absence of a someone who could gain it.
You don’t become enlightened. You discover that you never weren’t.
There’s no finish line. No medal. No guru waving a flag.
You just stop trying to “get there” and realise… you’ve been here the whole time.
7. Stop Meditating So Hard
Paul has a cheeky way of poking fun at spiritual seekers who try really, really hard to “get it.” Hours of meditation, endless retreats, vegan smoothies, incense, and possibly a new wardrobe from Nepal.
But the trying itself is the trap.
He says it’s like running on a treadmill trying to reach the horizon. You never get there because the “you” doing the trying is the very illusion you’re trying to dissolve.
Instead, relax. Be lazy. Stop seeking. The moment you stop looking… there it is.
8. The Comedy of Existence
At its core, Enlightenment for Lazy People is funny. Not just because of Paul’s style, but because life itself is hilarious when you see through the illusion.
We take ourselves so seriously. Our jobs. Our opinions. Our spiritual egos. Our “authenticity.” And yet, it’s all a beautiful absurdity.
A giant cosmic improv show, and no one’s actually running the script.
Realising this can bring a strange kind of peace. A chuckle. A lightness of being.
Because when you’re not trying to fix yourself, improve yourself, or become someone… you’re free to just BE.
9. What Happens After Enlightenment?
Nothing. That’s the joke.
You still eat breakfast. You still forget your keys. You still get moody during Mercury retrograde.
But something subtle shifts. There’s less resistance. Less chasing. Less suffering over suffering.
You live. You love. You screw up. And that’s fine.
You don’t become a robot or a saint. You become no one special. Which is the most beautiful thing of all.
Final Thoughts: The Lazy Path is the Loving Path
Reading Enlightenment for Lazy People didn’t just give me some cool spiritual soundbites. It rewired something deep in me.
It gave me permission to stop trying so hard. To stop fixing what was never broken. To laugh at the idea of ever “getting there.”
Because there is no “there.”
There’s only now. This moment. This breath. This bird singing. This tea cooling. This blog post being written by a bundle of atoms with no fixed identity.
And you, dear reader, are not who you think you are either. Isn’t that wonderful?
So here’s my invitation: stop striving. Start noticing. Put the cushion away. Or don’t. Smile at the absurdity. Play the game.
And maybe—just maybe—print out Enlightenment for Lazy People for yourself. Because the truth might just be waiting between the lines… with a wink and a cup of tea.
Further Links
Check out Paul Smit’s book here.
Did you enjoy reading this? Feel free to email me.
Want more fun? Check out these quotes on nonduality and enlightenment
