In
addition to our primary Source Adi Da Himself and the Adi
Da Up Close staff, we have drawn upon, and are indebted to, hundreds of contributors,
sources, and helpers as we created and evolved this site. It is a living
example of what Adi Da calls "everybody-all-at-once"! We'd like to acknowledge
and express our gratitude to as many of those contributors as possible, below.
Adi
Da has said to His devotees, "Without your response, Adidam is mere philosophy."
Most of our contributors are devotees of Adi Da. They have helped
make this site a very full and personal introduction to Adi Da
as the Divine Person in living, human form; and a very full and
personal introduction to Adidam as a living community of people
who have received (and responded to) that Revelation, and whose
lives have been transformed by It.
Some
of our contributors are not formal devotees of Adi Da. Many of the non-devotees
listed below are professionals who have appreciated Adi Da's contributions in
their own area of expertise (art, spirituality, social wisdom, etc.)
Dr. Cristina Acidini is the Superintendent of the
Authority for Cultural Heritage and State Museums in Florence,
Italy.
Audio/Video Library In several video clips (here
and here),
Dr. Acidini speaks about the unprecedented exhibition
of Adi Da Samraj's image-art at the Cenacolo di Ognissanti,
in February, 2008.
Dellanna Adams-Bain has been a devotee of Avatar
Adi Da since 1974. While a devotee, Dellanna obtained her
Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She worked professionally
as a psychologist for many years and also served Adidam
as a consultant in her professional capacity.
Shaktipat
and Possession by a Leopard Clinical psychologist
Dellanna Adams-Bain was being possessed by a leopard in
meditation. This is her story and Adi Das Instruction
to her.
Alicia Aguilar is a gifted healer, and has been
a devotee of Avatar Adi Da since March, 1983. She has a
22-year old daughter who was born and raised in the community
of Adi Das devotees.
Initiation
in Another Realm Alicia describes her first encounter
with Avatar Adi Da. It takes place in another dimension,
in her distant home village in the Philippines.
He
Was the Same Divine Presence I Had Contacted Before
Steve describes how he discovered a Divine Presence
in his heart, and how that ultimately led to his devotional
relationship with the human form of that Presence: Adi
Da.
James Alwood has been a devotee of Adi Da for many
years, and is the Director of the Laughing Man Institute
of the Adidam Academy, as well as a senior instructor in
the Academy. He feels the urgency to bring many more devotees
to Adi Da, especially focusing on those who are of the disposition
and intention to move quickly into the First Congregation.
He also feels the keen necessity to particularly enable
young devotees to come as quickly as possible in order to
rightly serve Adi Das world-work altogether.
James' responses to some frequently asked questions.
Megan Anderson grew up in the Adidam community as
Adi Da's devotee. She has served Adi Da in the Editorial
Department for many years, and has also served the Adidam
Mission as a public speaker.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
an audio clip of Light-In-Everybody,
a song for which Megan wrote the lyrics.
Albert Aprigliano was classically trained as a pianist
at The Juilliard School of Music. For over thirty years,
he has been a Manhattan cocktail pianist, serving as house
pianist for many high class Manhattan restaurants, and providing
accompaniment for numerous cabaret acts.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
two musical tributes to Adi Da from Albert (here
and here),
in honor of his intimate partner being Adi Da's devotee.
Jane Attardi has been a devotee of Avatar Adi Da
Samraj since 1976. She has been a principal person involved
in sacred and cultural overview of the community of devotees.
She has lived and served many years at all of the Hermitages
and Sanctuaries established by Avatar Adi Da. Jane also
serves in the Art Department as a framer.
Exactly
That Same Embrace Jane tells how Adi Da used the
circumstance of dancing to reveal to her a lifelong pattern
of "masculine" aggressiveness that she used to prevent
herself from being vulnerable as a woman.
Aura Bakker grew up in the Adidam community as Adi
Da's devotee. She is a musician, singer, and composer. She
received early training and experience in Indian music and
jazz. She completed her BA in music at the Maastricht Conservatory
of Music in Holland in 2004 after which she moved to London
for two years where she performed regularly and found her
voice in songwriting. More at her
website.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip from Aura, where she sets to music one of Adi Da's
poems, The Heart's Shout. It also includes an audio clip
of Light-In-Everybody,
a song for which Aura wrote the music (along with Adam
Weiss).
Frans Bakker, M.D., is a long-time devotee of Avatar
Adi Da, and served for a period of time as Adi Da's personal
physician. Frans has been a principal public representative
of Adidam. He has given seminars worldwide on Adi Das Instruction
about death and dying.
The
Fierce Woman This story takes place at Da Love-Ananda
Mahal, then called Tumomama. It was during a time of
intense consideration of esoteric spiritual practice with
just a small group of practitioners. Frans tells the story
of Avatar Adi Das Instruction to him and the lessons
he learned from a visitation by the Goddess Kali.
Journey
Into Death and Back In December 1983, two months
after Adi Da's arrival at Adi Da Samrajashram (on the
island of Naitauba in Fiji), an accident occurred that
would have been fatal without Avatar Adi Da's Intervention.
The story of that incident is told by two people: Frans
Bakker, one of the doctors involved; and Tom Closser,
the devotee to whom the accident occurred, who describes
his near-death experience, and a profound lesson about
how "guilt" can become a self-destructive impediment to
growth.
Review
of Not-Two Is Peace Mary wrote a review of
the Florence Dance Company's ballet theater event, Not-Two
Is Peace.
Jensen Bellin grew up in the Adidam community as
Adi Da's devotee.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes several
video clips from Jensen.
Pamela Bennett has been a devotee
of Adi Da since 1978. She
is a founding member and world-wide coordinator of the Adidam
Weather Guild and a regular contributor to the Adidam
News Guild. She also does occasional research
and purchasing for the Gifting Guild and News Guilds. She
serves as a member of the Plastic Arts Guild, which helps
grow her skills in painting, drawing, print-making and photography.
Ice
Cream and Divine Distraction Pamela:
"I turned my gaze away from the frozen yoghurt toward
a most unusual image: a Supremely Attractive Being whose
photograph graced the book's jacket. . . in an instant,
a shift occurred. There was no granite topped counter
and wooden stool with music in the background. There was
not a shred of bodily awareness whatsoever. There was
only a Bright, Radiant Field of Whitest Light, a tiny
point of witness, and the most extraordinary, limitless,
astonishing feeling of extravagant and limitless Joy."
Divine
Healing Pamela
describes a sudden and dramatic healing that took place
through Adi Da's Blessing-Power while she was sitting
with Adi Da in meditation, in one of the temples at The
Mountain Of Attention.
John Bent is a longtime devotee of Adi Da Samraj.
"Be
Fearless!" John tells the story of Adi Da Samraj's
great Blessing Work with His devotee, Tamara Mcphail (who
was John's intimate partner from 1999 until her death
in 2002).
Justin Berry has been a devotee of Adi Da for several
years.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip from Justin.
Dr. Monica Bietti is the Director of the Museum
of the Medici Chapels. She was formerly with the Superintendency
of Artistic Heritage of Bologna and Florence.
Audio/Video Library In several video clips (here
and here),
Dr. Bietti speaks about the exhibition of Adi Da Samraj's
image-art at the Cenacolo di Ognissanti, in February,
2008.
Matt Braithwaite has been a
devotee of Adi Da Samraj for many years. He is a professional
videographer.
Walter Brew has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj
for many years. He is a professional healer, and serves
Adi Da at the European Danda (priest, chanting, self-sufficiency
and gardening, Danda maintenance and repair).
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes several
"Danda Unity Garden Chronicle" video clips,
narrated by Walter.
Roger Briggs is the founder and CEO of Naptech,
a company specializing in refurbishing electronic testing
equipment for resale. Started with a staff of one (Roger),
Naptech is now one of the major companies in this field.
Even from the beginning, Roger has always given generously
for the support of Adi Da, Adidam and renunciate devotees,
and has always been an inspiration to other devotees in
this regard.
Unimagined
Success Roger's humble story of living by the Guru's
Instruction, and living in the disposition of faith.
Gavin Brown has been a devotee of Adi Da since
1988. He is currently the primary
missionary for the Adidam Mission in the United Kingdom.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip from Gavin, talking about his relationship with Adi
Da, and another where he talks about Adidam South Africa.
Steve Brown has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj
since 1984, and was personally instructed by Adi Da in the
sacred arts, particularly music and theatre. He is the Artistic
Director of the First Room Theatre Guild, and he has performed,
produced, and directed enactments of Adi Da's Orpheum
Trilogy within the First Room Theatre Guild for over
25 years.
Audio/Video Library Steve made musical contributions
to a video clip about The
Ancient Walk-About Way.
Terry Cafferty has been a devotee of Adi Da
Samraj since the early 1980's. He is an aerospace engineering
consultant specializing in orbiting imaging systems, and
has worked for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Hughes
Aircraft, and Raytheon. In addition to being one of Adi
Da Samraj's patrons, Terry also generously supports the
Adidam Fear-No-More Zoo, and is on its Board of Directors.
He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Adidam
Global Ashram.
"Let
Me Live You. Dissolve In My Current Of Bliss" Terry
tells how, even in the midst of a conventionally "successful"
life, he became aware of his own inability to truly love,
feel, and be in relationship with others. The crisis engendered
by this realization ultimately led him to his Spiritual
Master, Avatar Adi Da Samraj.
The
True Source of Security Three more stories from
Terry. In the first story, Terry learns a lesson about
letting go of his tight grip on money as his source of
security. In the next two stories, Terry's brushes with
death (and the extraordinary Grace that saved him both
times) would reveal the True Source of Humor, Security
and Eternal Life.
Stuart Camps has been a devotee of Adi Da
Samraj for many years. He has been the director of Fear-No-More
Zoo since 1993. Serving the animals of Fear-No-More
Zoo under Adi Da's guidance and instruction, and developing
an ever deepening understanding of Adi Da's Vision of Fear-No-More,
Stuart also writes papers and articles about the contemplative
life of the non-humans, the environment, conservation, and
the sacred relationship that humans may develop with everything
else. He maintains the Camel
& blog.
All
True Things Park Stuart's contributions and insights
are a large part of our description of All True Things
Park, on our page for The Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary.
Serving
the transition of dying animals Stuart: "People
often wonder what to do when their pet, or another animal,
is dead or dying. Adi Da Samraj has given instruction
on the death process for humans in His book, Easy
Death. The process is essentially the same for
non-humans yet there are unique points to consider in
serving the death of animals, including whether euthanasia
is appropriate."
Marvin Carpenter has been a devotee of Avatar Adi
Da Samraj since 1975. He works as an insurance broker, and
is currently living at The Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary,
in northern California.
Ruy Carpenter grew up in the Adidam community as
Adi Da's devotee. He spent the last few years before Adi
Da's Divine Mahasamadhi (in November, 2008) serving Adi
Da on Adi Da Samrajashram in the creation of His Image-Art.
Audio/Video Library Ruy appears in a
documentary about the making of the first full theater
production of Adi Da's epic work, The Mummery,
in January, 2000, at The Mountain Of Attention. (Ruy was
an actor in The Mummery.)
James Edward Clarkez is a singer, composer,
and producer from Penarth, Wales. He manages the Ty
Cerdd recording studios at the Wales Millennium Centre
in Cardiff Bay where he produces music in a plethora of
styles and genres, from opera to rock to dubstep to pop.
James has a first class masters degree in music from Bristol
University. He has composed a symphony, Eleutherios:
The Turning to Satsang, based on Adi Da's Teaching.
Jaya Jacqueline was one of the lead singers for the
world music group, Jaya. Her voice can be heard on a number
of audio and video clips in our Library that feature Jaya
music (here,
for example).
Tom Closser has been a devotee of Adi Da for
many years.He currently lives in Northern California.
Journey
Into Death and Back In December 1983, two months
after Adi Da's arrival at Adi Da Samrajashram (on the
island of Naitauba in Fiji), an accident occurred that
would have been fatal without Avatar Adi Da's Intervention.
The story of that incident is told by two people: Frans
Bakker, one of the doctors involved; and Tom Closser,
the devotee to whom the accident occurred, who describes
his near-death experience, and a profound lesson about
how "guilt" can become a self-destructive impediment to
growth.
Gary Coates has been a member of the architecture
faculty at Kansas State University since 1977, where he
is also Victor L. Regnier Distinguished Professor. Coates
is nationally and internationally recognized as a leading
voice in the movement to create socially, technologically
and ecologically sustainable buildings, cities and bioregions.
He has received more than 40 research, demonstration and
service grants and has been a keynote speaker, lecturer
and workshop leader at more than 90 professional and scholarly
conferences in this country and Europe. Coates' publications
include a half-dozen research monographs, more than a dozen
book chapters, and some 70 papers published in professional
journals. He has edited and authored five books, including:
Resettling
America: Energy, Ecology and Community (1981); Erik
Asmussen, Architect (1997); and The
Architecture of Carl Nyrιn (2007).
The
Rebirth of Sacred Art: Reflections on the Aperspectival
Geometric Art of Adi Da Samraj "For nearly
forty years the artist, scholar and spiritual teacher
Adi Da Samraj (1939-2008) was involved in the production
of a highly diverse and unique body of artistic work,
ranging from Zen-like ink brush paintings to multiple
exposure photography, videographic suites synchronized
with music and, most recently, monumentally scaled abstract
geometric images generated by digital technology. Adi
Das purpose in all of this work was to create images
which would enable the fully participatory viewer to experience
a taste of the inherently blissful state of nondual awareness
that he asserts is our native condition once we transcend
the presumption and experience of being a separate 'subjective'
self perceiving a separate 'objective' reality."
Dennis Coccaro has been a devotee of Adi Da
Samraj since 1979. He received a B.A. degree in English
with a minor in education. He has been an instructor
for Adidam since the mid-1990's, serving primarily in New
York City, and the East Coast of the United States.
He is also Cultural Services Manager and Mission Manager
for the community of devotees there.
He is
Here! After years of searching and practicing world
religions, Dennis discovered Adi Da Samraj in 1979, when
he heard a radio broadcast-interview which featured some
of Adi Da's early devotees. A profound and beautiful relationship
to His Spiritual Master ensued.
Jonathan Condit has been a devotee of Adi
Da for many years. He was also Adi Da's senior editorial
assistant for many years. He received his Ph.D. in music,
writing a dissertation on Korean music. He was ordained
as a Buddhist monk, and practiced in that capacity until
the moment when he recognized Adi Da as the "Maitreya
Buddha".
Creating
a New Spiritual Tradition (video) Jonathan tells
the story of the moment when Adi Da "captured his heart",
while he was an ordained Buddhist monk. At the time, Jonathan
had an immediate recognition of Adi Da as "Maitreya Buddha".
He describes how his recognition deepened over time: "All
the premonitions of a 'great being to come' [Maitreya]
are unbelievably pale in comparison to the actuality of
Avatar Adi Da."
The
Silver Hall (video) The Silver Hall is a set-apart
hall in Adi Da's home on Naitauba, Fiji. Adi Da uses this
hall for the purpose of "Transmission Sittings" during
which He Initiates his mature devotees into the Spiritual
dimension of the relationship to Him. The Silver Hall
continues to be used for this very special purpose, after
Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi. Interviewed immediately after
a Silver Hall Sitting, Jonathan describes his experience
of Adi Da's Spiritual Transmission.
The Mummery Documentary Jonathan was featured in a
documentary about the making of the first full theater
production of Adi Da's epic work, The Mummery,
in January, 2000, at The Mountain Of Attention. (Jonathan
was a production consultant.)
Alan Corne has been a devotee of Adi Da for many
years. He has also been a professional musician and drummer
for many years, and has played extensively in Adi Da's Company
both for Sacred Celebration offerings, and in intimate circumstances
of various kinds.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip created by Alan that is set to "Celestial Spheres",
a piece he composed and performed.
Anthony Costabile has been a devotee of Adi Da
Samraj since 1975. With an M.A. in Education, he has been
a professional school teacher and administrator. He is
the Director of the Adidam
Midwest Center in Chicago. He has served as a writer
and lecturer, producing monographs, educational materials,
and numerous articles about Adi Da Samraj and the Reality-Way
of Adidam, including his recent CESNUR paper, "The
Restoration of Spiritual Culture", and his article,
"Disciples,
Fools, and Enlightenment". Mr. Costabile has
lived in Adidam sanctuaries in California, Hawaii, and
Fiji. He travels internationally, speaking about Adi Da
Samraj, introducing Adi Da's Wisdom-Teaching to a variety
of public audiences, and leading public retreats (most
recently, in April,
2013). He is currently doing a series of public lectures
and courses based on Adi Das ultimate Revelatory Work,
The Aletheon.
The
Book Landed on the Floor in Front of My Feet In
1974, Anthony was a young seeker, living in the Denver/Boulder
area, and given to browsing spiritual bookshops. As he
was browsing in the yoga and spirituality section of one
of those shops, Adi Da's Knee
Of Listening suddenly "fell" off the shelf, landed
on the floor in front of his feet, and changed his life.
Daji Megan
Fear-No-More Anthony writes about Daji Megan. Until
the early 1980's, a German Shepherd named Megan lived
with Adi Da at The Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary. Adi
Da loved him dearly, and it soon became obvious that Megan
wished only to serve his Spiritual Master as devoted friend
and protector. He did so for nearly eight years. Daji
Megan's burial site is at the entrance to Fear-No-More
Zoo, a tangible sign of his guardianship.
Devotee
Books Our Devotee Book section includes Anthony's
book, Avataric Revelation and the Restoration of Spiritual
Culture.
Paula Crema is an artist who is well-known for her
exquisite mother of pearl, bronze and silver table sculptures.
Audio/Video
Library In this video clip, Paula speaks about the
exhibition of Adi Da Samraj's image-art at the Cenacolo
di Ognissanti, in February, 2008.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip of Da Love-Ananda Mahal that Bruce helped to create.
Jym Daly has been a devotee of Adi
Da for a number of years. He is one of the founders of Fidget
Feet, Irelands foremost Aerial Dance Theatre Company.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a number
of experimental video clips created by Jym.
Catherine Dames became a devotee of
Adi Da Samraj in 1985. She has had a particular interest
in animal welfare, and was the founder of and national organizer
for Animal Aid in England. She was active in animal welfare
projects from 1977 to 1984. As a devotee, Catherine has
served as a priest and educator. She lives in the European
Danda, in Holland.
I
Knew He Was the Divine Being in Human Bodily Form
Catherine: "At a certain point into the video, I felt
a strange but very pleasant feeling between my eyebrows,
as if an electric charge was plugged into that spot.
When I looked at the Guru, I felt completely overwhelmed
with Joy. His bodily expression of total Happiness and
Freedom were such as I had never seen before in any
man or woman."
Dennis Dardzinski is a longtime devotee
of Adi Da. He is a contributor to the Adidam Academy's "Easy
Death" classes, as "a 'sensitive' who is able
to communicate with the recently deceased."
"She
Is With Me" A story of the illness and death transition
of Cathy Lewis, as told by Cathy, her intimates, and other
friends (including Dennis).
Ram Krishna Das is a learned singer of Indian ragas.
Nina Davis was Adi Da's first devotee.
She met Him in 1961, while they both were attending Stanford
University. Over the years, Nina has served Adi Da's work
of liberating all beings (including His Own Re-Awakening
in September, 1970) in a wide variety of ways (some of which
Adi Da writes about in His autobiography, The
Knee Of Listening).
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes several
videos (here
and here)
of Nina remembering the early days in Adi Da's development
of the culture of Adidam.
Laura deBaun has been a devotee of
Adi Da since 1988. She is a California-licensed Marriage
and Family Therapist. For many years, she has been caring
for Holy Sites at the Mountain
Of Attention Sanctuary.
The
Guardian Owls: The Empowered Protection of Earth-Fire
Temple At Earth-Fire
Temple, an elemental outdoor Holy Site at the Mountain
Of Attention, the squirrels would messily eat the flower
offerings every day. Laura tells how Adi Da worked via
Empowered animal fetishes to protect this sacred Temple
while also blessing the squirrels.
Andre Decio has been a devotee of Adi
Da for many years.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
of a Darshan Andre attended, and which he writes about.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
in which Colin performs his version of "The Lord
of the Dance", in celebration of Adi Da's birthday
in 2012.
Ashoka Dhar is the first female dhrupad
singer in India. She is the oldest disciple of the Late
Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar Sahab of the great Dhrupad Maestro
(one of the senior Dagar brothers). She lives in Kolkota,
where she teaches at the Ustad Moinuddin Dagar Dhrupad Ashram.
She was blessed to make a pilgrimage to Adi Da Samrajashram
and receive the Darshan of Bhagavan Adi Da Samraj.
I
Felt Adi Da's Divine Power Immediately Ashoka Dhar
is India's first female dhrupad singer. She describes
her spiritual recognition of Adi Da Samraj and her visits
to Naitauba to sing for Him.
Mary Anne diFranco is a nutritionist. She has been
a devotee of Adi Da Samraj since 1999.
A
Sphere of Love and Compassion Mary Anne tells of
being drawn in meditation into a Sphere of love and compassion,
which purified the difficulties in her relationship with
her intimate partner.
Douglass Dixon has been a devotee
of Adi Da for many years.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
several
videos from Douglass.
Elaine Dixon is a musician, composer, and
singer. She has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj for many
years.
I
Am The One Who Has Always Been Here
Contemplative chant, composed by Rosa Guilfoyle, and sung
by Rosa and Elaine Dixon, from their album, A World
More Light.
Angelo Druda has been a devotee of Adi Da for many
years. He is a certified
practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a member
of the Australian Natural Therapist Association, and a senior
educator in Mate Moce, the Ministry established by Adi Da
Samraj to instruct human beings about the death process,
and serve their transition. He is the author of The
Tao of Rejuvenation and The Easy Death Workbook.
"Send
Him My Love and Blessings" Angelo Druda tells
a miraculous story of the Blessing-Power of Avatar Adi
Da Samraj the Power that transcends space and time,
body and mortality to serve Bernie Kelly's passing,
and communicate the Love of the Divine Heart to the
need of the human heart.
Dennis Duff was one of Avatar Adi Da's earliest
devotees. He provided the funds for the purchase of The
Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary. In the early years, Dennis
was one of Adidam's principal missionaries. More recently,
Dennis became one of Adi Da's patrons and a supporter of
His Image-Art.
He is the former CEO and owner of a nationwide internet
marketing company in the United States.
Growth
as a Patron Dennis's story about commiting to being
Adi Da's patron and learning how to do that.
Bill Dunkelberger is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant-colonel,
experienced in writing strategic military estimates and
in intelligence operations. Bill is a veteran of the Vietnam
War, where he led an intelligence battalion. He was the
devotee principally responsible for the flow of news to
Avatar Adi Da during the Kosovo war. He is also a course
instructor in the Adidam Academy.
Nick Elias has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj
for many years. He is a freelance photographer and a videographer
who has made many of Adidam's introductory videos over the
years.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes several
video clips from Nick about Adi Da's life and work.
He also provided camera work for a
documentary about the making of the first full theater
production of Adi Da's epic work, The Mummery,
in January, 2000, at The Mountain Of Attention.
Paul Embling is a devotee of Adi Da Samraj
from New Zealand. Some of Paul's music can be found here.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a slideshow
of photos of Adi Da set to music composed by Paul.
Gilbert Evans has been a devotee of Adi Da
Samraj for many years, and is a longtime resident
of Adi Da Samrajashram.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip of Gilbert describing the damage wrought on Naitauba
by Cyclone Tomas, in March of 2010.
Simon Llewelyn Evans is a musician, composer, and
singer currently living in Victoria, Australia.
Tom Evert has been a devotee of Adi Da for many
years. A world-class dancer, teacher and choreographer,
Tom Evert is the founder and artistic director of DANCEVERT,
a nonprofit performing arts and educational programming
organization, in which he is joined by his co-director,
wife, and dancer, Susana Weingarten. His critical acclaim
and maturity as a performing artist developed while performing
and touring nationally and internationally with the Paul
Taylor Dance Company for eight years (1977-1985). He has
served on the faculties of universities, as well as professional
companies, art centers and private studios.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
a number of video clip of Susan Weingarten and/or Tom
Evert choreographing and performancing dances based on
the Wisdom of Adi Da (here
and here).
Kathleen Ewart has been a devotee of Adi Da
Samraj since 1979. She has lived and served Adi Da mainly
on Naitauba, Fiji since 1986. Her principal services have
included transcribing Adi Da Samraj's spoken communications
and tending the most sacred holy sites established by Adi
Da.
Naitauba,
Naitauba
Composed and sung by Kathleen, singing in Adi Da's voice
about the Spiritual purpose of the island of Naitauba.
"Just
Happy and Free" Kathleen Ewart describes how Adi
Da used the circumstance of dancing to instruct her in
the Master-devotee relationship and the inherent ecstasy
of surrender to the Guru.
Keith Ferrone is the director of the Florence
Dance Company. He has collaborated with Adi Da (using
Adi Da's Image-Art) in his production of Quattro Maggiore
("The Four Seasons"), and has continued to use
Adi Da's Image-Art (after Adi Da's death) in the more recent
work, Divina.com.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a couple of
video clips (here
and here)
of Keith Ferrone talking about these productions.
Solo Finau has been a Fijian devotee of Adi
Da Samraj for many years, and is a longtime resident
of Adi Da Samrajashram.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip of Solo describing the damage wrought on Naitauba
by Cyclone Tomas, in March of 2010.
Angela Fine is a musician, composer, and singer.
She became a devotee of Adi Da in 1997.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip from Angela.
Tanja Fleischmann is the head of Fleishmannfilm,
which does professional camera work for Dutch national television,
promofilms, and artshow registration. musician, composer,
and singer.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
DaPlastique video clips (here
and here)
for which Tanja did the camera work.
Da-vid Forsythe has been a devotee of Adi Da since
the mid-1970's. He was in a Ph.D. program in neurophysiology
and behavior at Princeton University, with the intention
of pursuing a career in science, when he came across the
Teaching of Adi Da Samraj. He has lived and served on Adidam's
Sanctuaries for many years. For many years now, he has been
living and serving at Adi Da Samrajashram. (Da-vid's born
name is David. It was during the time of the story below
that Avatar Adi Da reshaped his name to "Da-vid", acknowledging
his devotion. His name, now hyphenated, it means one whose
life "vid" is in Da, or one whose real life is given
by Da.)
"Try
the Suppository" Much of the Work Adi Da does with
His devotees involves their emotional character alone
(without involving their sexuality). Da-vid's story is
a beautiful illustration of how Adi Da works with some
common male character liabilities that negatively impact
Spiritual growth.
Peter Frank is the Senior Curator at the Riverside
Art Museum and an art critic for Angeleno Magazine. He is
an occasional contributor to The Huffington Post.
He was a long-time critic for LA Weekly, a past editor
of Visions Art Quarterly, and an art critic for The Village
Voice and The SoHo Weekly News in New York. He
was the Co-Curator of "Transcendental
Realism: The Art of Adi Da Samraj" at the 2007
Venice Biennale, and the Moderator of the Art Panel, "Orpheus
in the Modern World", at "Orpheus and Linead",
the exhibition of Adi Da's image-art at the Sundaram Tagore
Gallery in Beverly Hills, CA, 2011.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
a video
clip of Peter Frank talking about Adi Da's image-art.
He is also featured in this
video clip.
Naamleela Free Jones is Avatar Adi Da's youngest
daughter. Naamleela has been trained as a sacred musician
since the age of five, concentrating in both Western and
Indian classical music. While travelling in California,
Hawaii, New York, and Europe, she received training from
numerous sources and influences. Most recently she received
a master certificate in music production from the Berklee
College of Music Online. She recently composed and performed
piano preludes for the Florence Dance Company productions,
Divina.com and Not-Two Is Peace. More at her
website.
Tamarind Free Jones is one of Adi Da's daughters.
She has been studying North Indian Classical vocal and instrumental
music under Maestro Ali Akbar Khan since 1993, and has performed
in many of the Ali Akbar College of Music's concerts and
festivals. She also teaches supplementary classes at the
college and mentors new students.
Ben Fugitt has been a devotee of Adi Da for many
years.He currently lives in Hawaii.
Look
the Fire in the Eye On September 17, 1979, a hot
and dry day, fire threatened the Mountain Of Attention
Sanctuary. Ben, then a devotee caretaker of the Sanctuary,
noticed the initial tuft of smoke, and sprang into action.
He soon discovered that the fire was out of control, and
heading on a direct line for the Sanctuary. He never anticipated
the adventure Adi Da would involve him in that day.
Michael Gabriele has been a devotee of Adi Da
since the late 1990's. He lives in Rhode Island, and
at various times has been a writer, a musician, and
an artist.
Alaya Gernon was just beginning the process
of returning to being Adi Da's devotee when Adi Da's
Divine Mahasamadhi occurred in November, 2008. She is
now a devotee, and is the manager of the Publicity and
Public Relations Program in the Mission Division of
Adidam.
Suddenly
a Foot and Thumb Appeared "The Murti changed
to simply light as it often does for me. Suddenly,
within the Murti, a foot and and thumb appeared. The
thumb then extended and burst into my third eye."
Stuart Gibson is Secretary to the State Hermitage
Museum International Advisory Board and a UNESCO senior
expert consultant on museums and museology. He was the Director
of Adi Da's 2007 Venice Biennale solo collateral exhibition.
Bill Gottlieb is the former editor-in-chief
of Rodale Books and Prevention Magazine Health Books,
and the author of five books on health and healing,
including the 1.5 million-copy bestseller, Alternative
Cures (Rodale, 2000). Click
here to visit his website.
George Greer was trained as a US Navy pilot and
an engineering psychologist. He has a Ph.D. in psychology
and led a professional career as a senior manager for one
of the giant U.S. aerospace companies. He has served as
a senior manager for Adidam and has been a principal Adidam
missionary in the United States.
He is Certainly The First
George's "take" on Adi Da's description of
Himself as the "First, Last, and Only" seventh
stage Adept.
Alex
Grey is a renowned artist, and the author of Transfigurations
and Sacred
Mirrors and The Mission of Art. His work has been
included in the album art of such popular rock groups as
Nirvana and the Beastie Boys and a book of songs by the
Talking Heads. Healers, body workers and "new age" figures
including Matthew Fox, Joan Borysenko and Deepak Chopra
have all used his work to describe the dimensions of body,
mind and spirit. Grey's artwork has been exhibited worldwide,
including Stux Gallery, the New Museum in NYC, and the Grand
Palais in Paris.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip of Alex Grey talking about Adi Da's image-art.
Ian Griffin is head of Executive Communications.
He has extensive experience writing speeches for senior
executives at Silicon Valley technology companies such as
Hewlett Packard and Sun Microsystems.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
a video
clip in which Ian gives a presentation to the National
Speakers Association (NSA) 'Pro-Track' class, in which
he discusses the importance of Adi Da's book, Not-Two
Is Peace. Ian also plays the role of interviewer in
a video
series in which Meg McDonnell talks with her father,
Dr. Robert McDonnell, about working together on her book,
Tasting the Moon: Adventures in the Meaning of Life.
Katya Grineva is a world-renowned concert pianist.
She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 1998, and has acquired
a reputation as a pianist of exceptional romantic/poetic
expression. Ms. Grineva has been a soloist with the Acadiana
Symphony, the ARS Nova Musicians Chamber Orchestra, the
Manhattan Virtuosi Orchestra and the European Philharmonic
Orchestra in France. Her recitals have captivated audiences
at the Laurier Society in Paris and in one of the most
prestigious concert halls in Paris, Salle Gaveau. She
has played
for Adi Da at the Mountain Of Attention, and received
His Blessing.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes two clips
from a June 12, 2009 tribute concert Katya gave at Carnegie
Hall, which she dedicated to Adi Da.
Emily Grinnell grew up on a dairy farm on the coast
of Massachusetts, and studied creative writing as well as
receiving eight years of fine arts training at several art
schools. She became a devotee of Avatar Adi Da Samraj in
1975, at the age of 24. She lived and served at Adi Da Samrajashram
for ten years, participating in hundreds of hours of considerations
of the practice of the Way of Adidam in Adi Da Samraj's
personal company. Over the years she has focused her energies
in the Sacred fine arts of painting, design, and decorations,
as well as priestly services, service to Adidam's Sacred
Archives, and writing.
Extraordinary
Eyes Emily describes how Adi Da used the circumstance
of His own dancing to reveal Himself as the Divine Person
to her.
Ben Grisso grew up in the Adidam community as Adi
Da's devotee. He spent the last few years before Adi Da's
Divine Mahasamadhi (in November, 2008) serving Adi Da on
Adi Da Samrajashram in the creation of His Image-Art.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
a
video clip of Ben offering a testimonial to the life
and work of Adi Da Samraj, and describing working with
Adi Da on His Image-Art.
Terence Gross is a multi-award winning film director
and writer with credits that span US and UK feature films,
commercials, television documentaries, high-end promotional
films, and multi-media. He has worked with some of the greatest
actors and sports personalities of our generation and has
been critically acclaimed for his unique visual style. He
wrote and directed the award-winning Hotel
Splendide (starring Daniel Craig and Toni Collette)
and directed The
Day The World Ended (starring Nastassja Kinski and
Randy Quaid). His clients have included Sony Columbia, BBC,
Discovery Channel, HBO, and the UK Department of Transport.
For more, visit the website of his production company, Queens
Park Productions.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a documentary
directed by Terence on the making of the first full theater
production of Adi Da's epic work, The Mummery,
in January, 2000, at The Mountain Of Attention.
Rosa Guilfoyle is a musician, composer, and
singer. She has been a devotee of Adi Da for many years.
Eileen Haight (aka Eileen Mulvihill) began reading
the Teaching of Adi Da in 1973. She became His devotee in
1980. A member of Adidam's Mate Moce Guild (whose members
serve the dying and their death transition), Eileen presently
lives and serves in the devotee community of Trinidad, California.
She is the author of Alzheimer's
Caregiver: The Choice of Love.
"She
Is With Me" A story of the illness and death transition
of Cathy Lewis, as told by Cathy, her intimates (including
Eileen, her mother-in-law), and other friends.
Walk
About Joy Flower Garden Tour Eileen narrates this
tour in pictures of the gardens of Walk About Joy, the
Adidam center associated with Adidam's Tat Sundaram Sanctuary
in Northern California.
Eija Halme grew up in Finland, but has lived abroad
since 1988, and is currently living in the Netherlands.
She has been a devotee of Adi Da since 1989. She helps
promote retreats at the European Danda, and has co-hosted
events for Adidam Finland.
35
Years With My Master Along with Jasmine Wynant,
Eija hosted this event in Helsinki, which featured James
Steinberg as guest speaker.
Lyn Hart is an administrator and businesswoman.
She has been a devotee of Adi Da since 1989.
He
Is Alive Lyn tells of being contacted psychically
and instructed by Avatar Adi Da over a period of several
years before she had any idea of Who He was or that He
was alive in this world.
Peter Harvey-Wright has been a devotee of Adi
Da and a
professional actor and producer for many years. He
is the Manager of the Media Department of the Adidam Institution,
and is a member of Da Orpheum (The First Room Theatre
Guild).
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video
library includes a
clip in which Peter provides the introductory narrative
(with his distinctive Australian accent); and a
documentary about the making of the first full theater
production of Adi Da's epic work, The Mummery,
in January, 2000, at The Mountain Of Attention, featuring
Peter as the producer of The Mummery.
Stanley Hastings grew up as a devotee of Adi Da
Samraj. Stanley has always been passionate about Avatar
Adi Da's Art work and has served Adi Da personally in
His Art process in many different capacities. At the present
time, Stanley manages the fabrication process of Adi
Da's Image-Art, and is one of the spokespeople for
Adi Da in this area. Stanley is the Co-Director of Da
Plastique, the group that presents Avatar Adi Da's
Art to the public.
Suffering the Pain of
Mankind A story of Stanley touching Avatar Adi Da
Samraj's body and being given a vision of His vulnerable
non-separation from the world of universal human suffering.
Daniel Hebert has been a devotee of Adi Da for
many years. He also has acted in and directed Adi Da's
The Mummery Book, as a member of Da Orpheum (The
First Room Theatre Guild) for many years.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video
library includes a
documentary about the making of the first full theater
production of Adi Da's epic work, The Mummery,
in January, 2000, at The Mountain Of Attention, featuring
Daniel as actor in and director of The Mummery.
Anne Henderson has been a devotee of Avatar Adi
Da since 1976. She has served Adidam as a writer, editor,
educator, and public speaker since 1982, and as a chronicler
of Bhagavan Adi Da's Life and Spiritual Work between 1993
and 1999. In addition to being part of the teaching staff
at the Adidam
Academy, Anne currently hosts and directs the Adidam
Study Group program and serves the Third
Congregation of Adidam.
Everything
Looked Like Love Anne describes
how, one night in January, 2013, Adi Da was suddenly in
the room, transforming it and her with His Love and
she was instantly, Gracefully relieved of a reactive pattern
that she had suffered for decades.
Adidam
Academy We have a page that lists the Academy courses
offered by Anne.
Terry Henry is one of the founders of this site.
He has been a devotee of Adi Da since 1999. He is currently
the CEO of the Adidam Institution.
Chandira Hensey has been a strong supporter of
Adi Da and His Mission through her blogs, videos, and
personal communications.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes quite a
few videos from Chandira.
Lex Hixon (1941 - 1995) was a religious scholar,
mystic, and radio interviewer who extensively explored
the great religious traditions. He received a Ph.D. in
comparative religion at Columbia University in 1976 and
lectured at the New School of Social Research. He hosted
the show, "In the Spirit", on WBAI from 1972
to 1989. He founded Free Spirit Journal, and documented
his explorations in nine books and many articles.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes the 1974
film, A Difficult Man: The Miraculous Activities and
Radical Spiritual Teachings of Bubba Free John. Lex
introduced the film, speaking about the spiritual traditions
of the past and Adi Da's new spiritual offering.
Sophia Hoadley is a New Zealand devotee of Adi Da.
Gregory Hoblit is the Emmy
Award-winning executive producer of such well-known
television series as Hill Street Blues, L.A.
Law, and NYPD Blue. He also directed several
major movies, including Primal Fear (1996, with
Richard Gere), Fallen (1998, with Denzel Washington),
Frequency (2000, with Dennis Quaid), Hart's
War (2002, with Bruce Willis), and Untraceable
(2008, with Diane Lane).
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes the 1974
film, A Difficult Man: The Miraculous Activities and
Radical Spiritual Teachings of Bubba Free John. Gregory
was the producer and director of A Difficult Man.
It was his first film, and it jump-started his career.
Steven Bochko (who would eventually co-produce Hill
Street Blues with Hoblit) "had seen and admired
Hoblit's documentary, A Difficult Man, about the
Northern California Guru Bubba Free John, and later hired
him to produce Paris, then Vampire."
(p. 252, Todd Gitlin, Inside
Prime Time)
Mei-Ling Israel holds a degree in Modern Thought
and Literature from Stanford University. Her research
essay, Seeking the Phoenix: Artistic Consciousness
in the Nuclear Age, is in the collection of the
Museum of Modern Art library in New York City. She is
a working glass artist and a published poet and playwright.
From 2001 to 2004, she witnessed Adi Da's artistic process
as an assistant and sometimes a photographic subject
as well.
Tom Jacobs has been a devotee of Adi Da since 1983.
He is currently a resident of Adi Da Samrajashram. He manages
the shipping and travel of goods and pilgrims from over
the world who come to Adi Da Samrajashram on retreat. He
also manages the island's fruit tree resources: the pruning,
harvesting, replanting, etc.
He
Is God Tom's story about how he found Adi Da: "There
was a Force like an enormous bolt of electricity entering
through the top of my head and pinning me utterly to the
ground. I was beside myself, and just ran outside through
the snow, up the hill and to Robin's house. I just burst
open her front door. She was standing in the kitchen.
I yelled: 'He is God!' She looked at me and said: 'yes,
I know.' "
Marcelle James is an elementary school teacher.
She serves the Adidam Mission in the Washington, DC region.
She became a devotee of Adi Da in 1992.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a couple
of "travelogue" video clips from Marcelle.
Theo Cedar Jones has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj
since 2001. He is a rock musician (the frontman, guitarist
and lyricist of the group, Swaybone) and an avid advocate
of Adi Da Samraj and His wisdom about world peace.
"This
is the God for me!" In this radio interview (with
Aaron Joy), Theo describes how he became Adi Da's devotee;
how Adi Da transformed his entire manner of singing and
his craft of songwriting; and the creative challenge of
communicating Adi Da's Presence and Teaching through the
medium of rock.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes many video
clips from Theo.
"This
is the God for me!" Aaron interviews rock musician,
Theo Cedar Jones. Theo describes how he became Adi
Da's devotee; how Adi Da transformed his entire manner
of singing and his craft of songwriting; and the creative
challenge of communicating Adi Da's Presence and Teaching
through the medium of rock.
Karl Kaiser owns a software company in Florida
and has been a devotee of Avatar Adi Da since 1999. He
serves the Adidam Mission in Florida.
"My
Self Is In My Heart" The story of a young boy's
remarkable relationship with Avatar Adi Da over the
course of several years, as told by his father (Karl).
Hellie Kalogeros
has been a devotee of Adi
Da since 1972.
A
Dream Encounter Hellie's amazing "time travel"
story illustrates how the devotee's relationship with
Adi Da is literally prior to time and space.
Saving
a Life in Future Time Adi Da teaches devotee Hellie
Kalogeros the Heimlich maneuver so that she can save
the life of her child a few days later.
Vinod Karki
is a devotee of Adi Da
originally from Uttar Pradesh in northern India. He has
served Adi Da's Work in Gurgaon, India, and was blessed
to make pilgrimage to Adi Da Samrajashram for Adi-Guru
Purnima in 2007 and 2008.
Beauty, Magnitude, and Serenity Vinod describes
some extraordinary visions he had of Adi Da, around
the time of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi.
Michel Karman is world-renowned as a master printer.
His services are in great demand by many well-known photographers
including Helmut Newton, Sally Mann, Nan Goldin and Greg
Gorman. Recently, The Corbis Collection invited Michel to
hand-select and print 75 of the archive's most striking
(some never before) images, and give them new life in a
special limited-edition presentation, "The Living Lens:
75 Limited Edition Prints from the Bettmann Archive."
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip of Michel Karman talking about Adi Da's image-art.
Ross Keen,
D.O., is a licensed Osteopathic
physician in New Zealand. He is also trained in Naturopathy,
kinesiology, Rolfing, acupuncture and numerous forms of
massage. He has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj since
1992.
Crane Kirkbride has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj
since 1974, and has also been Adi Da's patron for many
years. You can read more about him on his
website.
Singing
as a Mindless and Ecstatic Contemplative Crane
tells how, using skillful means, Adi Da drew on Crane's
two lifelong passions singing and spiritual seeking
and transformed Crane into an ecstatic devotee of
the Divine.
I
Am As One
Adi Da's poem, "I am as one who left his home to do
a thing for man", set to music by Ray
Lynch. From Crane's album, An
Infinite Well.
I
Am Who You Are
JoAnne Sunshine and Ray Lynch composed this exquisite
piece, here sung by Crane in operatic style (from his
devotional album, An
Infinite Well).
Bill Krenz has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj
for many years. He has lived and served Adi Da for many
of those years on Naitauba, where he currently manages
the Naitauba
Organic Farm.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes several
video slideshows Bill put together on the work of the
Naitauba Organic Farm, and another video of an unprecedented
200 frigate birds surfing the Naitauba winds just as
Tropical Cyclone Bune was forming.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library also includes
a video clip of Bill describing the damage wrought on
Naitauba by Cyclone Tomas, in March of 2010.
Rachel Kuhn grew up in the Adidam community as
Adi Da's devotee.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
a
video clip of Rachel offering a testimonial to the
life and work of Adi Da Samraj.
Donald Kuspit is one of Americas
most distinguished art critics. Winner of the prestigious
Frank Jewett Mather Award for Distinction in Art Criticism
(1983), given by the College Art Association, Professor
Kuspit is a Contributing Editor at Artforum,
Sculpture,
New
Art Examiner, and Tema Celeste magazines, the Editor
of Art Criticism, and on the advisory board of Centennial
Review. He has doctorates in philosophy (University of Frankfurt)
and art history (University of Michigan), as well as degrees
from Columbia University, Yale University, and Pennsylvania
State University. He is Professor of Art History and Philosophy
at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and
has been the A. D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University
(1991 - 1997).
The
Female Nude in the Art of Adi Da Samraj "It is
a rare artist who can convey, convincingly, the sense
of being face to face with the source of being. Adi
Da can clearly live in the depths without succumbing
to their pressure, bringing back pearls of art to prove
it."
Victor Lagasse has been a devotee of Bhagavan
Adi Da since 1975. He is a professional arborist and landscaper.
He has lived and served for extended periods on three
principal Sanctuaries:
Adi
Da Samrajashram in Fiji, Da
Love-Ananda Mahal in Hawaii, and the
Mountain Of Attention in northern California.
Recognition
of the Master Victor: "I saw Bubba alternatively
become Swami Nityananda, Swami Muktananda, and Ramana
Maharshi. ... I remember feeling very deeply that this
was a relationship that had gone on for aeons of time.
He had been my Master, and I His devotee for aeons of
time."
Carolyn Lee, Ph.D., graduated
in 1970 from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Arts.
She received Ph.D. for a dissertation on secular polyphonic
music in Spain, 1450-1530. She was subsequently appointed
St Leonard's Research Fellow at the University of St.
Andrews, Scotland, and senior lecturer in Music in the
National University of Ireland. She has been a devotee
of Avatar Adi Da Samraj since 1985. She has been serving
the publication of His Teaching and chronicling His life
and work, authoring books that include The
Promised God-Man Is Here and Adi
Da.
Another
Reality Was Unveiled As someone with an academic
career in the humanities, Carolyn was familiar with
the highest intellectual and artistic achievements of
Western civilization. But she was quite unprepared for
what happened in her first meeting with Adi Da Samraj.
"Find
Me Always Present": The Development of Sacramental Worship
and Holy Sites in Adidam In 1978, Avatar Adi Da
introduced His devotees to the realm of sacramental
worship as a means to enter into Communion with Him
whether He was physically present or not. In this excerpt
from her book, The
Promised God-Man Is Here, Carolyn relays Adi
Da's Instruction on the secret behind sacramental worship:
if we actively "bring our body-minds to Him" wherever
we are, His Revelation will be granted.
Hurricane
Iwa Adi Da's unusual Work (in November 1982) with
changing the force of a major hurricane.
Garbage
and the Goddess, Part 1 Newcomers to the Mountain
Of Attention during the first half of 1974 found themselves
entering a place of Divine Power. They became immersed
in a sea of energy, visions, and other psychic experiences,
awakened through contact with the Spirit-Force of Adi
Da Samraj. But, as their stories show, what was fundamentally
occurring was the utter and overwhelming Revelation
of Real God and, therefore, of the true Nature and
Power of Avatar Adi Da.
Garbage
and the Goddess, Part 2 Aniello Panico describes
his personal experiences of the "Garbage and the Goddess"
period: "I felt the Divine Force literally, tremendous
Light and Force Coming Down and Filling my entire
body, Consuming me, as if it was turning every part
of me inside out."
Related
Books by Devotees Carolyn has written several
books about Adi Da and Adidam: The Promised God-Man
Is Here, The Avatar of What Is: The Divine Life
And Work Of Adi Da, and Adi Da: The Promised
God-Man Is Here.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a clip
in which Carolyn relates a wonderful story from 1983.
While in Adi Da's physical Company in Fiji (five hours
from any hospital), a devotee has a near-fatal accident.
Cathy Lewis became a devotee
of Avatar Adi Da Samraj in 1974 when she was in her early
twenties. For two decades, she served Adi Da as a missionary
and cultural leader. She was well-known for her devotional
relationship with Avatar Adi Da, and she inspired many
others in their practice of Adidam.
"She
Is With Me" A story of Cathy's illness and death
transition, as told by Cathy, her intimates, and other
friends.
Jack Lewis has been a devotee
of Adi Da for many years. He now lives and serves at Tat
Sundaram in Northern California.
"She
Is With Me" A story of the illness and death transition
of Cathy Lewis, as told by Cathy, Jack and the rest
of her family, and other friends.
Sukey Lewis was born and raised
in the Adidam community as Adi Da's devotee.
"She
Is With Me" A story of the illness and death transition
of Cathy Lewis, as told by Cathy, Cathy's daughter Sukey,
the rest of Cathy's family, and other friends.
Ren-ai Lindley has been a devotee
of Adi Da since 1991. She has lived and served at Adi
Da Samrajashram for many years, principally working with
Adi Da's Art. She currently lives in New Zealand.
Caroline Lindsay has been a devotee of Adi Da for
many years.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a musical
video clip in which Caroline contributes her vocal accompaniment.
Elizabeth Lowe has been a devotee
of Adi Da for many years. She was born in Vienna of Jewish
parents just as Hitler entered the city in 1938. Her parents
fled with her to the United States shortly thereafter.
Throughout her life she had been troubled by the appalling
human suffering caused by oppression and had been socially
active to alleviate such suffering in any way she could.
"That
is My Work" Elizabeth tells the story of being
washed through Adi Da's Power: "I suddenly found myself
kneeling in front of His feet on the chaise, with my
head buried between His knees. I was weeping and then
screaming with enormous force, my hands resting on His
Divine legs for strength and reassurance. I could hardly
believe my own ears as the screams seemed to fall out
of me into the chaise and the ground below, filling
the air with the horror that has always resided in me.
There was no particular content just generalized agony
over the horrors of the world."
Ray Lynch is a longtime devotee of Adi Da and
a Billboard award-winning New Age composer. More at his
website. "My relationship with Adi Da Samraj
over more than 25 years has only confirmed His Realization
and the Truth of His impeccable Teaching. He is much more
than simply an inspiration for my music, but is really
a living demonstration that perfect transcendence is actually
possible. This is both a great relief and a great challenge."
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes an audio
clip from Ray: "The
Essence of Devotion"; and a
documentary about the making of the first full theater
production of Adi Da's epic work, The Mummery,
in January, 2000, at The Mountain Of Attention, featuring
Ray as a composer of music for The Mummery. Also,
Ray's music is featured in many
video clips in our Library.
John Mackay
is a jazz pianist, composer, and organist. He has been a
devotee of Adi Da for many years. He studied composition
and arranging throughout the 70's with various well-known
teachers in Toronto. John moved to the U.S. in the 80's.
While in Boston, he worked with Cab Calloway and Leon Marion,
among others. John now lives in the Los Angeles area. He
has released a number of recordings in the past few years,
mostly original compositions, including jazz and sacred
vocal music. John's two most recent piano trio recordings
have garnered rave reviews and feature him as both a composer
and a fine interpreter of other works. More at his
website. In the experimental Adidam album, Danavira (The Hero
Of Giving), John drew from a wide variety of musical genres
from Gregorian Chant to Christmas carols in creating
new forms of Adidam devotional music.
Rejoice
a choral piece that draws from the modern tradition
of atonal choral works (Charles Ives and others).
Interlude
a short instrumental piece drawing on the classical
music tradition, with symphony clarinetist Bill Somers
playing.
There
Is Only Light
draws on the Qawwali tradition of Sufi devotional music
(exemplified by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan). Read Adi Da's
appreciation of the Qawwali musical tradition here.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video
library includes an audio clip from John's album (with
Naamleela Free Jones), Bach
In Time.
When
All Is Gone To Love
Our audio/video library includes this song, which is
arranged and mixed by John, and on which he plays piano
and flute.
Patrick Mahoney
has been a devotee of Avatar
Adi Da since 1974. He has served within the devotee community
as educator for both Avatar Adi Da's children and devotees
in general. He has also devoted significant time and energy
to the care and preservation of Adi Da's Empowered Hermitages.
"Where
Have You Been???" Avatar Adi Da has described
the various stage of development we go through in our
lives with Great Compassion, and also with Great Humor.
In fact, like many sages and wise men, the often obvious
twinkle in His Eye and His Spontaneous Humor are Signs
of His Free State. Patrick found Avatar Adi Da's Humor
the very thing that attracted him in the first place.
Miki Malinka has been a devotee of Adi
Da since 1998, and currently lives on Adi Da Samrajashram.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video
library includes a video
clip introducing the Ancient Walk-About Way, for
which Miki was the video editor.
Connie Mantas, R.N., is a long-time devotee
of Adi Da. She participated in "The Garbage and The Goddess"
period with Adi Da. She was a registered nurse at the
time, and still practices nursing today. She has assisted
in the birth of many devotees' children over the years.
A
Cosmic Journey Adi Da takes Connie
on a guided tour through the various dimensions of the
Greater-Than-Material Reality.
Crazy Wisdom
and a Pregnant Woman A story about Adi Da Samraj
infusing Connie with Spiritual Force by forcefully pressing
her belly when she is seven months pregnant.
Cheech Marrero has been a devotee of Adi Da since
1972.
The
"Bright" in the Darkness: How Adi Da Found Me
In 1967, Cheech was imprisoned at Rikers Island
Penitentiary, awaiting trial for a crime he had not
committed. At a plea bargaining session, he was told
that if he pled guilty, he would receive "only" 20
or 30 years, instead of life without parole. Cheech
was at the lowest point of his life. He decided to
end it all. Just as he was about to do it, a miracle
occurred.
Personal
Testimony An illustration of Adi Das free and
compassionate Work with emotion and sexuality. Cheech's
story is on knowing how to have sex, but not how to
love. Adi Da gifted him with self-understanding of
this core pattern.
Cheech is also featured in a video
dialog with Adi Da, from the DVD, Enter Into
Unlimited Profundity.
Frank Marrero has been a devotee of Adi Da for
many years. He is an elementary school teacher and a father.
For more, visit his
website.
Loss
of Intimacy and Inappropriate Behavior Frank
tells the story of a lesson he learned as a teacher
at Adidam's Big Wisdom Free School, about using Adi
Da's wisdom about relationships and intimacy to address
children's inappropriate behavior.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes many
video clips from Frank.
Keith Marsden has been a devotee of Avatar Adi
Da since the early 1980's. Keith was a Ph.D. research
engineer in metal physics in the 1960's and did the original
metal testing and electron microscopy for the British-French
collaboration on the Concord supersonic aircraft. Keith
presently lives closeto the Mountain Of Attention
Sanctuary in Northern California.
Adi
Da Was Really There: The Sacred Empowerment of the
London Center Hall Avatar Adi Da has instructed
His devotees how to enable Him to Empower sacred places
by installing objects there that He has Empowered.
Keith and Leroy Stilwell tell the story of how the
first London Adidam Center was Empowered in this manner.
Barbara Marx-Hubbard is the founder and executive
director of The Foundation for Conscious Evolution. Called
by Buckminster Fuller "the best informed human on the
concept of futurism", Barbara is an internationally known
lecturer and the author of several books, including Emergence:
The Shift from Ego to Essence. She is the co-creator
of an intentional cooperative community in Santa Barbara.
The
"Adi Da Frequency" Barbara describes how she
found Adi Da, and how she draws upon the 'Adi Da Frequency'
to help her work in creating a better and more conscious
future for humanity.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a couple
of videos from Shasta.
Eileen McCarthy became Adi Da's devotee in 1978.
She has lived at and served Adi Da at Da Love-Ananda Mahal
and Adi Da Samrajashram, and now lives in the Chicago
Ashram.
Personal
Testimony An illustration of Adi Das free and
compassionate Work with emotion and sexuality. Eileen
tells the story of how, as an emotional-sexual being,
she was self-suppressed and hidden. Adi Da gifted her
with self-understanding of these core patterns.
Meg Fortune McDonnell has been Adi Da's devotee
for many years. She has worked as a writer and editor,
international speaker, stage and film producer, school
teacher, priest, war-time vigil correspondent, fine art
photographic subject, event manager, dance teacher, personal
assistant, legal aide, book indexer, caterer, and street
performer. She is the author of Tasting
The Moon: Adventures in the Meaning of Life.
Perfect
Love Touched My Heart In the following excerpt
from her book, Tasting The Moon: Adventures in the
Meaning of Life, Meg describes what occurred the
first time she sat with Adi Da (then named "Bubba Free
John").
Interview
with Meg McDonnell In this hour-long interview
(with Ed Reither of Beezone), Meg talks about her book,
Tasting the Moon: Adventures in the Meaning of Life,
and her relationship with Adi Da.
Readings
from Tasting The Moon In this seven part video
series, Meg reads excerpts from her book, Tasting
the Moon: Adventures in the Meaning of Life.
Tasting
The Moon In this five part video series, Meg talks
with her father, Dr. Robert McDonnell, about working
together on her book, Tasting the Moon: Adventures
in the Meaning of Life.
The
Mummery Documentary Meg was featured in a documentary
about the making of the first full theater production
of Adi Da's epic work, The Mummery, in January,
2000, at The Mountain Of Attention.
Jain McFetridge has been a devotee of Adi Da for
many years.
Mel McMurrin
is a professional singer, who has covered a wide variety
of styles from jazz (opening for George Benson with the
a capella sextet, Corner Market); Indian style
(in San Francisco Shakespeare Festivals "As You
Like It"); classical (as Figaro in a PBS national
broadcast of Mozarts opera) and avant-garde (with George
Coates Performance Works). He has recorded with Ray Lynch,
The Bobs, The Choir at St. Ignatius, The Bungee Jumpin
Cows, and Jaya. He has done commercial voice-over for
Schwab, Novell, Gallo, Lincoln-Mercury, and Siemens. More
at his
website. Mel is also a member of the Mummery Guild
of Adidam and a key performer in performances of The
Mummery Book, and has collaborated in numerous musical
Sacred Offerings for Adi Da.
Paramahansa
Based on a traditional chant, combined with the Way
of Adidam. Sung by Mel.
When
All Is Gone To Love
Our audio/video library includes this song, for which
Mel provides backup vocals.
Marylu Miller
has been a devotee of Avatar Adi Da since 1998, and received
His Darshan in Los Angeles in 2000. She works as a homeopath,
and serves the Adidam community of devotees as her area's
Radiant Life Clinic representative.
A
Descent of Blessing Marylu describes the Blessing
she received at the time of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi.
Trish Mitchell is an Australian radio journalist,
and has been a devotee of Adi Da since 1991.
The
Book of Light Trish bought The
Dawn Horse Testament one day, simply because
she was "attracted" to the cover. She had no idea
what was waiting "inside" that book.
June Mori has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj
for many years, and is a longtime resident of Adi Da Samrajashram.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip of June describing the damage wrought on Naitauba
by Cyclone Tomas, in March of 2010.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes 9Mary's
cover of "Love Comes To Here In Time" (words
by Adi Da, music by Naamleela Free Jones), which she recorded
as a tribute to Adi Da.
Carmen Morrow studied film/video at the Emily Carr
University of Art and Design.
Scott Morrow is the founder of The
Blue OK, a virtual cafe where he has conversations with
people who "have information or tools that benefit
the human family. And the non-humans too."
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes videos
of Scott interviewing several devotees: John
Wubbenhorst, founder of the world music group, Facing
East; Bill
Stranger, founder of DharmaCafι; and Angelo
Druda, author of The Tao of Rejuvenation.
Ati-Dasya Ruchiradama Nadikanta has
been a senior formal renunciate (as a member of the
Ruchira Sannyasin Order) and personal server of Adi
Da Samraj since 1974. She served Adi Da Samraj directly
for near forty years, and was trained by Him personally
as a priest and personal emissary for the communication
of His spiritual teaching, His literary works, His
artistic works, and His instruction to humankind on
the creation of world peace.
Ruchiradama Nadikanta was present
in the room with Adi Da at the moment of His Passing.
She tells us: "The purpose...we have as a
collective...[is] to Realize the Divine Revelation
that Beloved [Adi Da] has given us, which is the
Absolute Reality of His Always Present, Eternal
Presence and the fact that He is Here exactly
as He has always been, which is such a profoundly
miraculous Secret that it surprises me every moment.
But He has been Revealing this to me so strongly."
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
a
video clip of Ruchiradama Nadikanta offering a
testimonial to the life and work of Adi Da Samraj.
It also includes a multi-part
video series that chronicles Ruchiradama Nadikanta's
Sacred Worldwide Walkabout in 2012. It also includes
a multi-part
audio series of recitations by Ruchiradama Nadikanta
from Adi Da's Not-Two
Is Peace.
Aaron Nakagawa has been a devotee of Adi Da
Samraj for many years, and is a longtime resident
of Da Love-Ananda Mahal, where he is the head priest. He
is also a musician and composer.
James Newcome has been a devotee of Adi Da
Samraj for many years, and is a longtime resident
of Adi Da Samrajashram.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
a video
clip of Jim describing the damage wrought on Naitauba
by Cyclone Tomas, in March of 2010; and another
video Jim created to celebrate Adi Da's book of poetry,
Crazy
Da Must Sing.
Dean Nugent as been a devotee of Adi Da for
many years. He is the Cultural Service Manager for the Adidam
New Zealand region, and serves the Adidam Mission there.
He is a Senior
Lecturer in the School of Education at Auckland University
of Technology, where he has helped develop programmes of
study for university teachers, community adult educators,
and high school teachers. He has also written and edited
a number of textbooks for teachers.
Katsu Okhi has been a devotee of Adi Da since
1973.
Personal
Testimony An illustration of Adi Das free and
compassionate Work with emotion and sexuality. Katsu's
story about having a body-negative, sex-negative,
fearful, and self-suppressed point of view. Adi Da
gifted her with self-understanding of these core patterns.
Achille Bonito Oliva is an internationally acclaimed
art critic and historian, and a teacher at La Sapienza
University in Rome. He has curated numerous thematic
and interdisciplinary exhibitions in Italy and abroad,
including Adi Da's exhibit at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery
in New York City, September, 2010. Bonito Oliva was
the Director of the 39th and 45th Venice Biennale. He
has been awarded various prizes and recognitions, including
the Valentino dOro, an international prize for art
critics. He has authored and edited many essays and
books on art, including Alighiero
Boetti: Delivering Art to the World, Art
Tribes, White
and Other: In Any Case, Art, and Luca
Pignatelli.
Commentary
at the Inauguration of the Exhibition of Adi Da's
Art at the 52nd Biennale di Venezie Oliva delivered
the following remarks at the opening of Adi Da's Art
Exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 2007: "I
believe that art should always be a surprise. It must
create, even in the critic, not emotion, but a sense
of insecurity. When one views Adi Das art, it is
easy to see 'pop art', 'op art', all the possible
linguistic, ethnological, and iconographic references
but, in the end, the final work is always a surprise.
With Adi Das work, I did not simply find myself in
front of a new personal iconographic universe but
rather in front of images that returned me to an experience
of 'epiphany'."
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
a video
clip of Achille speaking (as curator of the exhibit)
at the opening of Adi Da Samraj's solo exhibition,
'Orpheus and Linead', at Sundaram Tagore Gallery,
New York, on September 9, 2010.
Brian O'Mahony has
been a devotee of Adi Da for many years.
On the
1985 Beverly O'Mahony lawsuit The one major
lawsuit against Adidam was brought by Beverly O'Mahony,
Brian's wife at the time (1985). In this interview
with Chris Tong, Brian speaks candidly about that
time, the lawsuit, the media circus that ensued, and
what to make of it all more than twenty years later.
Brian's responses to some frequently asked questions.
Nicole Ortega first
became aware of her devotional relationship to Avatar
Adi Da at the end of 2008, soon after Adi Da's Divine
Mahasamadhi. She is a recent graduate of the University
of Alabama.
An
Ecstatic Falling into Him Nicole tells the story
of how she discovered Bhagavan Adi Da. While doing
so, she recounts two remarkable dreams. In the first,
the whole human condition is revealed to her in a
kind of metaphor. In the second dream, Adi Da appears
to her, and connects with her directly and personally,
correcting a false, cultic view of Him that she had
previously held.
Dimitrios Otis is
a devotee of Adi Da and a poet living in Vancouver,
British Columbia.
Wayne Owens came to
see Avatar Adi Da Samraj while He was visiting Los Angeles
in May, 2000.
True
Water Wayne tells the story of how his very
ill brother received Adi Da's Grace, in response to
Wayne's prayers.
Neeshee Pandit has
been a devotee of Adi Da since 2008. He is on the staff
of the Hermitage Editorial Department. He was a resident
of Adi Da Samrajashram for a time, and is currently
living near Da Love-Ananda Mahal Sanctuary, in Kauai,
Hawaii.
He
Is Satisfaction Neeshee (19
at the time of writing): "I was sitting
at home one day in such a state when a remarkable
event occurred. An unbelievable Energy descended upon
me and I began shaking. Its Thickness enveloped my
entire body and it was vibrating with an unspeakable
intensity. I swooned in ecstasy. . . . Adi Da's Spiritual
Invasion of the body-mind is Satisfaction, Happiness,
and Love."
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
a video
clip of Neeshee describing his finding Adi Da
after having practiced Buddhism.
Aniello Panico is
a longtime devotee of Adi Da. For many years, he was
the publishing manager of The
Dawn Horse Press.
Garbage
and the Goddess, part 2 Aniello provides a description
of the Garbage and the Goddess Period of Adi Da's
Work with devotees.
Marilyn Peverall has
been a devotee of Adi Da for many years.
Christine Phippen has been a devotee of Adi
Da for many years. She serves the Adidam Mission fulltime
in New
Zealand. She is also a Paduka and Murti pujarist,
and is a member of the Organic Gardening Guild.
Kevin Pinkstone has
been a devotee of Adi Da since 1998. He was born in
Blackpool, Lancashire, England, in 1974. In 1992, he
finished a Diploma in Outdoor Education in Newbury,
Berkshire, and went on to instruct in outdoor activities
such as kayaking and climbing and also to lead adventure
expeditions.
The
Heart Hears and Sees the Truth Kevin tells of
how he found Adi Da: "It was beyond anything that
I had ever dreamed possible. I had asked God for a
teacher and He had come Himself!"
Jeff Polson has been
a devotee of Adi Da since 1974. He is a master jewelry
maker, having created many sacred articles and adornments
for both Adi Da and devotees. For more, visit his
website.
"No
Fish Is To Die" Jeff tells of the lessons he
received about mortality and compassion from Adi Da,
while caring for the Master's fish.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip of an improvisation that took place in July 2008
on the island of Naitauba. On this occasion, Otto
and John Wubbenhorst were playing for Adi Da while
He was working on His Divine Image-Art.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
several video clips from Ute (here
and here).
Simon Pritchard became
a devotee of Avatar Adi Da Samraj in 1984. Since then,
Simon has served Adi Da as a principal missionary and
mission manager in the Britain, Ireland, Scotland, and
Wales area, and has spent much time in Avatar Adi Da's
Company on retreat in Fiji. Simon presently lives in
Norfolk, England.
Celia Rabinovitch
is an artist, writer, and teacher. Her paintings have
been exhibited in solo shows in Canada, the U.S.A. and
Europe, including Quattro, a four person international
show in Vienna, Austria (2000) the Florence Biennale
(1999) The Grotto Cycle, California Institute of Integral
Studies (2003); Industrial Romance, University of San
Francisco and Gallery, Winnipeg, YYZ, Toronto; Emily
Carr Institute; Plug-In and the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
Her book, Surrealism
and the Sacred: Power, Eros, and the Occult in Modern
Art (2002), uncovers new territory between the history
of art and the history of religions. She has taught
art and cultural and art history at Stanford University,
U. C. Berkeley, The California College of Art and the
San Francisco Art Institute, the University of Colorado,
McGill University and as a Visiting Artist at Syracuse
University (1990). Currently she is Professor and Director
of the School of Art, the University of Manitoba.
Tacit
Glimpses: A Review of Adi Da Samrajs Transcendental
Realism and Aesthetic Ecstasy "Adi Da extends
and expands an alternative understanding of art that
has run like an underground stream through history:
appearing intermittently in the meditations of the
scholar-artists of Chinas Tang dynasty; in the writings
of Leonardo and Michelangelo in the Renaissance; and
in the aesthetic theories of Kandinsky and Mondrian
in the modern era."
Laren Rackell has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj
for many years.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip from Laren, in which he describes his process of
making sculptures of Adi Da.
Pien Rademakers is a gallerist who runs the
Galerie
Pien Rademakers in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The gallery
translates her passion for art into carefully composed exhibitions.
Its focus is international photography, but also has an
eye out for new, talented artists.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip in which Pien expresses her deep appreciation for
Adi Da's Image-Art, and her personal commitment toward
seeing it get wider distribution.
Antonina Randazzo
has been a devotee of Adi Da since 1977. Her principal
service has been sacred music. She has studied North
Indian Classical music with Maestro Ali Akbar Khan in
San Rafael, California, and with Nivedita Sen, from
the Allahabad University in India. More on her
MySpace page.
Invocation
Contemplative chant, composed and sung by Antonina
Randazzo. From her album, Come
To Me.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
an audio clip from Antonina's album, Now
and Forever Hereafter.
Madhuka Ranmathu was
born in Sri Lanka and migrated with her family to the
United States in 1995. In her spare time, she serves
Adi Das library at the Mountain
Of Attention Sanctuary and has also served Adi Da
in His
Divine Image-Art Work. Madhuka was fortunate to
participate in the Silver
Hall process in Adi Das Company in 2008.
Carol Raphael writes
for EnlightenNext magazine (formerly, What
Is Enlightenment?).
The
Heart Was Released From Images: The Art of Adi Da
Samraj (pdf, 2.4MB) "Brancusi said that 'one
arrives at simplicity in spite of oneself by approaching
the real sense of things.' What Adi Da is doing, though,
is not really simple, either visually or metaphysically.
His imagery is both highly complex, in terms of its
composition and its execution, and startling pure
or uncomplicated at the same time. Remarkably, he
is attempting to transmit the totality of pure consciousness
by means of the specificity of the manifest world
and he's succeeding."
There
Is No "Other" Dennis describes the Blessing he received
at the time of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
clip from Dennis.
Ed Reither is the creator of The
Beezone, and is a strong advocate of Adi Da's Teaching.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library contains many audio
and video clips from Ed. The video clips include: conversations
with Frank Marrero about the seven stages of life; and
interviews with devotees.
Brad Reynolds is an artist and author and
the creator of Heart Light Productions. He has been a strong
advocate of Adi Da for many years.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library contains many video
clips from Brad.
Anne Rogers has been
a devotee of Avatar Adi Da since the early 1970's. She
lived and served in Adi Das household for many years.
Visits
to Other Worlds Avatar Adi Da shows Anne other
worlds, both higher and lower than this Earth plane.
The
Hole in the Universe: The Sacred Empowerment of Red
Sitting Man Fire Site In 1979, Avatar Adi Da
created and consecrated a holy site at the Mountain
Of Attention called Red Sitting Man. It was there,
in July of that year, that He Initiated devotees into
sacramental worship of Him in the form of fire. Anne
recalls the potency of the occasion in initiating
her recognition of Avatar Adi Da as the Divine Person.
About
Ghosts Leroy Stilwell presents Adi Da's wisdom
about ghosts, along with a "ghost story" from Anne.
Fred Rohe has been
a devotee of Avatar Adi Da for many years. He has been
a natural health pioneer and author for decades. His
store, New Age Natural Foods, opened in San Francisco
in 1965 and is credited with being the prototype natural
foods store. More at his website, Natural
Health Yellow Pages.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes 12
video clips from GlobalPeaceCentral.org, which Fred
created to help communicate and promote Adi Da's wisdom
about world peace.
Teresa Romero has
been a devotee of Avatar Adi Da for many years.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a clip
in which Achille Bonito Oliva speaks (in Italian)
at the opening of Adi Da Samraj's solo exhibition,
'Orpheus and Linead', at Sundaram Tagore Gallery,
New York - September 9, 2010, and Teresa Romero translates
into English.
Maksim (Max) Igorevich Rykov has been
a devotee of Bhagavan Adi Da Samraj since 2009. He graduated
from the University of Alabama in 2011, and now lives
at The Mountain Of Attention, where he works in the
Adidam Library. He maintains a blog, The
Secret of the Heart.
Never
Has God Revealed Himself So Fully Max (20 at
the time of writing this story): "My interest in God
became dormant, and did not re-emerge until later
in high school, when I became heavily interested in
philosophy. I intuitively felt that there was something
greater in life; that all the answers were available,
but I had no idea how to access them. . . . I yearned
for God, but all I got from books was knowledge, not
the Divine Itself."
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a number
of video clips from Max.
Zoe Sander has been
a devotee of Adi Da since 1973. She has served Adi Da
at four of His Hermitage Sanctuaries, predominantly
at The Mountain Of Attention in Northern California
and Adi Da Samrajashram in Fiji. She has served as a
priest of many of the Holy Sites on these Sacred Sanctuaries.
She has been a proofreader of His literature, a copyeditor
for many Adidam publications, and a transcriber of Adi
Da's discourses. She also served for several years in
the sacred archives of Adidam.
Zoe was one of the original founders of the Adi
Da Up Close site, contributing much time and energy
to editing the first materials that appeared on this
site. She decided to help in this way "after
reading some stories on the web that communicated
a profound misunderstanding of Avatar Adi Da's unconventional
methods of Teaching. As His devotee, I am passionately
committed to communicating the truth about His Heroic
Work to Liberate ordinary (and Spiritually unqualified)
people like us, despite our obsessions with 'money,
food, and sex'. I hope the stories on this site give
you a feeling for what it is like to be His devotee,
and for what an extraordinary Blessing it is that
such a Spiritual Master is alive in our lifetime."
Glossary
Zoe contributed much effort to getting the Adi Da
Up Close Glossary up and running.
Growth
as a Patron Zoe interviews devotee Dennis Duff
about his experience as one of Adi Da's patrons.
Roger Savoie is a philosopher, writer, and translator.
He is the author of many books, and has written for
such prominent magazines as La Revue 3e millιnaire.
Click
here to visit his website.
Jack Schmitt has been a devotee
of Adi Da since April, 1993. He ran a successful telephone
business in Austin, Texas, for many years and is now retired
and living with his wife in Texas. He has served the Adidam
Midwest Mission in a variety of ways and also helps the
Mate Mote Guild (Adidams death and dying ministry).
A
Gift of Healing
Jack describes a sudden and dramatic healing that took
place through Adi Da's Blessing-Power in one of the temples
at The Mountain Of Attention.
Eleanor Seeley is a longtime devotee of Adi
Da. She lives in Trinidad, California, and serves
the Tat Sundaram Hermitage. She is a photographer and sculptor.
Click
here to visit her website.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a Sacred
Camel Gardens video clip created by Eleanor.
Garbage
and the Goddess Canada provides a description
of the Garbage and the Goddess Period of Adi Da's
Work with devotees.
Michael Shaw has lived and served
closely around Avatar Adi Da Samraj for many years.
From teaching horsemanship to Adi Da's daughters, to
managing Adi Da Samraj's household and travels, Michael
has regularly served within the Divine Guru's intimate
sphere. Michael has participated in several of Avatar
Adi Da's principal Teaching Revelations.
The Graceful Key to
Recognition of Adi Da Michael tells of moving
beyond the mind and the search to "get it". From the
consideration period known as "The Overnight Revelation
of Conscious Light."
Gerald Sheinfeld has been a devotee
of Adi Da for many years. He accompanied Adi Da on His
1974 trip to India.
Wordless
Spiritual Recognition Gerald tells the story
of how an Indian sadhu recognized Adi Da spiritually,
without ever exchanging a word with Adi Da.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
Gerald's testimonial
to Adi Da, at the tribute that occurred on Adi
Da Samrajashram, on the First Anniversary of Adi Da's
Divine Mahasamadhi.
Michael Sheppard has been a devotee
of Adi Da for a number of years. He is a classical pianist
who trained at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns
Hopkins University in Baltimore, where he studied with
Leon Fleisher and Ann Schein. As one of two 2003 Classical
Fellows of the American Pianists Association he toured
Southern Asia and the Middle East in collaboration with
the Cultural Programs Division of the United States
Department of State. Upon his return he made his Kennedy
Center debut. Michael has received critical acclaim
as a grand interpreter of transcriptions of operatic
tunes as well as American musical theatre in addition
to the traditional piano repertory.
Douglas Short has been a devotee
of Adi Da for a number of years. He currently lives
at The Mountain Of Attention, and is the manager and
head chef at First People Kitchen.
Rajesh Shukla is an art critic and
the author of several books, including Contemporizing
Buddha, Hindu
Tantra Yoga, and Concerning
The Spiritual In Art: An Indian Modern Art Perspective.
He received his B.A in Fine Art and Philosophy from
Allahabad University in 1993. He took Sanyasa for two
years, and studied the six systems of Indian philosophy,
focusing specially on Vedanta from the Sankaracharya
of Puri, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati. He was the winner
of the Lalit Kala Academy Scholarship Award for art
criticism in 2005. He is currently working on a book,
Buddhist Tantra Yoga. He lives and works in Delhi,
India.
The
Ancient Walk-About Way of Adi Da Samraj "Adi
Da is the one and only artist whose art is beyond
idiom. Adi Da is postmodern in this sense, because
he knows the very locus from where things appear.
Images are things, and they appear on the surface,
carrying multiple messages of the locus. In this sense,
Adi Da does not express, rather he creates. His images
need to be appear as it is an expression of Reality
Itself."
David Simon has been a devotee of
Adi Da for a number of years. He has worked in the Marketing
Department for the Dawn Horse Press. He currently lives
in Florida.
David's responses to some frequently asked questions.
Askold Skalsky has taught English
and German at Hagerstown Community College. In 2005,
he was honored by the Maryland State Arts Council for
his poetry, which has appeared in numerous small press
magazines and journals, including Southern Poetry Review,
Oregon East, Northeast Corridor, and Chiron Review.
Skalsky's work has also been published in Canada, England,
and Ireland. It incorporates many themes from his childhood
in the Ukraine. Skalsky wrote the
introduction to Adi Da Samraj's The
Mummery Book, A Parable of the Divine True Love,
about which he said, "It was an honor to be asked to
write the introduction to this highly original experimental
work in the vein of James Joyce and Gertrude Stein."
Transcendental
Realism and Radical Narrative in Adi Da Samrajs The
Orpheum A paper by Askold Skalsky, Professor
of English, presented at the 2009 CESNUR Conference,
Salt Lake City, Utah, June 11-13, 2009. "At this critical
moment in world history, Adi Da Samraj (1939-2008)
provides a radical perspective in his literary trilogy
The Orpheum, showing that the presumption of a separate
I is an illusory category that distorts human consciousness
and very language itself by falsifying the prior unity
of reality."
Dan Sleeth has been a devotee of
Adi Da since 1983. He has worked for many years in the
field of human services as a mental health provider.
Dan earned a MA in general psychology and in counseling.
After receiving his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, he
wrote The
Integral Ego as a vehicle for considering the
non-dual perspective possible in the clinical therapeutic
setting. Dan has served Adi Da in many different capacities,
including public outreach, regional manager, and ashram
manager, as well as through his writing and advocacy.
My
First Meeting with Adi Da Dan: "I marveled at
these eyes, even happy to be amazed! Then a starling
realization came. Clearly, he had seen in fact,
was seeing now. The face in the poster seemed to literally
come alive. I could feel his presence, a person standing
in front of me looking at me."
My
First Retreat and a Miraculous Healing Dan:
"Suddenly, I was howling with utter abandon. . . .
The sounds felt torn from my intestines, and sent
scuttling out through my lungs in a gruff and horrific
shriek. It was obvious to me that something was being
pulled out from of the depths of my being, perhaps
even demonic. I could literally feel the blackness,
coarse and oily, like a mechanic's rag, passing through
my throat. Beyond any doubt, I was being purified
of some horrible foulness which I could not even name."
Bill Somersis a longtime
devotee of Adi Da, and has been a resident of Adi Da
Samrajashram for many years. He was a principal
clarinetist in a symphony orchestra before he left the
world of professional music to serve Adi Da. Among other
functions, he has served Adi Da as a cultural server
and retreat manager on Naitauba.
I Realized
That I Was "Playing for God" In the early 1980's,
Bill had already realized what he had held to be his
life's ambition: to be principal clarinetist in a
symphony orchestra. But this accomplishment was not
enough for him, after all; his heart was not satisfied.
And that was a good place to be! It led him to his
Spiritual Master.
James Steinbergis a religious
scholar. He has been a devotee of Avatar Adi Da Samraj
since 1973. He has been personally schooled by Adi Da
in the entire Great Tradition of humankind's religious
and spiritual literature. He is a sought-after speaker
and radio program guest. He is also the author of the
books, Love
of the God-Man and Divine
Distraction, both about the Guru-devotee
relationship (on which he is a world authority). James
has been Graced to live with Adi Da Samraj in His Island
Hermitage, Adi Da Samrajashram in Fiji, and at The Mountain
Of Attention Sanctuary in California. He has represented
Adi Da Samraj in meetings with spiritual luminaries
worldwide, and is a regular visitor to India in completion
of a variety of Sacred projects. James attended Harvard
University and the University of California, Berkeley,
graduating in 1972. He has two daughters and lives in
California.
The First
Celibacy Consideration In
the summer of 1979, Adi Da began to talk about celibacy.
He suggested that if we cut out our middle class
indulgence in coupling, perhaps we would be able
to really get down to the spiritual practice. James
describes where the consideration went from there.
A
Presentation on Money and the Guru James presents
the spiritual principles underlying the giving of
money, service, and energy to the Guru. His presentation
includes traditional stories, stories about Avatar
Adi Da, and Adi Das basic Instruction. The primary
principle is the mutual relationship between the Guru
and devotee: the Guru is giving His devotee the gift
of His Spiritual Transmission the means for the
devotee's liberation 24 hours a day. Gifts of money,
service, and energy are part of what the devotee gives
back for the relationship to be spiritually lawful.
Mark Stewart has been a devotee of Adi
Da for many years. He is the president of Mark
Stewart Home Design, one of the foremost residential
design firms in North America and throughout the world,
and the recipient of several prestigious honors including
Home Magazine's "Well Crafted Home", the Easter Seals/Century
21 sponsored Lifetime Homes series, and the M.A.M.E.
Award for excellence in design.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes Mark's
brief video tour of the "Truth For Real" Bookstore
and Reading Room (which is also a Video Viewing Room)
in Portland, Oregon.
Leroy Stilwell is one of the founders of this
site. He has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj since 1977.
He lived and served at Adi Da Samrajashram, Naitauba,
Fiji for most of the time since 1986, and is now living
in Northern California.
Beezone
Interviews Leroy Stilwell
Beezone editor Ed Reither interviews author and devotee
Leroy Stilwell about his new book, Love's Sacrifice
and the Ordeal to Become Human: 30 Years with my Spiritual
Master Adi Da.
The
Mad Talking Dance
A story about Adi Da spontaneously speaking the thoughts
of devotees around Him.
About
the death transition Leroy provides a vivid
example of the importance of holding the three-day
vigil for the death transition, as recommended by
Adi Da.
About
ghosts Leroy presents Adi Da's wisdom about
ghosts, along with a "ghost story" by Anne Rogers.
Adi
Da Was Really There: The Sacred Empowerment of the
London Center Hall Avatar Adi Da has instructed
His devotees how to invoke His Empowerment of sacred
places by installing Empowered objects there. Keith
Marsden and Leroy Stilwell tell the story of the Empowerment
of the first London Adidam Center.
When
There Is Surrender An account of Leroy Stilwell's
first direct, tangible experience of Avatar Adi Da's
Spiritual Transmission.
Bill Stranger has been a devotee of Adi Da since
October, 1973. Bill is currently the director of DharmaCafι.
He has served Adi Da in a broad range of capacities, including
groundskeeper, minister, missionary, educator, public speaker,
writer, administrator, multi-media producer/director, and
diplomat. He has represented Avatar Adi Da at a variety
of public forums, including the Bay Area Interfaith Council
(of which he was a co-founder), the Raoul Wallenberg Institute
of Ethics, the Parliament of the World's Religions, the
1999 Hague Appeal for Peace, the Synthesis Conference hosted
by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, in Dharmasala, India, in
1999, and both the Paradigm Conference and the State-of-the-World
Forum of the Gorbachev Foundation, which were held in 2000.
Audio/Video
Library Our audio/video library includes a video
of Bill being interviewed by Scott Morrow of The Blue
OK about DharmaCafι.
Lisa Paul Streitfeld is an art critic, curator,
performance artist and novelist who delivered a paper,
"Applying the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle to 21st
Century Art", at the 2009 International Association of
Art Critics (AICA) Conference in Dublin. She has written
on metaphysics and contemporary art for The New York Times,
The Hartford Courant, Art New England, and the international
avant-garde. As regular reviewer (2000-2005) for Southern
Connecticut Newspapers, she interpreted a 21st century
icon, the hieros gamos, subject of her forthcoming
four volume critical study.
Modernist
(R)evolution in Chelsea: The Premiere of Adi Da Samraj
Lisa: "Sundaram Tagore Gallery's New York premiere
of the self-proclaimed avatar Adi Da Samraj (1939-2008)
filled a vacuum existing in the art world expectantly
awaiting the rise of the New since the tumult of the
market fall. Curated by the Italian critic Achille Bonito
Oliva, Orpheus and Linead celebrates a joyous union
of opposites that polarized 20th century art into objective/nonobjective,
abstract/figurative."
JoAnne Sunshine has been a devotee of Adi Da for
many years. She composed many of the early devotional
chants used by devotees.
I
Am Who You Are
JoAnne wrote this exquisite piece (co-composed with
Ray Lynch), here sung by Crane Kirkbride in operatic
style (from his devotional album, An
Infinite Well).
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
one of JoAnne's songs, When
All Is Gone To Love. It also includes a video
clip which includes in its soundtrack JoAnne's devotional
song, "I Am You, I Am the Heart" (adapted from the Epilogue
of The Dawn Horse Testament).
Hιlθne Tavernier is half of the French band,
Angel
Factory. Hιlθne grew up in a family of classical
musicians and learned cello. When cello met computer,
or more precisely, when Maurizio Fasolo of Pankow fame
(the group providing the Florence Dance Company with
electronic music over recent years) heard her duo play
live in Lille, Hιlθne was invited to listen, improvise,
then set her vocal melodies to the pieces Maurizio had
prepared for Divina.com.
Divina.com
(video)
In this multi-modal performance (featuring the Florence
Dance Company dancing against a projected backdrop
of Adi Da's Image-Art that was constantly changing),
Hιlθne Tavernier's role was to take texts from Dante
and Adi Da Samraj, compose music for them, and then
sing them (variously in Italian, French and English).
Sally Taylor is an Australian-trained physician
who became a devotee of Adi Da Samraj in 1976. During
Adi Da's Teaching Years, she participated in many of
the emotional-sexual "reality considerations". In addition
to her medical expertise, she serves the culture of
Adidam by helping devotees with their practice.
Participation
in Adi Da's considerations about the emotional-sexual
dimension of life (video)
Sally talks about her voluntary participation in Adi
Da's considerations about the emotional-sexual dimension
of life, the instructions she received, and the profound
benefit she has derived by being "grown up" beyond
childish patterns of self-suppression, shutting down
of the life force, promiscuity, and limitations on
love.
Robin Temple has been a Dutch devotee of Adi
Da since 1985. After graduating from Bristol University
in England, Robin did postgraduate studies in education.
He is one of the instructors at the Adidam Academy.
Audio/Video
Library A story from Robin about his recent
retreat on Adi Da Samrajashram, useful insights that
he received about his egoic patterning, and a release
from self-concern that Gracefully (Acausally) occurred.
Lynne Thompson is a member of the Editorial
Staff for this site. She is a devotee of Adi Da and
a resident of New Zealand. She also teaches Nia (a non-impact
physical conditioning program), and works for her local
Arts Council organizing art events and promoting artists.
Everything
Has Changed and Nothing Has Changed "I
was fortunate to be able to get on a plane and head
over to the Island [Adi Da Samrajashram]. I consider
this Auspicious Occasion to be the most profound in
my life, even as I am still struggling to find words
to correctly explain what that means."
Audio/Video
Library A special thanks to Lynne for doing the
bulk of the data entry for our audio/video database.
Today's
Quote From Adi Da And further thanks to Lynne for
doing the bulk of the work in locating and entering quotes
for our "daily quotes" database, available on our home
page.
Chris Tong, Ph.D., is one of the founders of
this site, and has been been a devotee of Adi Da since
1989. He is also the founder of The
Practical Spirituality Press, and the director of
The
Institute for Real God, The
COTEDA Institute for Global Accord, and FIRM
(The Foundation against Intolerance of Religious Minorities).
He was formerly a professor of Computer Science and
a leading researcher in Artificial Intelligence. (You
can read more in his biography
and personal statement.) He has made many contributions
to this site, including:
Chris is responsible for custom-programming all
the technical features of this website, including
pop-up
glossary entries, the associated glossary database,
and the automatically generated Glossary
page; event pages that are automatically "in synch"
(in real time) with the Adidam.org event pages (like
here
and here);
the searchable Audio/Video
Library, and its associated database and features
("most popular videos this week", selection
of videos by year, etc.); pictures that enlarge in
place (as pop-ups) and videos that play in place (as
pop-ups); integration of the site with Facebook; the
"Today's
Quote from Adi Da" feature and database;
the "Today
in Adidam History" feature and database;
the automatic generation of the Adidam
Celebrations page from the Adidam History database;
etc.
The
Significance of Recognition in the Way of Adidam This
article explores such issues as: recognition as a
Revelation, not a belief (part 1); determining whether
one has recognized Adi Da as the Divine Person (part
1); recognition as the primary requirement for becoming
a devotee and for growing in the Way of Adidam (part
2); how the recognition capability is associated with
spontaneous growth in the practice of Adidam (part
3); the difference between a moment of recognition
and the moment-to-moment recognition capability (part
4); how moments of recognition are Adi Da's gift to
us, but the recognition capability is our gift to
Him (part 4); and the "recognition consideration"
for prospective devotees, whose successful conclusion
(the Revelation Itself) dissolves all questions or
doubts they may have about becoming Adi Da's devotee
(part 5).
An
Overview of Adi Da's Crazy Wisdom and "The Way That
I Teach" This
introductory article includes the following key points:
the longstanding spiritual tradition of Crazy Wisdom;
how "Crazy Wisdom" is often misunderstood from a conventional
viewpoint; how participation always has been completely
voluntary; Adi Da's unique form of Crazy Wisdom, which
He called "the Way That I Teach"; why Adi Da's "Teaching
Years" were necessary and what historical period the
"Teaching Years" covered; and why the useful consideration
for prospective devotees is not "Did He or didn't
He?" but "Is He or isn't He?"
The
Offering of Perfect Happiness: The Divine Incarnation,
Life, and Work of Avatar Adi Da Samraj
All the great Spiritual Masters have been not only
teachers, but Transmission Masters: they literally
transmit their Spiritual Realization to their devotees,
communicating a state that is happier than the usual
worldly destiny. The greatest of all Spiritual Masters
are the Divine Incarnations, those rare occasions
when the Divine appears in Its own "dream" as a character,
as a tangible means that every one can easily access
for Transmitting the greatest Realization of all
the Divine State of Perfect and Eternal Happiness
which coincides with awakening from the "dream".
The
Need for a Spiritual Transmission Master
Many people experience some kind of spiritual or unitive
Revelation sometime in their life. (As Adi Da puts
it: "Everyone receives the Shock of God. Everyone.
There is no being from the mosquito to Man who does
not receive the Shock of Divine Intervention.")
But a moment and a memory is not the same thing as
permanent Realization of what was Revealed
in that moment. Realization requires many years (or
lifetimes) of self-transcending practice on the basis
of that Revelation. For that reason, one must have
access to the Revelation on an ongoing, even moment-to-moment
basis. That is the function of the Spiritual Transmission
Master.
The
Necessary Artfulness in Taking Up Disciplines in the
Way of Adidam
Response to a frequently asked question about whether
people who are not yet devotees should take up any
of the disciplines of the Way of Adidam. Touches upon
some of the subtleties facing both prospective devotees
and current devotees in engaging disciplines, such
as engaging the disciplines egoically or egolessly.
A
Framework for Exegesis: Understanding Adi Da's Word
in Context To rightly understand Adi Da's Teaching
Word, we must know exactly when He wrote or spoke
it, and the context in which He wrote or spoke it.
And to pin down that context, it is useful to evaluate
the talk or essay or passage along seven different
dimensions, which are presented and described in this
article.
Adidam and Postmodernism Chris describes Adidam
as a post-postmodern tradition. Like postmodernism,
Adidam rejects all egoic viewpoints as limited. But
this is because it identifies the ego as the source
of all limited viewpoints (which postmodernism fails
to do). The profoundly consequential implication is
that there is a Viewpoint that is not limited:
if one transcends the ego perfectly, then "limited
viewpoint" is also transcended in the Prior Unity
that is revealed.
We
Are Consciousness Itself This
article is for helping the reader better understand
the free ebook, We Are Consciousness Itself,
(particularly the terminology, which is unconventional),
and appreciate
its implications.
Lawsuits,
Countersuits, and Media Circuses: The Details
Chris presents the basic facts, which are pretty
straightforward. Two lawsuits were filed, and out-of-court
settlements reached. The Marin County Superior Court
dismissed the primary lawsuit.
On the
1985 Beverly O'Mahony lawsuit The one major
lawsuit against Adidam was brought by Beverly O'Mahony,
Brian O'Mahony's wife at the time (1985). In this
interview with Chris, Brian speaks candidly about
that time, the lawsuit, the media circus that ensued,
and what to make of it all decades later.
Club
Rat Chris tells the story of how Adi Da created
a most unusual evening, and how He used music to open
Chris's heart.
Surrender
at the Master's Feet In this compilation, Wes
Vaught, Antonina Randazzo, and Chris describe the
extraordinary Grace of touching (or being physically
close to) Adi Da's Feet, traditionally held to be
the most sacred "part" of the Spiritual Transmission
Master's body.
The
Mummery Book: excerpts (9 tracks)
The
Mummery Book (Book One of The Orpheum)
is a sacred theatrical enactment that combines acting,
images, and music. Much music has been written for
The Mummery Book over the years, often completely
new with each year's performance. Here is just a small
sample, composed and sung by Chris for Adi Da at the
1995 performance of The Mummery Book on Naitauba,
Fiji.
Spiritual
Recognition of Adi Da: Some Initial Stories
In this article, Chris provides stories of spiritually
sensitive people (from a variety of cultural traditions)
who have recognized Adi Da in spiritual terms.
Money
and "Spiritual Legitimacy" Chris's introductory
article addresses a couple of common, but mistaken
notions about money and spirituality: someone who
is "spiritual" should have nothing to do with money
(making it, using it, etc.); and any spiritual or
religious organization that makes money a requirement
rather than a "pass the basket" voluntary matter could
not be spiritually "legitimate".
Incorruptibility
This article explores the nature of incorruptibility,
and, in contrast with some fourth to fifth stage Realizers,
why we would expect the body of a seventh stage
Realizer to not be incorruptible, because no
connection with the physical body (or subtle body)
remains after the moment of death.
Before
It Was The Mountain Of Attention Before it became
The Mountain Of Attention, the land now associated
with this Sanctuary had served as a popular hot springs
resort called Seigler Hot Springs (Seigler Springs,
for short). Here is a brief recount of that history,
along with an album of historical photos.
The
Sign of Open Hands Chris answers a question
about why devotees often have their hands raised.
The
Dawn Horse in Adidam (editor) Chris drew on
many Adidam sources over the years to create this
article about Adi Da's Dawn Horse Vision and Dawn
Horse iconography in Adidam.
Chris's responses to some frequently asked questions.
Jasper van Laar is the manager of the Dutch
website, Yoga
Online, and the head of the film production company,
Way Media. He lives in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library
includes DaPlastique video clips (here
and here)
for which Jaspar did the production work.
Wes Vaught was one of Adi Da's earliest devotees.
He now works as a healer.
"What
Have You Been Doing with Your Life?"
The story of how Wes worked as a proofreader at CSA
Press, in Atlanta, Georgia, the original publisher
of Adi Da's autobiography, The
Knee Of Listening. It would prove to be the
means by which he discovered his Spiritual Master,
"by chance", before Adi Da began His formal Teaching
Work in 1972.
Surrendering
at the Feet of a Spiritual Transmitter
Wes gives an account how Avatar Adi Da's Spiritual
Transmission affected him. He describes the affect
as an opening, as Avatar Adi Da's Radiance "washed
through me".
Toni Vidor has been devotee of Adi Da Samraj
since 1974. She was the eldest child of well-known film
director King Vidor. After college, she rejected the
life offered by her parents wealth and fame. From the
late 1940's to the early 1970's (when she met Adi Da),
she was an equestrian and a healer, as well as a pioneer
of alternative living. For more visit her
website.
"An
Immense Burden Had Been Lifted from Me" Toni
tells a story of the impact of Adi Da's Transmission
on her: "When it was finally over, I felt as if an
immense burden eighty tons of whatever it was I
had been carrying around all my life without even
realizing it had been lifted from me."
Related
Books by Devotees Toni has written an autobiography,
Beyond The Illusion, in which she describes
her many years as Adi Da's devotee.
Audio/Video
Library Toni Vidor talks about meeting Adi Da
for the first time, and the profound impact of His
Spiritual Transmission. She describes her mission
to India to find (at Adi Da's request) the elusive
"mercury bead", said to possess rejuvenative qualities
and provide healing, and how she Gracefully fulfilled
Adi Da's seemingly impossible request. She talks about
her experience of Adi Da's relationship and play with
non-humans. In responding to Adi Da's requests that
she heal particular sick animals, she describes a
fundamental lesson she learned: if oriented properly,
the devotee healer is merely a conduit for Adi Da,
and Adi Da does the healing, with an efficacy and
speed not otherwise possible.
Jack Vigushin is a longtime devotee of Adi Da
Samraj.
"Direct
Her to Me, Above" Adi Da's detailed Instructions
to Joan Vigushin, and her intimate partner, Jack,
for serving her death transition.
Lynne Wagner became a devotee of Avatar Adi
Da Samraj in 1974. She lived in the Hermitages and Sanctuaries
of Adidam and served Adi Da personally for nearly twenty
years. Her career as an elementary school teacher started
with the first Adidam private schools, and included
years in public elementary and secondary schools, where
she specialized in the arts and English for second-language
learners. She received Adi Da's direct Instruction in
the traditions of Eastern and Western spirituality and
sacred art, and started painting Indian miniatures under
His Guidance. Lynne now creates original
fine art portraits and figurative paintings.
Painting
of Adi Da Lynne created this beautiful painting
of Adi Da with two children on the beach.
Ann Walsh attended university in
the U.S. and Europe. Her education brought her to a point
of profound disillusionment and despair. She was desperately
seeking a source of Living Wisdom, studying everything
from the occult to parapsychology to the various alternative
and traditional religious offerings. Then she read The
Knee Of Listening, Adi Das autobiography, and
became His devotee in 1975. Ann has lived and served at
three of Avatar Adi Das Hermitages and Sanctuaries.
Leslie Waltzer came to Bhagavan Adi
Da in 1975, when she was 29 years old. Over the course
of her time as His devotee, she has seen Adi Da on many
occasions. She is the business owner of a
graphic design company in the San Francisco Bay Area,
and has served Adi Da over the years principally through
book, print and website design and in service to the Adidam
Mission. She raised two children and taught art to many
children in the Adidam community.
Praise
to the Guru, Body of Light Leslie came to Bhagavan
Adi Da in 1975, when she was 29 years old. Just after
Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi, she went on retreat at
Naitauba. This is her story of what happened while
she was there.
Don Webley was born in Jamaica and came to the
United States to study physics. He is now a medical
legal consultant. He has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj
since 1980. He has written several introductions and
commentaries to Adi Da's books and is helping to make
Avatar Adi Da's Art known in the world.
A conversation with
Adi Da Samraj about His uniqueness as a seventh stage
Adept Realizer Don was the first devotee to
speak extensively to Adi Da Samraj about the Uniqueness
of His Teaching and His Realization. He recounts that
1993 conversation with Adi Da Samraj, when He openly
Confirmed that He is the "First, Last, and Only Seventh-Stage
Adept".
Beyond
All Doubt As a child in Jamaica, Donald Webley
recalls feeling that there was something lacking,
something without which real happiness was not possible.
An unexplained experience of Bliss moved him to spiritual
practice and eventually to Avatar Adi Da.
Susana Weingarten has been a devotee of Adi Da for
many years. She was born and raised in Mexico City. She
studied modern dance techniques at the school of Ballet
Nacional de Mexico and later in the school of Ballet Independiente
de Mexico, where she danced professionally and toured Mexico
and Central America. She moved to New York City to continue
her dance training with Takako Azakawa, Kazuko Hirabayashi,
Louis Falco, The Alvin Ailey Dance School, and Carol Rioux.
She appeared with Linda Diamond and Dancers at the Symphony
Space and Lincoln Center Annex in New York City. Currently
Susana is the co-Director of DANCEVERT,
along with husband and world-class dancer Tom Evert. She
oversees the artistic, marketing/publicity and general aspects
of the company, as well as choreographing her own works
for solos, duets, and large group works individually and
in collaboration with Tom and other musicians. More on her
website.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
a number of video clip of Susan Weingarten and/or Tom
Evert choreographing and performancing dances based on
the Wisdom of Adi Da (here
and here).
Greg Wells is a devotee of Adi Da. He was born
into a large family of eight children in one of the
worst ghettos in Philadelphia. He has an MBA, and has
been a mechanical engineer, school principal, a minimum
wage parking lot attendant, and a computer consultant,
and is a father of four grown sons. Since becoming of
devotee of Adi Da Samraj in 1990, he has lived in Washington
DC and New Zealand, and is presently living on Adi Da
Samrajashram.
How
Total Satisfaction Found Me
Greg's insightful account
of how he finally found God in the Person of Adi Da
Samraj, and came to understand that Adi Da was the
Spiritual Master he had been looking for since he
was a small boy.
Kenneth Welsh
is a renowned
actor. He spent seven seasons at Stratford, playing
among many other roles, the title role in Hamlet.
The next twelve years he spent in New York, where he appeared
on and off Broadway. His film credits include The Freshman,
Legends of the Fall, Crocodile Dundee II,
The Day After Tomorrow, Absolute Power,
The Aviator, and Margaret's Museum. On television
his credits include starring roles in Empire Inc,
Love and Hate, And Then You Die, Hiroshima,
Edison, Smallville, Law and Order,
The X-Files, and Twin Peaks. He has won
six Geminis and one Genie (the Canadian equivalent of
the Oscars and the Emmys).
Tom Williams was a former Presbyterian minister.
He has been a devotee of Adi Da since 1982.
Coming
Home: The Spiritual Odyssey of a Former Clergyman Tom:
"My story is about how I moved from being an ordinary
person to someone who was given the greatest gift
in the world. This is the story of how I fell in love
with God. And I wouldn't trade this life for anything
in the world. There's nothing that compares to being
in communion, in love with God."
Felix Woldenberg grew up in the Adidam community
as Adi Da's devotee. He has been formally trained as
a dhrupad singer.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
an audio clip from Felix's album with Naamleela Free
Jones, Da
Naama Mantra.
Michael Wood (Mulund) has been a devotee of
Avatar Adi Da since the earliest years of Beloved's
Work in Los Angeles. He was a corporate attorney at
the time he was introduced to Avatar Adi Da, and he
was the principal attorney for Adidam for over 25 years.
The
Teaching Years Were Fruitless and The Wound of Love
Mulund presents Adi Da's communication about how
His "Teaching Years" [the period of His early Work
with His devotees] were "fruitless": They demonstrated
the fruitlessness of all the different forms of human
seeking, both conventional and unconventional.
Nara Wood grew up in the Adidam community as Adi
Da's devotee. She is an artist and watercolorist; for
more, visit her
website.
Audio/Video Library Our audio/video library includes
a
video clip of Nara offering a testimonial to the
life and work of Adi Da Samraj.
Bill Worden has been a devotee of Adi Da since
1997. Prior to becoming a devotee, Bill had been a ski
instructor, a commercial fisherman in Alaska and California,
co-owner of an art nouveau / art deco company, and a
poker dealer at casinos in both South Lake Tahoe, Nevada,
and San Pablo, California. He maintains the blog, Steps
on the Path.
My
First Years with Adi Da Bill: "An energy started
to descend into me. The energy seemed conscious. It
was intelligent. It moved steadily. It wasnt affected
by anything I did. It must have taken about thirty
seconds to go all the way down my body. It was the
most amazing thing to feel. I felt love as I have
never experienced it. It was pure love."
John Wubbenhorst has
been a devotee of Adi Da for many years. He leads the
musical group, Facing
East, which continually experiments with new musical
possibilities that often seamlessly combine Eastern
and Western musical traditions.
We
Just Happened to Have Musical Instruments in Our Hands
This recording of Above the Clouds was taken
in November 2010, during a three day, 24-hour-a-day
vigil of meditation and puja on the veranda of Aham
Da Asmi Sthan, Adi Da's home on the island of Naitauba.
John speaks of the sacred occasion of being dropped
out into the space of being 'not really there' while
the Guru plays the musical instrument (and the instrument
that is one's body-mind).
Facing
Beloved
From the album, Facing
Beloved, by group Facing
East, with John Wubbenhorst (bansuri), Subash
Chandran (ghatam) and Ganesh Kumar (kanjira). This
piece is based on a melody from J.S. Bach (siciliano)
with elements of Raga Kirwani.
John Wubbenhorst and Otto Probst, Breath
of Devotion. This music was improvised for Adi
Da Samraj on occasions during which He created His
Divine Image-Art: "There were no plans or rehearsals;
all the music was a spontaneous response to His Presence."
35
Years With My Master Along with Eija Halme,
Jasmine hosted this event in Helsinki, which featured
James Steinberg as guest speaker.
Jane Yang has been a devotee of Adi Da for a
number of years. She is a Chi-Gong Master of the Wu
Ji Chi Gong style school. She has been privileged to
study with a number of great Chi-Gong Masters over the
last forty years, and is very grateful to them all.
For more, visit her
website.
Going to the Source
Jane's story of how she came to acknowledge Avatar
Adi Da Samraj as the ultimate source of power and
healing central to all of Chi-Gong.
Steve Zerlin is a
brilliant and versatile bassist, fluent with many styles.
He is accomplished as a jazz musician on both electric
and acoustic bass as well as having adapted the bass
to Eastern modalities as a member of Facing East. He
has toured India as well as extensively throughout the
USA with many top artists including Jack DeJohnette,
Dennis Chambers, Carl Filipiak group, Paul McCandless
and others. He was cited in Jazz Times magazine
(April 2004) for his unique style and abilities.
A devotee at Adi Da Samrashram, December 1 - 4,
2008 The author was at Adi Da Samrajashram in
Fiji, helping to make a film about Beloved Adi Da. As
it would turn out, he would be there at the time of
Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi.
For
Lovers of the Bright One "I was a few hundred
meters from Adi Da at the time of His leaving the
body. Thank you, Lord . . . You did not leave us.
Your Presence is brighter and more attractive then
ever."
Anonymous The author never became a devotee
of Adi Da, but has always appreciated Him, and expresses
that gratitude here.
A
Glimpse of Him in Truth "I was never fortunate
enough to have been a true devotee of a Guru. I was
closest to Adi Da. I was an appreciator of Him, and
occasionally let into His world by Grace to catch
a glimpse of Him in Truth."
B.M. has been Adi Da's devotee since the 1970's.
There
Is No Loss "When I arrived at Beloved Adi
Da's House (about thirty hours after His Passing),
I felt such an incredible sense of personal loss of
my dearest, dearest Loved One, that I burst into tears.
In His Company, I gradually stopped crying, and began
to feel Beloved Adi Da Present in the most extraordinary
manner."
David has been a devotee of Adi Da since 1977.
He currently lives in Northern California.
Finding
My Master David tells the story of recognizing
Avatar Adi Da Samraj to be his Master, and then describes
the first time he saw Avatar Adi Da. He tells how
he became Adi Da's devotee.
David is currently returning to being Adi Da's
devotee.
Time
To Return "About a week ago [shortly before
Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi], I had a dream about
Beloved Adi Da."
D.G. has been Adi Da's devotee since the 1970's.
His
Answer To My Question "Since Bhagavan Adi
Da's Divine Mahasamadhi, I had felt an urgency to
know why and what happened. And so I participated
in discussions as well as many private conversations
conjecturing about all of this. But over time I realized
that I was more and more disturbed about all of this.
My dearest Heart-Master was gone, and I felt that
I truly needed to know why and what had really happened."
John K. is a resident of Berkeley, California.
An
Island On Fire "I am far from that island
but I see it shining in the middle of the black sea.
I knew he had come."
Kiam is
a resident of Israel, responding to a November 30, 2008
article about Adi Da's passing in Ma'ariv, Israel's second
largest newspaper.
To
God Knows Where Reading an article in an Israeli
newspaper revealed to Kiam the identity of the face
that had been appearing to him.
L.H. has been a devotee of Adi Da for many years.
Orphic
Magic in The Mummery Book L.H.'s article was
written just before a performance of The Mummery
Book at The Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary in
January, 2011.
L.H. (a different L.H.) has been a devotee of
Adi Da for many years.
It
Is All the Same Distraction: Ghosts, Goddesses, and
Gratitude L. H: "I became aware of a figure
approaching the site. It was a blue woman who was
obviously endowed with great power. I felt this woman
was Kali, and I became afraid. She then began to show
me her power: the sun changed position in the sky
and changes were happening everywhere in nature. She
was rearranging the universe. This is actually what
I saw. I felt how I could be snuffed out by the power
of nature, her power, at any moment."
M.M. has been Adi Da's devotee since 1998.
Touched
By Him "On December 1st (2008), the day
after the interment of our Beloved Master's physical
remains, I went up back to the 'Brightness' Temple
in the early afternoon.The entire area seemed to vibrate
with a tangible Presence that was very familiar to
me as Bhagavan's Spiritual Form. As I sat down on
the ground, I became conscious of the fact that this
was only about thirty feet away from the chamber in
which Bhagavan's physical form was buried."
M.R. is a devotee of Adi Da Samraj.
A
Dream About Adi Da's Mahasamadhi Through a dream,
M.R. is led to be with Bhagavan at the time of His
Divine Mahasamadhi, and to feel the miracle that He
has not left at all.
Nancy C. is a resident of San Francisco, California.
He
Awakens Me To Love "No one can comprehend what
this being represents. . . . With him it always goes deeper."
Natalja T. is a devotee of Adi Da who was serving
the creation of His Image-Art on Adi Da Samrajashram,
Fiji, at the time of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi.
Always
Already Free "The Force of His dropping
of the body literally opened a hole through time and
space . . . The air became so incredibly still it
felt as if the atomic structure of things could break
by a single breath."
Rex is not a formal devotee of Adi Da, but
he has a strong heart-response to Him.
Sonia has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj since
1996. In 1972, her parents migrated to the U.S., where
she was born and raised. After graduating from Harvard
University in 1997, she worked as a Human Resources
Director for five years and then as a Waldorf teacher
for two years. Currently she is living and serving Adi
Da in India.
Adi
Da has said to His devotees, "Without your response, Adidam is mere philosophy."
Most of our contributors are devotees of Adi Da. They have helped
make this site a very full and personal introduction to Adi Da
as the Divine Person in living, human form; and a very full and
personal introduction to Adidam as a living community of people
who have received (and responded to) that Revelation, and whose
lives have been transformed by It. 
Some
of our contributors are not formal devotees of Adi Da. Many of the non-devotees
listed below are professionals who have appreciated Adi Da's contributions in
their own area of expertise (art, spirituality, social wisdom, etc.)
Journey
Into Death and Back
The
Rebirth of Sacred Art: Reflections on the Aperspectival
Geometric Art of Adi Da Samraj
Recognition
Of Me Is Liberation
The
Making and Organization of The Aletheon (video)
Audio/Video
Library
Alex
Grey is a renowned artist, and the author of 
Audio/Video
Library
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