Is Adi Da Still Spiritually Active?

Chris Tong, Ph.D.

Question: Is Adi Da still spiritually active, now that His human lifetime is over?

Brief answer: Very much so! In fact, the entire purpose of His human lifetime was to make Himself and the Way of Adidam available to all beings, in perpetuity. Let's consider Adi Da's words about this, as well as the experiences of devotees (and non-devotees) after His human lifetime.

Adi Da Describing the Period After His Human Lifetime

From the very beginning of His work with devotees, Adi Da was very aware that His human lifetime was finite, and that the great purpose of that lifetime was to establish the Way of Adidam for all time, so that His Presence and Spiritual Transmission would always be accessible to human beings in all future generations:

Your question comes from a view of Adi Da as an ordinary person, whose human lifetime is now over; or as an extraordinary Realizer and Spiritual Master, who is now in some "other plane" and may or may not have chosen (or may or may not be able) to have contact with us here in the "material plane" now that He has passed on. But the fullest answer to your question is based on the understanding that Adi Da is neither of these. Rather, devotees of Adi Da receive the Revelation that Adi Da is the human incarnation of the Divine Person. The Divine Person was, is, and will always be Eternally Present. But that fact was not of any practical use to any of us without our ability to find the Eternally Present Divine. Thus the true and ongoing significance of Adi Da's human lifetime was that He provided us with the means — the Way of Adidam — by which we could always locate Him (the Eternally Present Divine Person), without requiring Him to be alive in human form forever:

You can read much more of what Adi Da said about this in our section, Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi and Adidam In Perpetuity.

On the Phrase, "Spiritually Active"

One clarification: When you ask, "Is Adi Da spiritually active?", it conjures up images of Adi Da "up" in the Divine Domain, looking down, and intending and doing various "spiritual things" with living human beings. Adi Da has made clear that that is not the way it works. He is simply, merely Present. But that All-Pervading Presence combines with human beings here (particularly those who are putting their attention on Him) in ways that have all kinds of miraculous consequences — none of which require any "attention" from Him.[1] It's a little bit like His lightbulb analogy:

So when we respond, "Yes, He is spiritually active", it is in this sense of His being merely Present, but that Presence — because It has Emerged here — having numerous, active consequences, particularly when people actively respond to (and combine with) It. The gist of your question is, "Can He still help people Realize the Divine?" And the answer is: Absolutely! To make that eternally possible was the purpose of His human lifetime. And His Eternal Presence — and the means for locating His Eternal Presence: the Way of Adidam — is sufficient for that Greatest of Purposes.

The Experiences of Devotees and Non-Devotees After Adi Da's Human Lifetime

As we write this, only a brief time has passed since Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi. We are only at the very beginning of the period of history that post-dates His human lifetime. But we can already confirm everything Adi Da said through the already unfolding story of His continuing impact on both devotees and non-devotees alike:

• We have gathered together many stories specifically associated with the time of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi, in which both devotees and non-devotees confirm His Presence. Here's just one:
  
  

  Alaya Gernon: I received a phone call from a devotee advising me of [Adi Da's] Mahasamadhi. I cried solidly for three days and nights — it felt beyond self. I then had the most remarkable experience. I had not been able to look at the Murti for a day or so — not properly, because I felt so upset. Then when I finally was able to do so, within minutes the Murti changed to simply light as it often does for me. Suddenly, within the Murti, a foot and thumb appeared. The thumb then extended and burst into my third eye, and again I experienced a crashing current and fell back. Since that moment, I have continued to turn to Beloved Adi Da and have had several remarkable 'experiences' which are astounding and a mystery. On reading The Boundless Self Confession, I can now understand totally what can only be described as a Great Sacrifice for the sake of all.

  
  
• Every day, Adi Da's devotees around the world continue to receive Adi Da's Transmission and practice the Way of Adidam on that basis.
  
  Some of the stories of the continuing experience of Adi Da's Presence after His death are quite humorous, like His sister's story of a picture of Adi Da coming to life one day and blinking at her! She felt He was reassuring her that He was still present, and always would be.[2]
  
  Other stories report the same kinds of miracles that occurred throughout Adi Da's decades of work with His devotees. For example, in one story, Anne Henderson 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.
  
  
• Many devotees have visited Adi Da's Mahasamadhi site, The "Brightness", and attest to the extraordinary power of His Transmission there.
  

  
  
  
  

  It is an Eternal Intention that I Demonstrate and Speak about during My physical Lifetime, a Work to go on forever. I Established a Place of My Radiation. It is the Place where this Body in Its end-time will be fitted. I have Accounted for everything. My Mahasamadhi Site will ultimately become the Principal Locus on the Island. The "Root"-Place, the Source-Point is here, at Adi Da Samrajashram, where people will have the most immediate contact with Me beyond My physical Lifetime. This is the Principal Seat, the Blessing-Seat, the Source-Position — in perpetuity. People are to come to Me, where and As I Am. That is how I will Transform humankind and the Earth-"world". Avatar Adi Da Samraj, November 20, 1993

  
  

  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. Soon the feeling of intimacy with my Master started increasing significantly. There was a quickly growing feeling of very tangible Love-Bliss energy in the body. I noticed this energy entering my hands — which were place on the ground in front — moving up and filling the entire body with the most blissful Love-Touch. The feeling of the intimacy of touch was the most outstanding part of the experience. . . .There were frequent incidents in my life as devotee in the past of feeling Bhagavan's Love touch, very typically in the heart region. I never had the opportunity though to be physically touched by Bhagavan Adi Da, but what was happening now was new, it was . . . both. . . . Weeping with tears of joy, I fell into a swoon that lasted for hours. M. M., Touched By Him

  
  
• Many people around the world who are not Adi Da's devotees (at this point) write to us, wanting to let us know that Adi Da is having a great and undeniable impact on their lives. Here is just one example:
  
  

  I want to share testimony that Da is still present. I received a CD of Adi Da. I have been making Mahamantras to Him, and something very obvious is happening in my life! People are "breaking my heart", showing to me my obsessed areas. They are reflecting to me my "shadow" . . . that same "shadow" I have always been denying to myself . It is a hard but growing process.... Reality is not what I thought! Fernando S., Mexico City, Mexico, February, 2011

  
  Others record experiences of Adi Da's influence. For example, Buddhist teacher Jenna Sundell writes on her personal blog of Adi Da appearing in a dream (on November 10, 2011) and saying mysteriously: "ten more years". It may require waiting until November 10, 2021, to understand fully what that was about!
  
  
  
• The first generation of new devotees who have never seen Adi Da alive in human form has begun. We are gathering together their stories (on this site), to confirm in living terms that, just as He was while alive, Adi Da is still available to all His devotees, including those who will come to Him in the years and centuries after His human lifetime. Here are just some of those stories. We anticipate many more down the line!
  
  
  • Nicole Ortega — 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.
    
    
  • Max Rykov — "Never has God Revealed Himself so fully as in the form of Adi Da Samraj. This was absolutely undeniable. I had read and seen many spiritual teachers, but Adi Da was completely different. He didn't just teach a philosophy or technique for meditation. He is a Real Force, Revealing the Truth as Himself. He is the Form of Perfection. Enlightenment is not only possible, but is our present condition, Alive as Adi Da. He is here to Give the Gift of true ego-transcendence to all those willing to enter into relationship with Him. It has been an incredible Grace to have the opportunity to live in Communion with the Divine Reality, Adi Da Samraj, especially at a young age. There is no better life to look forward to than one of serving His Divine Work. His Gifts of Revealing Himself have become the greatest Blessing in my life. May all beings be Blessed to feel His Divine Presence. What a wonder that He is here!"
    
    
  • Neeshee Pandit — "Recently, a friend of mine who has been responding to Adi Da, asked me if I thought it might be more beneficial to become a student of a living Guru, as in a Guru who is physically alive. I immediately thought, Adi Da must be the most Alive and Active Guru that exists! I couldn't help but feel how much of a 'Living Guru' Adi Da really Is, even now. I thought it was a particularly striking question and was surprised by my immediate, intuitive response. I just felt how true it was, and how much of a Divine Gift He Is to all beings, forever. He is a wonder and a miracle; the Divine Blessing-Presence and Person of Reality Itself."

RETURN TO "ADI DA'S DIVINE MAHASAMADHI AND THE FUTURE OF ADIDAM"

[1]	Indeed, it's not clear that it makes any sense to talk about Adi Da even being "capable" of attention at this point, for a couple of reasons: Attention has its origin in the causal body. (See, for example, Adi Da, "The Causal Position".) Adi Da has no causal body at this point. Adi Da's description of the Divine Domain is a State in which everything is completely Outshined in Brightness — i.e., awareness of anything conditional is impossible. This Bodily Lifetime-Form will Eventually Be Outshined in My Divine "Bright" Disposition and Domain, and, Thus, Fall Away — without My Making any kind of effort to relinquish It. Avatar Adi Da Samraj, Atma Nadi Shakti Yoga Death is not an explanation. Life, itself, is never, finally, explained. What follows the present life is not an after-death of explanation — but, only more of life, itself. Continued. Unexplained. And only this — mere more of life. Until, the Living Light — the Brightness That Is Consciousness, Itself — Outshines the ceaseless life-time of separate ego-"I". And Only That Outshining Brightness Un-explains the Unexplainable — by Disappearing all the living mind that asks to be explained. And, Only Then, does Only Living Light Remain. Avatar Adi Da Samraj, Easy Death On the other hand, one never knows with Adi Da. In principle, it is impossible for a living human being to be in the State of Divine Translation and still be alive — but Adi Da did so for eight years (April, 2000 to November, 2008) before finally passing. Just so, in principle, attention isn't supposed to be possible in the Translated State, without an associated body-mind. But one never knows what is possible with Adi Da. Nonetheless, we still should be cautious about presuming a "He's up there looking down on us" kind of view, understanding that more than likely that view originates in our Judeo-Christian, cultural background (where we generally say when anyone passes, "He or she is up there looking down at us", as a way of consoling ourselves through what Adi Da called "social religiosity"), not in Adi Da's Teaching about the nature of Reality or Himself.
[2]	And that, again, is the point: that He is present, not that He seemed to wink at her (delightful was that must have been for His sister). As He said in a quote earlier on this page, "So I do not care what I said in your dream, you see. That is not the point. The point is I said it, not what I said." The point is the continued Revelation of His Presence. It is His Presence that is liberating, not this or that experience associated with His Presence.