Adi Da Up Close
Audio/Video Library

John Wubbenhorst interviews master dhrupad player Rishabh Dhar (via Skype). Rishabh lives in Calcutta, India. He is the son of the first lady dhrupad singer in India, Ashoka Dhar), and travels around the world giving concerts and workshops.

Rishabh first talks about having spent twenty years living in his music Guru's house, immersed in in-depth learning of his musical craft in the traditional Gurukula (family of the Guru) manner.

He then talks about the many times he has played music for Adi Da on Naitauba in Fiji. He recalls giving a sacred musical offering for Adi Da, and about an extraordinary occurrence that took place when Adi Da gave him prasad after the offering. He also talks about the amazing resemblance of Adi Da and Swami Vivekananda which holds a special significance for him.

The Mystical Positivist is a weekly, two-hour radio show on KOWS 107.3 FM, Occidental, CA. The program is dedicated to the application of reason in the pursuit of spiritual practice and development. The show is hosted by Stuart Resnick and Dr. Robert Schmidt. Stuart has been a Tayu Meditation Teacher since 1993. He received apprentice and master-level training in the alchemical transformation of human consciousness from Tayu Meditation Center. Dr. Robert Schmidt is the director of the Tayu Meditation Center, and a co-founder of the Many Rivers Bookstore in Sebastopol, California. He is also currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Archaeological Research Facility at U.C. Berkeley.

This audio clip is part 2 of The Mystical Positivist's interview with devotee, Leroy Stilwell. Leroy has been a formal devotee of Adi Da since 1977. Since 1986, he regularly lived in Hermitage on Naitauba, Fiji, for extended periods during which he participated in cycles of consideration with Adi Da, and served as editor, photographer, videographer, communications manager, ashram manager, and personal assistant to the Ruchira Sannyasin Order. He is the author of Love’s Sacrifice: Witnessing the Self-Revelation of the Divine Person - 30 Years with my Spiritual Master, Adi Da (2014) and For Those Who Call For Light - Learning How to Think about Religion (2013). Leroy is also a co-founder and managing editor of the Adi Da Up Close site.

Note: The actual show does not begin until 02:43.

Tags: radio   interview   presentation  

The Mystical Positivist is a weekly, two-hour radio show on KOWS 107.3 FM, Occidental, CA. The program is dedicated to the application of reason in the pursuit of spiritual practice and development. The show is hosted by Stuart Resnick and Dr. Robert Schmidt. Stuart has been a Tayu Meditation Teacher since 1993. He received apprentice and master-level training in the alchemical transformation of human consciousness from Tayu Meditation Center. Dr. Robert Schmidt is the director of the Tayu Meditation Center, and a co-founder of the Many Rivers Bookstore in Sebastopol, California. He is also currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Archaeological Research Facility at U.C. Berkeley.

This audio clip is part 1 of The Mystical Positivist's interview with devotee, Leroy Stilwell. Leroy has been a formal devotee of Adi Da since 1977. Since 1986, he regularly lived in Hermitage on Naitauba, Fiji, for extended periods during which he participated in cycles of consideration with Adi Da, and served as editor, photographer, videographer, communications manager, ashram manager, and personal assistant to the Ruchira Sannyasin Order. He is the author of Love’s Sacrifice: Witnessing the Self-Revelation of the Divine Person - 30 Years with my Spiritual Master, Adi Da (2014) and For Those Who Call For Light - Learning How to Think about Religion (2013). Leroy is also a co-founder and managing editor of the Adi Da Up Close site.

Note: The actual show does not begin until 08:17.

Tags: radio   interview   presentation  

Devotee Ben Grisso talks about growing up in the community of Adi Da's devotees and the joy of being with Adi Da as a child. He describes how he later lived on Naitauba and served Adi Da's Image-Art work for many years. He tells a humorous story of the Crazy-Wise play Adi Da engaged in, to reflect to Ben his tendency to be "analytic".

Ben was in the room with Adi Da at the time of His Divine Mahasamadhi (on November 27, 2008), and he talks about that moment, and its significance.

Tags: Image-art   mahasamadhi  

How the farm crew on Naitauba, Fiji, makes organic farming work in the tropics.

For even more from the Naitauba Organic Farm, visit the Naitauba Organic Farm website.

Music ("Weeds in Our Veggies") by Simon Evans.

Tags: Naitauba   farm   Adi Da Samrajashram  

Beekeeping and harvesting honey on Naitauba Island, Fiji.

For even more from the Naitauba Organic Farm, visit the Naitauba Organic Farm website.

Tags: Naitauba   Adi Da Samrajashram   farm  

Peter van Gelder (sitar), John Wubbenhorst (bansuri), and Samrat Kakkeri (tabla) will perform a Sacred Offering of classical Indian ragas on 2pm on June 3, 2012, in Land Bridge Pavilion at The Mountain Of Attention.

This is a fundraising event to support sending musicians to Naitauba for Da Purnima.

Suggested donation: $15. (No one is turned away.)
For more information, call: 301-346-0789.

Event poster here.

How boards are made with a chainsaw on the island of Naitauba in Fiji.

Narrated by Bill Krenz. Music ("Chainsaw Blues") by Simon Evans and Aaron Nakagawa.

For even more from the Naitauba Organic Farm, visit the Naitauba Organic Farm website.

Tags: Naitauba   Adi Da Samrajashram   organic farm  

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.

[Note: The quality of this audio clip is somewhat muffled, and the volume level fluctuates.]

For a text version of this story, click here.

Tags: Tom Closser   Frans Bakker   death  

Bill Krenz describes the process of trimming dangerous limbs off a large rain tree next to the farm garage on Naitauba.

For even more from the Naitauba Organic Farm, visit the Naitauba Organic Farm website.

Tags: Naitauba   Adi Da Samrajashram   farm  

How we currently make compost on the island of Naitauba in Fiji.

Narrated by Bill Krenz. Music ("You Gotta Get Down With It or Get Lost") by Simon Evans and Aaron Nakagawa.

For even more from the Naitauba Organic Farm, visit the Naitauba Organic Farm website.

Tags: Naitauba   Adi Da Samrajashram   farm  

Pictures of the many talented people in the Naitauba Organic Farm crew in action during 2011, on Naitauba Island, Fiji.

For even more from the Naitauba Organic Farm, visit the Naitauba Organic Farm website.

Tags: Naitauba   Adi Da Samrajashram   farm  

A slideshow of images of Adi Da taken at Sacred Occasions in 2008 in Naitauba, Fiji.

This recording of Above the Clouds was made 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. Devotee John Wubbenhorst 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).

"Above the clouds, There Is Always The Sun — Forever Free Of Earthly Weather. By Tendency, You Are Always Looking At the local weather, and Not At The Sun Itself. That Is What egoity Is About — Always Suffering The Changes Of The local Patterning That Is the body-mind In its egoic Bondage. Instead, You Must (In every moment) Turn To Me . . . "

Avatar Adi Da Samraj, The Dawn Horse Testament Of The Ruchira Avatar

For more stories about "Music as a Sacred Art and Growing in the Relationship To Adi Da", click here.

Tags: Above the Clouds   John Wubbenhorst   bansuri   Fiji  

John Wubbenhorst (bansuri) and Samrat Kakkeri (tabla) provide a Sacred Offering of North Indian ragas. Concert benefits sacred musicians' travel to Naitauba, Fiji.

Time: 2:30pm, June 12, 2011
Place: Land Bridge Pavilion, The Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary

$15 suggested donation.
Call 301-346-0789 for more information.

Tags: Facing East   John Wubbenhorst   Samrat Kakkeri   bansuri   tabla