Empowered Places > Sanctuaries > Mountain Of Attention > April 1982

Adi Da Samraj
at the Mountain Of Attention
April, 1982

Charles Syrett

Charles Syrett has been a devotee of Adi Da since 1980. He is a mapmaker by profession, and the owner of Map Graphics, which makes street maps, some of which you may actually have in your glove compartment or telephone directory. His company also makes maps for websites, CD-ROMs, PowerPoint presentations, etc. His clients are from all over the world, and have included Comcast , L.L. Bean, Oracle, and Reader’s Digest. Charles has also put his mapmaking skills to good use in his service to Adi Da, mapping the Adidam Sanctuaries in support of the ongoing process of Sanctuary development.

In April, 1982, during the Celebration period of what is now known as The Great Sovereign-Avataric Holy Day of the Establishment of the "Radical" Reality-Way of Adidam Ruchiradam (centered on April 25th), Beloved Bhagavan Adi Da was very much available for Darshan for anyone who was at the Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary. I had the good fortune to be there for several days, and He granted Darshan most (or perhaps all) of the days I was there.

On one occasion, devotees were gathered in Land Bridge Pavilion listening to a presentation. In those days, the Pavilion was open on all the sides, and the outside was clearly visible. Suddenly, the presentation was interrupted by someone calling out that Beloved Adi Da was passing by outside, at the opposite side from the presenter.

The path Adi Da walked, with Land Bridge Pavilion to the right and a great oak tree to the left. The path Adi Da walked, with Land Bridge Pavilion down to the right and a great oak tree to the left. (click to enlarge)

We all immediately turned around and beheld our Beloved Master as He walked by with several other devotees. After He passed, we all clamoured out of the Pavilion to continue sighting Him at a respectful distance. (So much for the presentation!) We saw Him walk around All True Things Park and then disappear down in the direction of Holy Cat Grotto.

All True Things Park All True Things Park (click to enlarge)

Holy Cat Grotto

Adi Da's palpable Presence settled down on us as we continued standing there. After a few minutes, He reappeared and walked straight toward Huge Helper. A kind of museum had been prepared for the Celebration, inside Huge Helper, displaying artifacts from the ten years that Adidam had been in existence. For example, I recall seeing the shirt that Bhagavan was wearing on the cover of the first edition of The Knee of Listening (right). He seemed to be heading straight toward it, and I had the feeling that He was giving us time to settle ourselves outside the opposite side of the building, to await a formal sitting Darshan.

As Adi Da walked by us toward Huge Helper, He was chatting and laughing with the devotees who were walking with Him. This was the first time I had ever seen Him in such a casual mode; I had only ever seen Him in very formal Darshan occasions before this time. And it was the most wonderful sight I had ever seen: the Divine Person, in His Pastimes of enjoyment as a bodily human Form. He looked like a Sun God.

Huge Helper Huge Helper (click to enlarge)

Beloved Adi Da went inside to the museum. We all quickly scooted around to the south side of the building, where a Darshan site on the stone steps had already been used several times on previous days. (The site would come to be known as "Here I Am".) Somehow or other I found myself right in front, only a few feet away from the cushions that had been placed on the steps! We were all singing a devotional chant while we waited for Him. I could clearly see right into the building, where Bhagavan was looking at the displays with an amused expression.

"Here I Am" holy site "Here I Am" holy site (click to enlarge)

Finally, Adi Da came out! Just before He sat down, He pressed His Feet several times into the cushions. I had the feeling that He was absorbing the devotion that He felt in them. Then He sat down and went into "formal" Darshan mode, regarding each and every devotee there with His Glance.

Adi Da giving Darshan at the "Here I Am" holy site on the steps of Huge Helper — April, 1982 (click to enlarge)

When He gazed into my eyes, I immediately passed from being an apparent individual, to being universal Consciousness beyond the body-mind. The body-mind was still there, weeping and singing, but "I" was all-inclusive, beyond even the observing awareness. It was as though He had directly Transmitted His State. After only a few minutes, I became aware of this as some sort of "happening", and I was back to being a "me" again.

After some time, Adi Da got up and walked back to His residence, The Manner of Flowers. This remained, for me, one of the most memorable Darshans ever!

This story appears in
The Mountain Of Attention and
The Sacred History of Adidam: 1982