Celebrating Danavira Mela
With Bhagavan Adi Da

Richard McIntyre

Richard McIntyre has been a devotee since 1981. He is originally from Southern Africa. He worked primarily in the Telecommunications sector as a Systems Engineer and business owner. He has served in several capacities within the Adidam community and Institution.

In late 1994, I moved to Suva, Fiji, to do missionary work. Suva's proximity to Adi Da Samrajashram — the Fijian island of Naitauba and Adi Da's Empowered Sanctuary — made it a special place for devotees to live, since there were often opportunities to visit Natauba and Adi Da.

In late December of 1994, the four devotees living in Suva (including me) were invited to go to Naitauba and celebrate Danavira Mela with Adi Da Samraj, who had been Gathering there with devotees for an extended period.

Cookie Baking

Many events transpired during this Celebratory period, but an early event that stood out for me was the Danavira Mela cookie-baking occasion. This is where Adi Da would participate with devotees in baking cookies. I arrived early, and was in one of the first groups of devotees to be invited into the kitchen with Bhagavan Adi Da.

Adi Da participating in a cookie-baking occasion with His devotees (click picture to enlarge)

I noticed that Bhagavan was finishing up stamping out cookies from a slab of dough. Spontaneously, I had the idea to set up another large piece of dough for Him to work on. Glancing around, I managed to quickly scrounge up two relatively large pieces. I then rolled and kneaded them together into one flat piece. One of the ladies (I have her name in my diary as "Amritaprasad") exclaimed to Bhagavan, "Oh Beloved, look what's been prepared for you!" At this point I was standing back, trying to be just another someone in the room. He went over to the dough, and carefully lifted up one of the sides. As the dough peeled back, it ever so slowly separated into the two pieces I had been kneading together. With His back turned to me, I heard His voice boom, "This has not been prepared for me." My heart sank and I thought, "Oh shit". Then He turned to me. With a Benign Fierceness, He said, "Don't you know that dough is an Inherent Unity?" Then a little later, "Dough you should know, is One, not separate." These comments were obviously intended to be humorous, but I could also feel a pointed lesson in His humor.

Bhagavan Adi Da then Asked if I had put any flour under the dough. (I realized later that someone must have brushed some flour on one or both pieces, and that's why they didn't bond well.) I replied that I hadn't. Seeing a dish with some flour in it and thinking He wanted some, I said, "Beloved, there is some flour." His Response was, "This is not My project, this is your project." At this point, I knew I was in way over my head, and was wondering how I could gracefully extricate myself.

Adi Da then moved away from "my project". He turned, facing me, belly to belly, and said in a very powerful voice, "I can teach you how to make cookies. But I hope I don't also have to teach you how to do your missionary work." As He spoke, I felt like I was in a wind tunnel, in a vortex of energy, and it was all I could do to breathe, as His Force was so Potent. I was also stunned that He had identified me as the missionary guy.

Adi Da then gently teased me about me being a "rice cooker". A devotee later explained to me that He was referring to a gathering Adi Da had with devotees before my arrival. A story had been told of a devotee of Bhagavan Nityananda who, when interviewed, seemingly could only talk about being "Nityananda's rice cooker". Adi Da had derived a great deal of humour about this devotee who took pride in being able to tell others he was Bhagavan Nityananda's "rice cooker", but who hadn't actually realized anything spiritual in His Spiritual Master's Company.

Hugs and Kisses

During the gatherings with Adi Da, each retreatant was invited to offer an arrival gift, and later, a departure gift. On both occasions, we received Beloved Adi Da's hugs and kisses.

We would all be dancing together to upbeat music, Celebrating the Company of our Beloved Guru. One by one, each of us was guided to Him with our arrival gifts in hand. It was an utterly potent and disarming moment. When I came to Him, He hugged and kissed me. I was inebriated (we were invited to drink as part of our Celebration in Adi Da's Company), and, free of my usual self-consciousness for a moment, I slowly touched His chest and belly, as a way to recall His Form. I suddenly became aware of what I was doing, and glanced up at Him — but He was not offended. He was very intently looking out at the dancers, His eyes transmitting what seemed like a Fire-Light as He Worked wth His devoees. At that point, I lay my head on His right knee. The next moment, I felt His two hands around my ears lifting my head in front of (or maybe onto) His feet. (I don't remember exactly.) He then massaged the top of my head for a while. My eyes were closed and, as loosened up as I was, I could still feel myself holding onto being a "self". Adi Da continued to move His fingers in small irregular patterns and circles on the top of my head, finally giving me a sharp tap on the head.

Departure Gift

The departure gifting occasion was after the cookie-baking event. When Adi Da saw me, He turned to the Kanyas and said, "This guy makes the worst fucking cookies in the whole world!" and laughed out loud.

I offered Adi Da a hand-carved stone head done by a Shona carver in Zimbabwe (the country I'm from). Beloved Adi Da carefully took the carving, and held it up alongside the face of Indigo, an African American devotee who just "happened" to be sitting next to Adi Da when I brought Him the stone head. As He held up this finely carved face to her face, He commented on the similarities which were clearly obvious.

I had written on my gift card that I didn't want to just be a "rice cooker", and that I wanted to realize Him. He hugged and kissed me, then opened my card and slowly read the words I had written to Him. It was as though time seemingly stood still and we were in another world.

Then Adi Da playfully batted me over the head with the card, saying playfully, "arsehole." I loved it. He is perfectly free and wild, but always committed to the liberation of His devotees.

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