My name is Megan Van Niekerk. I am a 24 year old Youth Fellowship devotee of Avatar Adi Da Samraj. I am a South African, and am currently living in Cape Town studying a Eurythmy BA degree at the Centre for Creative Education. I am currently in my third year of study.
I have been a formal devotee in the Youth Fellowship for over a year now and I would like to make my transition into the Second Congregation this year. I have been invited to travel up to the European Danda to meet the community living there and to make my transition. I would like to travel up at the end of June 2024 as this is the best time to do so during my college holidays.
It my heart’s desire to travel to a space that has been Empowered by Adi Da, and to experience the living quality of a community devoted to Him. There are only five South African devotees and we are scattered across the country, far away from each other. So I have not yet experienced Guruvaras or Celebrations with other devotees, despite having taken part online. I would love to experience what it is love to collectively invoke and praise Adi Da!
Unfortunately, I am not earning an income at the moment due to my studies and am living on a simple student allowance. And due to the short amount of time between now and June, it does not feel possible for me to save up the amount that I need to make this journey happen.
I’ve sung Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas to Beloved Adi Da many times over the years — at the Manner of Flowers, at Adi Da Samrajashram, at First People / Great Food Dish, etc. (as one of a small group of singers, and usually also as the keyboardist) — and I’m singing it to Him again (and all of you!) here. It is one of my favorite songs at this time of year.
For me (starting with Judy Garland's original film version), it has always been an emotion-filled song, by turns joyful, playful, nostalgic, and wistful — so that is how I sing it here.
The Five Reality-Teachings poster: AdiDaUpClose length: 03:30 date added: September 3, 2023 language: English views: 729; views this month: 44; views this week: 8
As part of His recitation of The Happenine Book in April, 2006, at Adi Da Samrajashram, Adi Da recites "The Five Reality-Teachings". A chanted version is available here.
On the CD is a seminal Discourse on self-understanding given by Adi Da on April 8, 1993. In this Discourse, Adi Da calls all those inclined to Realize True Freedom to first recognize the failure of their search — which is based on the illusion of separation. Rather than engaging the ordinary pursuit of union with all others and things from which we feel separate, Avatar Adi Da says we must find out that our inherent Condition is one of Perfect Non-separation.
ADI DA: You are doing this contraction. The stress you say you are feeling is the result of that. . . The more you feel that you yourself are doing it, the more it relaxes. . . You are, as it relaxes, directly surrendered, truly forgetting yourself, entering into the Field of Non-Separateness — which is My Very Nature, Condition, Sign, Demonstration, Transmission.
As part of our commemoration of renowned actor Kenneth Welsh (who passed away on May 5, 2022), we have created this enjoyable "peek" inside Ken's process of preparing to play the role of narrator in the January, 2000 ten-hour long performance of The Mummery Book.
The video excerpt was edited (by Chris Tong) from a much longer, unreleased documentary (created by well-known film director, Terence Gross) about the making of The Mummery Book. (Consequently, the audio and visual quality are a little spotty in places.)
At a certain point in the process (3:02), Avatar Adi Da (“Beloved”) sits in at a rehearsal, and then begins to actively participate in making suggestions for the production. Finally (at 5:45), there is a brief glimpse of the end of the actual performance, after which Adi Da expresses His appreciation by coming up and embracing Ken.
I Am Here poster: AdiDaUpClose length: 06:27 date added: December 12, 2021 event date: December 1993 language: English views: 898; views this month: 12; views this week: 1
words: Avatar Adi Da Samraj music: Chris Tong sung by: the Adidam New England Choir (with all devotees joining in) choir members: Chris Tong, Paul Caswell, Patricia Rydle, Lisa Alexandra Fry pianist / choir director: Chris Tong date: Danavira Mela, 1993
CHRIS: I just ran across an old audio tape with this recording. The quality is not the best, and the choir is not professional, but there is so much heart-feeling in devotees’ singing, and our Beloved Heart-Master’s Words are so beautiful and heart-moving, that I felt compelled to share this for Danavira Mela.
The Knowledge Of Light poster: AdiDaUpClose length: 04:14 date added: November 30, 2021 event date: February 3, 1985 language: English listens: 694; listens this month: 8; listens this week: 1
In the early months of 1985, Avatar Adi Da was residing at His Hermitage-Island in Fiji, working intensively to complete the first edition of His Supreme Scriptural Text, The Dawn Horse Testament. Avatar Adi Da began this occasion by reciting a newly written essay, which He subsequently added to The Dawn Horse Testament — and then spoke at length about the import of the essay.
In this Discourse, Avatar Adi Da invites everyone to consider the implications of the common understanding that everything — all that you see, hear, breathe, taste, smell, feel — is energy, or light. Rather than suggesting yet another method of seeking within the infinite forms of experienced light, Avatar Adi Da Offers (and Is) the direct Transmission of Light — which Reveals Itself to be the Self-Radiant Bliss of Consciousness Itself.
ADI DA: The most intimate presumption, the real presumption — that all this is Light — should be sufficient to make your hair stand on end. Real Communion with Light, or True Baptism — founded on “self” understanding — produces ecstasy, profound transformation of the being, liberates you from all of your egoic psychology.
Club Rat poster: AdiDaUpClose length: 01:04 date added: July 6, 2021 language: English event speaker: Chris Tong listens: 951; listens this month: 10; listens this week: 0
On July 7, 1992 (Fiji time), at Adi Da Samrajashram, Adi Da created "Club Rat", a most unusual gathering during the height of a Celebratory period. For those unfamiliar with Club Rat, you can read Chris Tong's story about it here.
Music plays a central role in the story. For this reason, in celebration of the 29th anniversary of Club Rat (on July 7, 2021), Chris has recreated part of the rock song he wrote and performed that evening, Club Rat, so you can at least get a taste of the actual music from that night. (Adi Da had called for an evening of rock music. Club Rat was the opening song of a night of music that would go on to include much more than rock music. . .)
If for some reason, the player above doesn't work, try this player:
Club Rat. Club Rat. The funky place where God is at. Club Rat. Club Rat. The funky place where. . . only skanks and whores walk through its doors. There you find Your Self and lose yourself. When the Lord's in town Everyone gets down. Club Rat. Club Rat. The funky place where God is at. (etc.)
CHRIS: This recreation is just as we presented it to Beloved Adi Da during the Club Rat gathering, except for some improvements due to better musical equipment and technology (e.g., drum machines instead of upside-down, plastic "piss buckets" 😜 — read the full story for more about that! ).
I wrote Club Rat, keeping in mind the intensity and "badness" of the pop rock music Beloved Adi Da was listening to at the time (like Michael Jackson's Beat It).
The lyrics are drawn from Adi Da's instructions to us about Club Rat, such as: Club Rat was to be the most "funky" place ever; participating devotees had to be "skanks and whores" — in other words, no suppressed energy or emotional-sexual complication (so He could work with our entire energy, not just the superficial part we usually show to or share with others socially); etc.
The lyrics also drew on current, ongoing considerations Adi Da was having with devotees at the time, such as His Calling to us to "get down" (He was riffing on the popular 1970's slang phrase, giving it His Own unique meaning): a reminder for us to incarnate whole bodily (rather than being merely a "point" in the head, refusing to "get down" below the head).
The line, "When the Lord's in town" was a reference to Beloved Adi Da visiting the "village" of Qaravi: the area of the island of Naitauba where His devotees lived and where "Club Rat" (Hymns To Me) was located.
The Book Of Light poster: AdiDaUpClose length: 04:46 date added: March 3, 2021 language: English event speaker: Trish Mitchell listens: 534; listens this month: 3; listens this week: 2
Trish Mitchell, an Australian radio journalist, bought The Dawn Horse Testament one day, simply because she was "attracted" to the cover. She had no idea what was awaiting her "inside" that book.
Audio player not working for you? Try the "MP3 download link" below.
comments: 2
Adi Da Beloved poster: AdiDaUpClose length: 03:04 date added: December 23, 2020 language: English event speaker: Chris Tong listens: 1825; listens this month: 7; listens this week: 0
Problems with the audio player? Try the MP3 download link below. ---------------------------------------------------- Chris Tong sings "Adi Da Beloved" — a devotional version of the traditional Christmas carol, "Angels We Have Heard On High".
Words, musical arrangement, and performance by Chris Tong, in the manner of other ecstatic, dramatic, immersive musical pieces like the “Hallelujah Chorus” (the finale of Handel's Messiah) and “Ode To Joy” (the finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony).
Thanks to my dear friend, Crane Kirkbride, whose own beautiful singing of music like this inspired me to create Adi Da Beloved. Crane also gave me some very helpful singing tips after listening to an earlier version.
Let It Snow! poster: AdiDaUpClose length: 01:39 date added: December 23, 2020 language: English event speaker: Chris Tong views: 882; views this month: 5; views this week: 1
Chris Tong sings the holiday classic, "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", one of the (many) songs he played (on keyboards) and sang for Avatar Adi Da during the Celebration of Danavira Mela during the years of His human lifetime.
Musical arrangement and performance by Chris Tong. More about the musical arrangement here.
Adi Da Samraj at a cookie-making occasion in First People (now called "Great Food Dish") at the Mountain of Attention Sanctuary on December 23, 1995, as part of the Celebration of Danavira Mela. Outside, devotees sing holiday songs for Him, as He looks out the window, listens to the music, and sings a few notes Himself. Inside, devotees attend Him as He turns cooking-making into an art form.
Avatar Adi Da grants Darshan for the first time in Is-Da-Happen at Adi Da Samrajashram, for the Celebration of Da Purnima on the morning of July 11, 2006.
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