Adi Da Up Close
Audio/Video Library

Max Rykov speaks with James Steinberg. This video is the second of three parts.

James Steinberg has been a devotee of Avatar Adi Da since the early 1970's. He has been a principal presenter of Adi Da's communications to the gathering of devotees. In the '70s and '80s, James was the librarian for the Laughing Man Library. He has been a principal spokesperson for Adi Da to other religious and spiritual groups and prominent individuals. James has also continually served Adi Da Samraj's sacred projects in India. James is one of Adidam's principal educators and public representatives. He has written the comprehensive book, Love of the God-Man, and its more abbreviated version, Divine Distraction, about the Guru-devotee relationship.

Max Rykov speaks with James Steinberg. This video is the first of three parts.

James Steinberg has been a devotee of Avatar Adi Da since the early 1970's. He has been a principal presenter of Adi Da's communications to the gathering of devotees. In the '70s and '80s, James was the librarian for the Laughing Man Library. He has been a principal spokesperson for Adi Da to other religious and spiritual groups and prominent individuals. James has also continually served Adi Da Samraj's sacred projects in India. James is one of Adidam's principal educators and public representatives. He has written the comprehensive book, Love of the God-Man, and its more abbreviated version, Divine Distraction, about the Guru-devotee relationship.

[Contains Italian subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

Isabelle Trudeau, studentka Adi Da mówi o procesie, dzięki któremu rozpoznania Adi Da jako jej Mistrza duchowego i o jej decyzji formalnego wstąpienia na Drogę Serca.

Isabelle Trudeau, a devotee of Adi Da, talks about the process by which she recognized Adi Da as her Spiritual Master and about her decision to formally take up the Way of Adidam.

Tags: Italian  

[Contains Italian subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

Stanley Hastings talks about his childhood and adolescence growing up in the Adidam community. Like many other young people, as a teenager, he decided to see for himself what the world had to offer. After several years of experimenting, he decided to return to Adi Da and the Way of life He offered — to fully participate again in the life of the community and to serve Adi Da directly.

Tags: Italian  

[Contains Czech subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

This is an excerpt from the longer talk, "The Fire Must Have Its Way". The full talk is available on the DVD, The Fire Must Have Its Way, on which this is track 3. It is also available as a CD. The talk also appears in written form in the book, My "Bright" Sight and online here.

Tags: CD   DVD   Czech  

[Contains Finnish subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

Isabelle Trudeau, a devotee of Adi Da, talks about the process by which she recognized Adi Da as her Spiritual Master and about her decision to formally take up the Way of Adidam.

Tags: Finnish  

[Contains Italian subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

Devotee Ben Grisso, who grew up in the Adidam community, and who worked with Adi Da on His Divine Image-Art, offers this testimonial to Adi Da's life and work.

Excerpt from Second Evening: Track 11 on the DVD, A Tribute to the Life and Work of His Divine Presence, Adi Da Samraj. More than 7 hours long, this Tribute DVD was filmed on the occasion of the first Anniversary of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi, when devotees, family, and friends of Adi Da Samraj gathered at Adi Da Samrajashram, Fiji (Adi Da's principal Hermitage), to acknowledge Adi Da as the Divine in human form, to praise His Greatness, and to express their heart-felt gratitude for the Blessings they have received from Him.

A list of all the tracks on this DVD can be found here.

Tags: image-art   Ben Grisso   Mahasamadhi   Tribute   DVD   Italian  

[Contains Czech subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]


This is an excerpt from the longer talk, "The Fire Must Have Its Way". The full talk is available on the DVD, The Fire Must Have Its Way, on which this is track 3. It is also available as a CD. The talk also appears in written form in the book, My "Bright" Sight and online here.

Tags: Czech   DVD   CD  

[Contains Finnish subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

Adi Dan yhteisössä kasvanut omistautuja kertoo nuoruudestaan, jolloin hän päätti tutkia, mitä maailmalla on tarjottavana, kuten monet teini-ikäiset tekevät. Muutaman vuoden jälkeen hän kuitenkin tunsi vahvempaa vetoa Adi Data sekä Hänen tarjoamaansa elämäntapaa kohtaan, ja teki tietoisen päätöksen osallistua elämään Adidamin parissa ja palvella Adi Data henkilökohtaisesti.

Stanley Hastings talks about his childhood and adolescence growing up in the Adidam community. Like many other young people, as a teenager, he decided to see for himself what the world had to offer. After several years of experimenting, he decided to return to Adi Da and the Way of life He offered — to fully participate again in the life of the community and to serve Adi Da directly.

Tags: Finnish  

[Contains Polish subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

Prezentowane tutaj video to fragment rozmowy Adi Da ze studentaim z 1976 roku. Jak zawsze Adi Da Samraj nie oferuje studentom ani pocieszenia ani lepszego życia w przyszłości. "Twoje cierpienie jest twoim własnym działaniem". Lekarstwem jest zrozumienie przyczyny cierpienia i poznanie Tego co cierpienie poprzedza.

In this seminal discourse (at the Mountain Of Attention), from the early years of His Teaching Work, Adi Da speaks about the inevitable process of self-revelation and self-understanding that prepares the being for true Spiritual life.

The full talk is available on the CD, The Grace of Suffering, and on DVD as Volume 2 of the 25th Anniversary DVD Series.

Tags: Polish   CD   DVD  

[Contains Italian subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

This video clip is an excerpt from the DVD, The Relationship To The Guru Is The Constant In Life.

By tendency, people are bound to the natural cycle of ups and downs. Neither bodily pleasures nor spiritual pursuits result in True Freedom from this constant phasing. One path merely accentuates the descending (or bodily) experiences and the other, the ascending (or subtle) experiences.

In this Discourse, Avatar Adi Da reveals with absolute clarity how the relationship with the Guru gives freedom from this trap—because the Guru is the Manifestation of the Condition that is Prior to this mechanical cycling, not part of it.

Watching this DVD will transport viewers to a special moment in Adidam history. July 29, 1973, was the day Avatar Adi Da left Los Angeles for a Yajna (sacred journey) through India and Nepal. He returned as “Bubba Free John”, His first spontaneously revealed Teaching-Name. Thus, this was the last Discourse He gave as “Franklin Jones” (Avatar Adi Da’s birth name).

Tags: Italian  

[Contains Czech subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

Video excerpt from an early discourse by Adi Da Samraj on July 29, 1973.

This video clip is an excerpt from the DVD, The Relationship To The Guru Is The Constant In Life.

Adi Da would later make a similar communication in a very memorable way in “The Divine Avataric Self-Disclosure” (in The Aletheon):

ADI DA: The conditionally Apparent “world”-Process Of “Everything Changing” Is Simply The Natural “Play” Of Cosmic Life, In Which the (Always) two sides of every possibility come and go, In Cycles Of appearance and disappearance. Winter’s cold alternates with summer’s heat. Pain, Likewise, Follows every pleasure. Every appearance Is (Inevitably) Followed By its disappearance. There Is No Permanent “experience” In The Realm Of Cosmic Nature. One whose Whole bodily Devotion To Me Is Constant Simply Allows All Of This To Be So. Therefore, one who Truly Listens To Me and “Knows” Me Spontaneously Ceases To Add “self”-Contraction (and, Thus, “conditional-experience-causing” energy and intention) To This Relentless Round Of Natural and Futile Changes. . . Intrinsically egoless Self-Realization Of Me Is Possible Only When a living being (or body-mind-“self”) Has Whole bodily Ceased To React To The Always Changing Imposition Of Cosmic Nature. . . Those who Perfectly “Know” Me Tacitly Understand That whatever Is Not Always Already (or Eternally) Self-Existing and Self-Radiant Only Changes. . . Those who Perfectly “Know” Me Acknowledge (Tacitly, and With every Whole bodily act) That What Is Always Already The (One and Only) Case Never Changes. Such True Devotees Of Mine (who Perfectly “Know” Me) Perfectly Realize That The Entire Cosmic Realm Of Change—and Even the To-Me-Surrendered Whole body (itself)—Is Entirely Pervaded By Me (Always Self-Revealed As That Which Is Always Already The Case).

For more about Adi Da’s principle that what is not used becomes obsolete, read His Essay, “Right Principle and Right Self-Management: The Secrets of How To Change”, in The Aletheon.

Tags: Czech   DVD  

[Contains Czech subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

Longtime devotee, James Steinberg, offers this testimonial to the life and work of Adi Da Samraj.

Excerpt from First Evening: Track 4 on the DVD, A Tribute to the Life and Work of His Divine Presence, Adi Da Samraj. More than 7 hours long, this Tribute DVD was filmed on the occasion of the first Anniversary of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi, when devotees, family, and friends of Adi Da Samraj gathered at Adi Da Samrajashram, Fiji (Adi Da's principal Hermitage), to acknowledge Adi Da as the Divine in human form, to praise His Greatness, and to express their heart-felt gratitude for the Blessings they have received from Him.

Tags: James Steinberg   Tribute   Mahasamadhi   DVD   Czech  

[Contains Italian subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

An overview of Adi Da's life and work by Ruchiradama Nadikanta, a long-time devotee. She is a member of the Ruchira Sannyasin Order, the order of fully renunciate practitioners in Adidam.

Tags: Italian  

[Contains Finnish subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]

Vuonna 2009, vuosi Adi Dan poismenon jälkeen, monet omistautujat matkustivat Adi Dan Erakkola-Pyhättöön, joka on Naitauban saarella Fidzissä, osallistumaan kahden päivän muistotilaisuuteen. Megan Anderson, joka kasvoi Adidamin yhteisössä, kertoo ajasta jolloin Adi Da kannusti häntä palvelemaan omistautumalla Hänen Sanansa toimitukseen.

Devotee Megan Anderson, who grew up in the Company of Adi Da, offers this testimonial to His life and work. She also describes how she was encouraged by Adi Da to take up her service to Him as one of the key editors of His Word, and how He personally guided her growth into human maturity.

Tags: Finnish