poster: CDBaby length: 12:21 date added: February 17, 2016 event date: January 18, 1976 language: English views: 6479; views this month: 80; views this week: 28
An excerpt from the talk, "The Grace of Suffering", given by Adi Da on January 18, 1976.
This excerpt is track 1 of the CD, The Impulse to God-Realization, a collection of talks focusing on Adi Da's clarifying Wisdom on the Impulse to Realize God that is inherent in all beings, and His Divine Offering and Instruction on the Ultimate Means to cultivate this heart-Impulse, thereby allowing it to become the guiding force of one's entire life.
This selection of Talks by Avatar Adi Da Samraj focuses on His clarifying Wisdom on the Impulse (inherent in all beings) to Realize God, and His Divine Offering and Instruction on the Ultimate Means to cultivate this heart-Impulse, thereby allowing it be the guiding force of one's entire life. As Avatar Adi Da points out, the real Spiritual Process cannot be truly initiated until and unless one’s Impulse to God-Realization becomes the governing principle of one's life.
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"The Grace of Suffering" is a beautiful talk by Adi Da. But it IS very compressed, making quite a few points in a short space, and depending to a significant degree on a familiarity with Adi Da's spiritual teaching. Here are some notes that may help.
Throughout the talk, the technical term, "sadhana" (spiritual practice), is used.
Genuine spiritual practice is not about belief systems, mere rituals, or a little "peace of mind", but rather about actually locating the Divine, through the tangible Transmission of the Spiritual Master.
After a recent illness, a devotee mentions to Adi Da that he notices how the physical suffering of illness was distracting enough that he was not "able" to find Adi Da's Transmission when he is ill.
Adi Da acknowledges this, and responds with three more general points.
1. The illness didn't "make" the devotee lose the thread of practice; rather, he allowed himself to be distracted from God by the illness. When the devotee gets this, and sees how he himself is "doing" the turning away, he'll be able to "do better next time" by not turning away even when ill.
2. Until Divine Enlightenment — in other words, until there is no limit on one's spiritual practice — sadhana (spiritual practice) is always only reflecting back to devotees the remaining limits in their practice: where they are still turning away from the Divine, where they still need to become responsible for not turning away.
In the beginning, the "turning away" is very "crude": even mere physical suffering is enough to distract one from God. (If we find ourselves saying, "what do you mean, MERE physical suffering?" that definitely identifies us as spiritual beginners! :-) ) But as one grows in practice, and ceases to turn away in such a crude manner (as one becomes a "saint", "yogi", "sage", etc.), one discovers that one is still turning from the Divine at an even subtler level of the being (in the mind, the psyche, etc.)
It is only when that "turning away" has been inspected, understood, and transcended in every dimension of the being that Divine Realization occurs.
In this sense, for the genuine spiritual practitioner, physical suffering — along with every other circumstance that reveals to us our turning away from the Divine — is truly a Grace, enabling us to grow in our practice.
3. Where we are turning away is a reflection of what we are identifying with: the body, the mind, the soul, etc. (For example, if physical illness is enough to distract us from God, then the physical body is what we currently are identified with.) God-Realization only occurs when all "identities" less than God are understood and transcended.
In this sense, "there are no winners in God" — the Way is not about seeking, accomplishment, or winning, but rather about surrender to God, sacrifice of self, and ego-death. There's no "one" left to "win"! But the One Who Remains is perfectly, eternally happy.
poster: AdiDaVideos length: 04:52 date added: March 26, 2017 event date: January 18, 1976 language: English views: 5234; views this month: 67; views this week: 26
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.
This is a beautiful talk by Adi Da. But it IS very compressed, making quite a few points in a short space, and depending to a significant degree on a familiarity with Adi Da's spiritual teaching. Here are some notes that may help.
Throughout the talk, the technical term, "sadhana" (spiritual practice), is used.
Genuine spiritual practice is not about belief systems, mere rituals, or a little "peace of mind", but rather about actually locating the Divine, through the tangible Transmission of the Spiritual Master.
After a recent illness, a devotee mentions to Adi Da that he notices how the physical suffering of illness was distracting enough that he was not "able" to find Adi Da's Transmission when he is ill.
Adi Da acknowledges this, and responds with three more general points.
1. The illness didn't "make" the devotee lose the thread of practice; rather, he allowed himself to be distracted from God by the illness. When the devotee gets this, and sees how he himself is "doing" the turning away, he'll be able to "do better next time" by not turning away even when ill.
2. Until Divine Enlightenment — in other words, until there is no limit on one's spiritual practice — sadhana (spiritual practice) is always only reflecting back to devotees the remaining limits in their practice: where they are still turning away from the Divine, where they still need to become responsible for not turning away.
In the beginning, the "turning away" is very "crude": even mere physical suffering is enough to distract one from God. (If we find ourselves saying, "what do you mean, MERE physical suffering?" that definitely identifies us as spiritual beginners! :-) ) But as one grows in practice, and ceases to turn away in such a crude manner (as one becomes a "saint", "yogi", "sage", etc.), one discovers that one is still turning from the Divine at an even subtler level of the being (in the mind, the psyche, etc.)
It is only when that "turning away" has been inspected, understood, and transcended in every dimension of the being that Divine Realization occurs.
In this sense, for the genuine spiritual practitioner, physical suffering — along with every other circumstance that reveals to us our turning away from the Divine — is truly a Grace, enabling us to grow in our practice.
3. Where we are turning away is a reflection of what we are identifying with: the body, the mind, the soul, etc. (For example, if physical illness is enough to distract us from God, then the physical body is what we currently are identified with.) God-Realization only occurs when all "identities" less than God are understood and transcended.
In this sense, "there are no winners in God" — the Way is not about seeking, accomplishment, or winning, but rather about surrender to God, sacrifice of self, and ego-death. There's no "one" left to "win"! But the One Who Remains is perfectly, eternally happy.
The Grace of Turning to Me poster: AdiDaUpClose length: 05:03 date added: December 13, 2014 event date: 2004 language: English listens: 4076; listens this month: 44; listens this week: 20
In this excerpt from the double CD, The Grace of Turning to Me, Adi Da describes how "turning to Him" — the moment-to-moment turning of the faculties of the body-mind to Him — must be based on the Graceful recognition of Him as the Divine and response to Him based on that recognition.
On this double CD, Adi Da uses every Compassionate Means in His Manner — sometimes Humorous, sometimes Fiery — to Call His devotees, again and again, to be sensitive to the Grace-Given and spontaneous heart-Attraction to Him, and thereby turn to Him, the Divine in human Form — rather than to the endless content of the body-mind, which only reinforces egoic bondage and the illusion of separateness. In this way, Avatar Adi Da Masterfully Reveals the secret of True Liberation in His Avataric Divine Company.
The talks on this double CD were drawn from Avataric Discourses that took place in 2004.
poster: Wisdom Tools for Humanity length: 02:47 date added: April 15, 2017 language: English views: 3936; views this month: 64; views this week: 24
Adi Da recites "The Heart of Understanding", the Prologue to His autobiography, The Knee Of Listening. "The Heart of Understanding" also is the Prologue to His book, Easy Death.
The recitation is accompanied by photos of Adi Da.
"The Heart of Understanding" is extraordinarily good news: death itself can be transcended! The death of the body-mind is not a problem, and is utterly acceptable, if one realizes and stands as Consciousness Itself, in which all mortal forms and limited worlds are arising.
In the final words of "The Heart of Understanding", Adi Da reveals that He is That: Consciousness Itself. Because this is so, He transmits that Revelation to all beings, and provides (and is) the means whereby all of us finally can be free of mortality and the mortal vision.
This excerpt is track 1 of the CD, Death and the Purpose of Existence, a collection of talks and recitations that exemplify Avatar Adi Da’s essential Wisdom-Teaching on death and dying.
The Law of Love-Bliss poster: DawnHorsePress length: 06:42 date added: November 7, 2010 language: English listens: 3735; listens this month: 27; listens this week: 12
Avatar Adi Da’s first Talk in this set examines the difference between the peripheral reactions of the seeking body-mind and the core understanding of the motivating sensation of the self-contraction itself.
The second Talk is an exposition of the fundamental principle of non-seeking in the Way of Adidam and the “darkness” of the materialistic point of view.
The Mummery Book poster: firstroom length: 02:44 date added: February 5, 2009 language: English views: 6453; views this month: 64; views this week: 15
The true enactment of The Mummery Book by Adi Da Samraj takes place in an extraordinary theater. That extraordinary theater is the theater of our own mind — not just the thinking mind, but mind in its coincidence with all of reality, internal and external.
Kenneth Welsh: "Just as I find fresh knowledge with each re-reading of Shakespeare's plays, no matter which work, each time I return to The Mummery Book and its masterful boldness, the way its words startle and surprise and cry out from the heart of its Creator, I feel blessed by its beauty and I am moved by the truth that pulses through its every image."
The Pattern Becomes Obsolete poster: AdiDaVideos length: 08:22 date added: January 4, 2019 event date: July 29, 1973 language: English views: 2053; views this month: 59; views this week: 19
Video excerpt from an early discourse by Adi Da Samraj on July 29, 1973.
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).
Adi Da answers a devotee's question about forms of mind and emotion that arise in meditation. He speaks of this as the ordeal of sadhana that must be undertaken and persisted in in His Company in order to Realize Him.
poster: AdiDaVideos length: 12:38 date added: April 5, 2020 event date: October 28, 1978 language: English views: 1315; views this month: 33; views this week: 13
In this excerpt, Adi Da addresses the fact that although the struggle and distractions in the early stages of spiritual practice are great, there is also great help in the relationship with the Spiritual Master. Attention to all of the ups and downs of the body-mind can be transcended and surrendered through that relationship.
In this talk, given at The Mountain Of Attention on July 3, 1988, Avatar Adi Da Samraj discourses on His Spiritual Transmission, which He describes as transcending space-time and occurring in the "True Realm of Reality". He Reveals the mystery of how it is "very easy" for Him to Spiritually Bless the entirety of the cosmos with His Transmission.
ADI DA: "If you walked into a room, and there were a light shining in the ceiling, it would be shining in all directions. You would see the light at one point, depending on your position in the room, and say 'It's shining on me', as if in some sense the lightbulb noticed you! But in fact the lightbulb is radiating in all directions indifferently. You are in a position to notice it.
Of course you had to come into the room to notice it. If you didn't come into the room, if you stood outside the room, in other words, if you stood apart from this Transmission, from My Company, through some barrier or other, of your own obstruction in mind and emotion and so on, then you wouldn't come in contact with Me, you wouldn't be able to receive this Transmission."
poster: TheBeezone speakers: Ed Reither, Frank Marrero length: 14:31 date added: February 27, 2011 language: English views: 4886; views this month: 33; views this week: 11
Beezone editor and teacher Ed Reither interviews devotee and teacher Frank Marrero about the third stage of life, developing during the ages of 14 and 21, as taught by Adi Da Samraj.
The third stage is life is the ongoing maturity from adolescence to adulthood or full maturity with the development of conceptual abstract mind and the psychic dimension of existence. There is also discussion of the frontal personality of the psycho physical being.
This video is part of a more comprehensive video webinar on the seven stages of life. An introduction and index to all the videos in the webinar can be found here.
An overall description of the seven stages of life as presented in this webinar can be found here.
poster: TheBeezone speakers: Ed Reither, Frank Marrero length: 24:15 date added: February 27, 2011 language: English views: 4614; views this month: 37; views this week: 16
Beezone editor and teacher Ed Reither interviews devotee and teacher Frank Marrero about the third stage of life, developing during the ages of 14 and 21, as taught by Adi Da Samraj.
The third stage is life is the ongoing maturity from adolescence to adulthood or full maturity with the development of conceptual abstract mind and the psychic dimension of existence. There is discussion of the integration of this stage and the need to discipline the independent being.
This video is part of a more comprehensive video webinar on the seven stages of life. An introduction and index to all the videos in the webinar can be found here.
An overall description of the seven stages of life as presented in this webinar can be found here.
poster: TheBeezone speakers: James Steinberg, Ed Reither length: 14:32 date added: February 13, 2011 language: English views: 5606; views this month: 41; views this week: 20
Ed Reither of The Beezone interviews longtime devotee James Steinberg about Adi Da Samraj's development of His Teaching about the Great Tradition in which He clarifies and makes sense of all humankind's exploration of religion, spirituality and truth. James talks about Adi Da's description of the esoteric anatomy of the body-mind and the process that a person has to go through to realize the truth.
poster: AdiDaVideos length: 13:50 date added: February 28, 2020 event date: October 28, 1978 language: English views: 1148; views this month: 38; views this week: 15
In this excerpt, Adi Da Samraj considers the spiritual transformation of a human being, and states of the body-mind. The real spiritual process is not based on effort or having more (or greater) experiences, even in the mystical dimension. In the true spiritual process, experience, in all its forms (first physical and then mystical), must be transcended through our heart-based practice of God-Communion.
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