Transhumanism is a movement whose goal is to fundamentally transform the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities and overcome present liabilities, including brief lifespan and limits on intelligence (e.g., through integration with artificial intelligence aids or networks).
What transhumanism and religion share is the question: what is the greatest potential (or destiny) for human beings, and how can it be realized (technologically, spiritually, etc.)?
"Heaven" is a popular subject these days - The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Heaven is for Real, and Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife are all huge, recent bestsellers. Because "heaven" is used in many familiar religions to signify the ultimate human destiny, Mike uses it as his jumping off point for this talk (which introduces the Buddhist view and the Adidam view). He distinguishes different kinds of "heavens", introducing Adi Da's "seven stages of life" framework, the Cosmic Mandala (as a "map" that helps answer the talk's title question), and other esoteric concepts helpful in understanding our ultimate potential. He draws on stories about visiting other realms, from devotees Anne Rogers and Connie Mantas and from Adi Da Himself.
[For a related exploration of these themes of human potential, technology, and spirituality, read our article, We Are Consciousness Itself.]
poster: SanctuaryKitchen speaker: Douglas Short length: 07:55 date added: January 26, 2011 event date: January 26, 2011 language: English
While Adi Da recommends a maximally raw diet [see Adi Da's Green Gorilla], the Sanctuary Kitchen occasionally makes a cooked dish drawn from the broader vegetarian cuisine. In this video, Douglas Short, the head chef at First People (The Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary kitchen), instructs us on how to make red lentil dal soup. (You can see the finished result in Part 8.)
poster: SanctuaryKitchen speaker: Douglas Short length: 08:01 date added: January 27, 2011 event date: January 27, 2011 language: English
In keeping with Adi Da's recommendation that devotees eat a maximally raw diet [see Adi Da's Green Gorilla], Douglas Short, the head chef at First People (The Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary kitchen), instructs us on how to make a less oily salad dressing. Ingredients: cucumbers, carrots, red bell peppers, avocadoes, apple cider vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, coriander. Interesting tip about adding olive oil while the blender is running.
[The clip actually starts with Douglas showing us the red lentil dal soup that was the subject of part 7.]
Transcendental TV poster: madjym length: 01:54 date added: June 5, 2010 event date: August 2009 language: English views: 2842; views this month: 17; views this week: 10
Separative vs. transcendental existence. Performed for the 2009 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Featuring the Irish Company, Fidget Feet, with Jym Daly, Chantal McCormick, Jenny, Lee, Steve, and the voice and wisdom of Adi Da Samraj.
[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.]
W tym wykładzie z 10 października 2004 r. Adi Da Samraj wyjaśnia, w jaki sposób wszystkie istoty i rzeczy, o których z przyzwyczajenia zakładamy, że są niezależnymi i oddzielnymi bytami, są w rzeczywistości tylko przejawem modyfikacji powstających w jednej, uniwersalnej Świadomości i są modyfikacjami jednej, niepodzielnej Boskiej Rzeczywistość. Avatar Adi Da zauważa, że nawet nasz proces myślenia jest przejawem tego procesu. Mówi, że same myśli są tylko działaniem powstającym w Świadomości, i gdybyśmy naprawdę zbadali tę aktywność, zauważylibyśmy, że NIE generujemy procesu myślenia.
This video excerpt, "Ty nie myślisz" ("You Do Not Think") is from an Avataric Discourse given by Avatar Adi Da on October 10, 2004, on Adi Da Samrajashram.
[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.]
W tym fragmencie dyskursu z września 2004 r. Awatar Adi Da odnosi się do faktu, że ludzie cenią dobre doświadczenia i unikają złych. Adi Da ujawnia - co zaskakuje wielu - że każde doświadczenie jest z natury wiążące. Pozytywne lub negatywne - nie robi żadnej różnicy! Idąc dalej, podaje również konkretne opisy tego, co musi zostać odkryte w obu przypadkach: • Pozytywne: "Musisz rozpoznać twoje cierpienie nawet w pozornej przyjemności." • Negatywne: "Musisz znaleźć twoją wolność, nawet w bólu i widocznym cierpieniu."
In "Pułapka doświadczenia" ("The Trap of Experience"), a video excerpt from an Avataric Discourse given on September 1, 2004, Adi Da addresses the fact that people tend to value good experiences and shun the bad ones. Adi Da reveals that all experience — positive or negative — is inherently binding (which may come as a surprise to many).
[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.]
W tym humorystycznym i głęboko wnikliwym dyskursie Adi Da rozważa różnicę między samoświadomością a egotyzmem, odnosząc się zarówno do ludzi, jak i do nie-ludzi (w tym psów, mrówek i drzew).
"Czy mrówka to też ego?" ("Is an ant an ego?") is a video excerpt from a humorous and profoundly insightful Avataric Discourse (given by Adi Da on October 20, 2004 at Adi Da Samrajashram), Adi Da considers the difference between self-consciousness and egoity, referring to both humans and non-humans (including dogs, ants, and trees).
ADI DA: Na ogół egotyzm przypisujesz ludziom, ale zastanawiasz się nad wszystkim innym.
Na przykład, jak to jest nie tylko z czymś tak biernym jak dywan, czy choćby czymś co stoi i wydaje się, że nie ma zdolności szybkiego reagowania, jak drzewo.
Ale na przykład pies? Czy kiedy patrzysz na psa myślisz, że to ego równie szybko, jak o ludziach myślisz że są ego? I dlaczego wyznaczasz granicę? Kiedy przestajesz myśleć o żyjących istotach jako ego? Czy po prostu zakładasz, że wszystko co jest większe od świerszcza to ego? Albo, że wszystko co się rusza z perspektywy twoich doświadczeń, albo tego, co uważasz za naturalne założenie?
Jak daleko sięga sprawa egotyzmu w twoim przekonaniu?
Tak. „Ego” jest greckim słowem i oznacz "ja". Rozważam to z tobą i mówię o tym w znaczeniu samoograniczenia, a więc jest to rozszerzenie jego znaczenia. Ale słowo to znaczy po prostu "ja", co oznacza samo odniesienie, tak zwany zaimek zwrotny, autoreferencyjny. A zatem, czy mrówka jest do tego zdolna?
Widzisz, że się bronią i szamoczą z innymi. Nie mogłyby tego robić bez pewnego rodzaju samoświadomości.
A zatem zakładasz, że nawet coś takiego jak mrówka jest ego, świadoma siebie. Czy to coś musi się przemieszczać ze swojego miejsca? Czy musi być zdolne do pójścia na spacer, tak jak mrówka czy człowiek, czy może to być drzewo?
Czy drzewo jest siebie świadome? Już z racji definicji samoświadomość jest rodzajem egotyzmu A jak to jest z drzewami? Widoczna jest u nich pewnego rodzaju samo-świadomość. W tym sensie też są ego. Ale czy są egotyczne?
Czy funkcjonują egotycznie? Drzewa, ogólnie mówiąc, tak się nie zachowują.
Posiadają samo-świadomość jako organizmy, ale wydaje się, że nie są szczególnie zaniepokojone tym, że są drzewami. Charakteryzuje je raczej pewnego rodzaju kontemplacja, w której nie odczuwają niepokoju. To samo można czasem zauważyć obserwując różne istoty poza ludźmi. Jeżeli zaobserwujesz nie-ludzi, praktycznie u wszystkich widoczne są oznaki lokowania się w zacisznym miejscu by oddać się kontemplacjom, które przypominają rodzaj samadhi albo stany medytacji.
Jak myślisz dlaczego ludzie są niezrównoważeni? Dlaczego ludzki egotyz jest tym czy jest? Jeżeli zaobserwujesz jak się objawia u nie-ludzi, sugeruje to, że ludzie są takimi jakimi są, bo czują się zamknięci. I nie tylko zamknięcia za ścianami i kratami. Niektórzy są za kratami i stają się bardzo niespokojni, chodzą tam i z powrotem stają się katatoniczni.
Zniewolenie jest twoim własnym aktem, podyktowanym również przez uwarunkowania.
Warunki mogą wzmocnić, a nawet, usprawiedliwić samo-ograniczenie. Ale ciągle tym powodem z którego cierpisz jest samo-ograniczenie.
Nie mniej jednak, jest coś co można zauważyć u ludzi o pewnej dojrzałości duchowej.
Następuje u nich rozluźnienie tendencji do samo-ograniczenia. Nie żyją oni w poczuciu zniewolenia tak dalece jak to robi przeciętny człowiek. A zatem ludzie są dosłownie zniewoleni, samo-zniewoleni,i żyją, odczuwając w różnym stopniu, ograniczenia warunkami życia. I w efekcie ludzie czują, że egzystencja w ciele fizycznym jest ograniczeniem. Bo niezależnie od tego jak zdrowo teraz się czujesz, wiesz że umrzesz, i potencjalnie może cię spotkać wiele przykrości.
Zdajesz sobie sprawę, że to nieuniknione i wcześniej czy później, doświadczysz oczywistych trudności których wolałabyś uniknąć łącznie z chorobą i śmiercią. Wszystko co żyje życiem fizycznym umrze. Różnica polega na tym, czy doprowadza cię to do szału, prawia, że poszukujesz, albo czy jesteś spokojna, bo nie utraciłaś kontaktu z Tym co transcenduje taką możliwość?
ADI DA: [Laughs] You generally attribute egoity to human beings, but you wonder about everything else. For instance, what about not something relatively inert like a rug or even just standing there and not seeming to be particularly responsive, like a tree. But what about a dog? Is a dog, do you think dogs are egos when you see them, just as readily as you think of human beings as egos? But, why do you draw the line? I mean how far does it go? Where do you stop thinking of living entities, at least, as egos? Do you just presume everything bigger than a cricket is an ego? Or is everything that moves in your, from your perspective experientially or in your natural presumptions, how far do, does the fact of egoity extend in your presumption.
Well, is an ant an ego in your presumption?
The word “ego” is actually a Greek word which means “I”. I consider it with you and talk about it in terms of self-contraction and so forth, but, so that’s the elaboration on its meaning, but the word simply means “I” which means the reference, self-reference, the reflexive, reflexive pronoun as it’s called of self-reference. So, does an ant feel self-referential?
You observe them protecting themselves and struggling with others. Couldn’t do so without some kind of self-consciousness, could it? So, you naturally presume that even something like an ant is, is a self, an ego, self-aware. Does something have to move from its spatial location? Does it have to be able to take a walk or, such as an ant or a human being, or can a tree? Does a tree have self-consciousness, exhibit self-consciousness. . .
What about trees? They are entities with apparent self-consciousness of a kind. They are in that sense, egos. But are they egoic? Are they functioning egoically? Are they feeling that they are in bondage and moved to seek as human beings are and as you feel in your own case, you see? Trees don’t seem to behave, generally speaking, in quite that way. They are self-conscious as organisms, but they don’t seem to be particularly disturbed about being trees. They seem more characterized by some kind of contemplation in which they don’t feel disturbed.
But if you observe non-humans, virtually all of them show signs of setting themselves apart and entering into a contemplative state that resembles some kind of a samadhi or meditative condition.
Why do you think human beings are disturbed? You see, why is human egoity what it is? If you observe how it appears in evidence in non-humans, suggests that human beings are the way they are because they’re confined, and not just confined by walls and bars. Some people are, and they get very disturbed there, and walk back and forth or get catatonic.
Your bondage is your own activity, and it also extends from conditions. Conditions can reinforce or seem to justify self-contraction. But still what you’re suffering is self-contraction itself.
So, human beings are actually confined, and they are self-confined, and otherwise, also, living in various modes and degrees of confinement by conditions of life and in fact, human beings feel confined by bodily existence, because however healthy you may be at the moment, you know you’re going to die, and are potentially, potentially, you could suffer any number of great happenings. And you anticipate that inevitably, you will, sooner or later, experience some fundamental difficulties that you would prefer not to have to endure, including disease and death.
Well, everything that’s physically living is going to die. The trouble, the difference is does it drive you crazy, make you seek, or are you at ease, because you haven’t lost touch with what transcends that possibility?
[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.]
"Quello che Accade Dopo la Morte E' Determinato dal Come Si E' Vissuti" ("What Happens After Death Is Determined By the Way You Live") is published as "After Death, Mind Makes You", in the book, Easy Death. It is from a talk given by Adi Da on December 12, 1988 at Adi Da Samrajashram.
In this sobering discourse, Adi Da speaks of the condition after death in which mind determines one's circumstance, without the limitations of the body, brain and unconsciousness. He addresses the fact that where one's attention is fixed during life affects attention and destiny after life. He recommends that devotees direct their attention to sadhana so that the purification process gives one wisdom that frees one from karmic limitations.
In this 1982 talk (available on the CD, The Cosmic Mandala), Adi Da speaks about what is required — in the death process, and in life — in order to transcend the mechanism of attention and Realize the Divine Self-Condition.
In this talk excerpt, Adi Da tells us that, to Realize permanent Happiness, we can make use of the natural motivation toward release from un-happiness.
In the death process, He recommends engaging the discipline of relaxation and release of the hold on body, mind, and all states of attention, thereby surrendering and transcending fear.
poster: CDBaby length: 09:20 date added: October 31, 2015 event date: July 11, 1982 language: English
"The Cosmic Mandala" is a talk from 1982 in which Adi Da describes the Cosmic Mandala and how it is experienced and "seen" in the death process.
This excerpt from the talk is track 4 of the CD, The Cosmic Mandala, which is available through The Dawn Horse Press.
The transcript of this talk appears in Adi Da’s book, Easy Death.
Adi Da's Instruction is a means to understand the phenomena in the death process and to, by His Grace, transcend the mechanism of attention by which we remain bound to the limitation of experience.
Note: This video may not be available in every country.
poster: CDBaby length: 10:40 date added: May 7, 2023 event date: July 11, 1982 language: English
"The Cosmic Mandala" is a talk from 1982 in which Adi Da describes the Cosmic Mandala and how it is experienced and "seen" in the death process.
This excerpt from the talk is track 1 of the CD, The Cosmic Mandala, which is available through The Dawn Horse Press.
The transcript of this talk appears in Adi Da’s book, Easy Death.
Adi Da's Instruction is a means to understand the phenomena in the death process and to, by His Grace, transcend the mechanism of attention by which we remain bound to the limitation of experience.
Note: This video may not be available in every country.
poster: CDBaby length: 09:46 date added: May 7, 2023 event date: July 11, 1982 language: English
"The Cosmic Mandala" is a talk from 1982 in which Adi Da describes the Cosmic Mandala and how it is experienced and "seen" in the death process.
This excerpt from the talk is track 4 of the CD, The Cosmic Mandala, which is available through The Dawn Horse Press.
The transcript of this talk appears in Adi Da’s book, Easy Death.
Adi Da's Instruction is a means to understand the phenomena in the death process and to, by His Grace, transcend the mechanism of attention by which we remain bound to the limitation of experience.
Note: This video may not be available in every country.
poster: CDBaby length: 10:07 date added: May 7, 2023 event date: July 11, 1982 language: English
"The Cosmic Mandala" is a talk from 1982 in which Adi Da describes the Cosmic Mandala and how it is experienced and "seen" in the death process.
This excerpt from the talk is track 4 of the CD, The Cosmic Mandala, which is available through The Dawn Horse Press.
The transcript of this talk appears in Adi Da’s book, Easy Death.
Adi Da's Instruction is a means to understand the phenomena in the death process and to, by His Grace, transcend the mechanism of attention by which we remain bound to the limitation of experience.
Note: This video may not be available in every country.
poster: CDBaby length: 06:25 date added: May 7, 2023 event date: July 11, 1982 language: English
"The Cosmic Mandala" is a talk from 1982 in which Adi Da describes the Cosmic Mandala and how it is experienced and "seen" in the death process.
This excerpt from the talk is track 4 of the CD, The Cosmic Mandala, which is available through The Dawn Horse Press.
The transcript of this talk appears in Adi Da’s book, Easy Death.
Adi Da's Instruction is a means to understand the phenomena in the death process and to, by His Grace, transcend the mechanism of attention by which we remain bound to the limitation of experience.
Note: This video may not be available in every country.
poster: CDBaby length: 05:56 date added: May 7, 2023 event date: July 11, 1982 language: English
"The Cosmic Mandala" is a talk from 1982 in which Adi Da describes the Cosmic Mandala and how it is experienced and "seen" in the death process.
This excerpt from the talk is track 4 of the CD, The Cosmic Mandala, which is available through The Dawn Horse Press.
The transcript of this talk appears in Adi Da’s book, Easy Death.
Adi Da's Instruction is a means to understand the phenomena in the death process and to, by His Grace, transcend the mechanism of attention by which we remain bound to the limitation of experience.
Note: This video may not be available in every country.
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are all huge, recent bestsellers. Because "heaven" is used in many familiar religions to signify the ultimate human destiny, Mike uses it as his jumping off point for this talk (which introduces the Buddhist view and the Adidam view). He distinguishes different kinds of "heavens", introducing Adi Da's "
