 Special
Events > Featured Introductory
Events - October, 2018 (and later)
Featured Introductory Events
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Deeper than sleep, wider than dreaming, more intense and
all connected than waking. Become a participant in the Real
world of Always Already existing Reality instead of the
petty world of human mummery.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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Upcoming, featured introductory events (at locations around
the world) on the Life, Teaching, and Living Spiritual Presence
of Avatar Adi Da Samraj (1939-2008). Includes: online web events,
screenings of the new, award-winning "Conscious Light"
film, free two-day "Where Is Happiness?" retreats,
Celebration events, "Wisdom Tools" Series events,
"Reality, Truth, and Conscious Light" events, monthly
video series events, and more.
Learn about Avatar Adi Da's core teaching on the true nature
of reality, the illusion of the separate self, and the nature
of human suffering. Experience His transformative Spiritual
Presence through His Teaching and Sacred Sightings (or Darshan),
hear stories and testimonials from His long-time devotees, and
see never-published video discourses of Him speaking.
This presentation has the following sections:
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- Upcoming Web Events
- Upcoming Regional Events
- More About. . .
- More About the "Reality, Truth, and
Conscious Light" Events
- More About the "Conscious
Light" Film Screenings
- More about the "Where Is
Happiness?" Free Weekend Retreats
- More About the "Wisdom Tools"
Series
- More About Other Featured Introductory
Events Around the World
1. Listings of Upcoming Featured Events by
Region or Venue
| 1.1.
UPCOMING WEB EVENTS |
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"Are Spiritual Teachers Obsolete?"
An online webinar presented by longtime devotee James Steinberg,
on Tuesday, October 16:
- 7:30pm-9:00pm PST (California)
- 10:30pm-12:00am EST (New York)
- 3:30am-5:00am UTC (London), Wednesday, October 17
To participate, click
here. The first time you click this link enables you to
download and install the Zoom Video Player on your computer
to watch this webinar. Then at the time of the webinar, click
on the link again; a window will pop up — press "Open
link" to start the webinar interface.
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The primary force and "root" of all the esoteric traditions
of humankind are the Adept-Realizers, those who actually
Realize the Spiritual and Transcendental Nature of Reality.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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All the world's great spiritual traditions and their secret
teachings are now available for anyone to study — from books,
on websites and podcasts, in seminars and weekend workshops,
online and face to face.
So, why have all the world's spiritual traditions emphasized
the relationship with a teacher as necessary for serious spiritual
practice? Can’t any intelligent and self-reflective individual
just study the wisdom and instructions the great teachers
have left behind and get on with real practice on their own?
Are we missing something about the traditional relationship
with a teacher that has been so highly valued?
 This
presentation by James Steinberg, life-long student of Avatar
Adi Da Samraj and of the world’s spiritual traditions, will
discuss the time-honored relationship with a spiritual realizer
and what it can do for you that you can't do for yourself.
James will discuss:
- What the “do it yourself” approach doesn’t understand
about spiritual life.
- Why all spiritual traditions value the relationship with
a spiritual realizer.
- How to choose and benefit from a teacher.
The presentation includes discourse segments by Avatar Adi
Da Samraj on the importance of the traditional relationship
between teachers and their students.
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Truth For Real Video Series: "You
Are the Question You Ask", sponsored by Adidam Los Angeles.
Saturday, October 20:
- 5:00pm -6:30pm PST (California)
- 8:00pm - 9:30pm EST (New York)
- 1:00am - 2:30am UTC (London), Sunday, October 21
Meetup
event page
Truth For Real Video Series: "You Are the Question
You Ask", sponsored by Adidam Los Angeles. Saturday,
November 10:
- 5:00pm -6:30pm PST (California)
- 8:00pm - 9:30pm EST (New York)
- 1:00am - 2:30am UTC (London), Sunday, November 11
Meetup
event page
Truth For Real Video Series: "You Are the Question
You Ask", sponsored by Adidam Los Angeles. Saturday,
November 24:
- 5:00pm -6:30pm PST (California)
- 8:00pm - 9:30pm EST (New York)
- 1:00am - 2:30am UTC (London), Sunday, November 25
Meetup
event page
More online sessions in the "Truth For Real" Video
Series are held every second Saturday, and will cover the
following topics:
- The Secret of Experience
- Human History is One Great Tradition
- Adidam Is the Seventh Stage Way
- The Divine Is Not the Cause
- Cracking the Code of Experience
- The Illusion of Familiarity
- The Quest for the Historical Self
- Beyond Sex, Science, and the "self"
- Relinquish the Mummery of This World
- The Self-Knot of Fear
- Beyond the Trap of Experience
- The Wordless Condition Prior to "I"
- Locate What is Real
- The Ego's Logic of Cause-and-Effect
- There are No Historical Selves
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| 1.2.
UPCOMING REGIONAL EVENTS |
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| Click on a location below for more time, place, and contact
information. |
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| United States |
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Berkeley,
California — Premiere screening of the new,
award-winning documentary film, "Conscious Light",
Saturday, December 15, 2018, 7:00 - 9:00 pm, David Brower
Center, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley, California. Click on the
image for more details.
Facebook
event page
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Healdsburg,
California — Premiere screening of the new,
award-winning documentary film, "Conscious Light",
Thursday, November 15, 2018, 7:15 - 9:00 pm, Raven Film Center,
415 Center St., Healdsburg, California. Click on the image
for more details.
Facebook
event page
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Los
Angeles, California — Premiere screening of
the new, award-winning documentary film, "Conscious Light",
Sunday, October 7, 2018, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, La Live Regal, 1000
W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, California. Click on the image
for more details.
Facebook
event page
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Los
Angeles, California — Premiere screening of
the new, award-winning documentary film, "Conscious Light",
Saturday, October 13, 2018, 6:00 - 8:30 pm, 2450 N Catalina
St. (private residence), Los Angeles, California. Click on
the image for more details.
Facebook
event page
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Middletown,
Califonia — "Where Is Happiness?"
Free Retreat, Saturday, November 17 - Sunday, November 18,
2018, The Man of Radical Understanding Retreat Center at the
Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary in the beautiful mountains
of Northern California.
Facebook
event page
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Sacramento,
California — Premiere screening of the new,
award-winning documentary film, "Conscious Light",
Thursday, November 8, 2018, 7:30 - 9:00 pm, Center for Spiritual
Awareness, 1275 Starboard Dr., West Sacramento, California.
Click on the image for more details.
Facebook
event page
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San
Rafael, California — Monday, October 1, 2018,
7:30pm - 9:00pm, 68 Paul Drive, San Rafael, California.
We will hear a devotee of Avatar Adi Da Samraj tell their
account of finding Divine Communion at the feet of the Master.
This sharing will be followed by a video discourse by Avatar
Adi Da and an informal discussion.
More times and dates for a similar event at the same location,
held the first Monday of each month:
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Sebastopol,
California — Premiere screening of the new,
award-winning documentary film, "Conscious Light",
Thursday, October 11, 2018, 7:15 pm, Rialto Cinema, 6868 McKinley
Street Sebastopol, California. Click on the image for more
details.
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Bethesda,
Maryland — Premiere screening of the new, award-winning
documentary film, "Conscious Light", Sunday, November
11, 2018, 4:30pm - 6:00pm, River Road Unitarian Universalist
Church, 6301 River Road, Bethesda, Maryland. Click on the
image for more details.
Facebook
event page
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Bethesda,
Maryland — Premiere screening of the new, award-winning
documentary film, "Conscious Light", Thursday, November
29, 2018, 7:30pm - 9:00pm, Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema, 7235
Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, Maryland. Click on the image for
more details.
Facebook
event page
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Greenfield, Massachusetts — Monthly Video Series:
"The Divine Is Not the Cause". Sunday, October 7,
2018, 7:00 pm. Featuring selected Avataric
Revelation Discourses. Call Scott at 413-330-8888 or
email onetruewater@hotmail.com.
More times and dates for a similar event at the same location
— first Sunday of each month:
- Sunday, November 4, 2018, 7:00 pm
- Sunday, December 2, 2018, 7:00 pm
- Sunday, January 6, 2019, 7:00 pm
- Sunday, February 3, 2019, 7:00 pm
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Natick,
Massachusetts — Premiere screening of the new,
award-winning documentary film, "Conscious Light",
Saturday, October 6, 2018, 6:00pm - 7:30pm, Common Street
Spiritual Center, 13 Common Street, Natick. Click on the image
for more details.
Facebook
event page
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Santa
Fe, New Mexico — Premiere screening of the new,
award-winning documentary film, "Conscious Light",
Saturday, October 27, 2018, 3:00pm - 5:00pm, Center for Contemporary
Arts, Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Click on the
image for more details.
Facebook
event page
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Cleveland,
Ohio — Premiere screening of the new, award-winning
documentary film, "Conscious Light", Sunday, November
11, 2018, 4:30pm - 6:30pm, Capitol Theatre / Gordon Square
Arts District, 1390 W 65th St., Cleveland, Ohio. Click on
the image for more details.
Facebook
event page
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Richmond,
Virginia — Premiere screening of the new, award-winning
documentary film, "Conscious Light", Thursday, November
8, 2018, 7:30pm - 9:30pm, Boatright Memorial Library / Media
Resources Center Adam's Auditorium, University of Richmond,
28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, Virginia. Click on the image
for more details.
Facebook
event page
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Seattle,
Washington — Premiere screening of the new,
award-winning documentary film, "Conscious Light",
Sunday, October 7, 2018, 7:00pm - 9:30pm, Wyckoff Auditorium,
Seattle University, 901 12th Avenue, Seattle, Washington.
Click on the image for more details.
Facebook
event page
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Seattle,
Washington — Premiere screening of the new,
award-winning documentary film, "Conscious Light",
Friday, November 2, 2018, 7:00pm - 9:30pm, Conference Room
7736, North Seattle Friends Church, 24th Ave. NE, Seattle,
Washington. Click on the image for more details.
Facebook
event page
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| Canada |
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Sutton,
Quebec — "Where Is Happiness?" Free
Retreat, Saturday, November 10 - Sunday, November 11, 2018,
Tournant du Coeur Retreat Center, Sutton, Quebec.
Facebook
event page
Upcoming "Where Is Happiness?" retreats
at the same venue:
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| United Kingdom |
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Brighton — "Heart Awakening". Sunday, October
21, 2:00-4:00pm, Brighton Jubilee Library, Jubilee St, Brighton.
Meetup
event page
"There is a State of Being that is completely, unequivocally,
permanently, infinitely Happy and Free — a State that cannot
be lost under any conditions, in this world or after death.
Such a State is not imaginary. It is the underlying Truth
of existence." — Avatar Adi Da Samraj. But what does this
really mean and how does it actually relate to our ordinary
lives? How could anyone be happy under all circumstances?
At this (free) introductory event we will explore the actual
mechanism of un-happiness, which results in our misguided
attempts to become happy, and prevents true happiness, freedom,
and love from being obvious and the "underlying Truth of existence".
The event will include video clips of Adi Da and time to chat.
There will also be refreshments and time to look at the book
table. If you would like to attend, just turn up on the day.
More times and dates for "Heart Awakening" at the
same location:
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Brighton
— Premiere screening of the new, award-winning documentary
film, "Conscious Light", Sunday, October 28, 2018,
2:00pm - 4:00pm, Jubilee Library, Jubilee Street, Brighton.
Click on the image for more details.
Facebook
event page
More times and dates for "Conscious Light"
screenings at the same location:
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Brighton
— Premiere screening of the new, award-winning documentary
film, "Conscious Light", Sunday, October 28, 2018,
2:00pm - 4:00pm, Jubilee Library, Jubilee Street, Brighton.
Click on the image for more details.
Facebook
event page
More times and dates for "Conscious Light"
screenings at the same location:
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Cambridge
— Premiere screening of the new, award-winning documentary
film, "Conscious Light", Saturday, October 20, 2018,
2:30pm - 4:00pm, Michaelhouse Café, Montefiore Room, St Michaels
Church, Trinity St., Cambridge. Click on the image for more
details.
Facebook
event page
More times and dates for "Conscious Light"
screenings at the same location:
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Oxford
— Premiere screening of the new, award-winning documentary
film, "Conscious Light", Saturday, October 27, 2018,
2:00pm - 4:00pm, Oxford Quaker Meeting House, 43 St. Giles,
Oxford. Click on the image for more details.
Facebook
event page
More times and dates for "Conscious Light"
screenings at the same location:
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Polegate,
East Sussex — "Where Is Happiness?"
Free Retreat, Saturday, October 6 - Sunday, October 7, 2018,
Wilbees Farmhouse, Wilbees Road, Arlington, Polegate, East
Sussex.
Facebook
event page
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| The Netherlands |
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Maria
Hoop — "Where Is Happiness?" Free
Weekend Retreat (retreat language: Dutch), Saturday, October
20 - Sunday, October 21, 2018, European Danda, Maria Hoop,
The Netherlands.
Facebook
event page
Upcoming "Where Is Happiness?" retreats
at the same venue:
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| Germany |
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Berlin-Charlottenburg
— "Conscious Light – The Divine Life and Revelation
of Avatar Adi Da Samraj", Dienstag, October 23, 2018, 7:30pm
- 8:30pm, Buchladen und Spirituelles Center, Pestalozzistr.
39, 10627 Berlin-Charlottenburg.
EventBrite
event page
More times and dates for "Conscious Light"
screenings at the same location:
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| Australia |
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Melbourne
— Premiere screening of the new, award-winning documentary
film, "Conscious Light", Saturday, October 20, 2018,
7:00 - 9:00 pm, Cameo Cinemas, 1628 Burwood Highway, Belgrave,
Victoria, Australia. Click on the image for more details.
Facebook
event page
Melbourne
— Premiere screening of the new, award-winning documentary
film, "Conscious Light", Sunday, October 28, 2018,
4:00 - 6:00 pm, Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon Street, Carlton, Victoria.
Click on the image for more details.
Facebook
event page
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| New Zealand |
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Auckland
— The Celebration of the Divine Human Birth of Avatar
Adi Da Samraj, Saturday November 3, 5:30 pm, the Adidam Centre
and Bookstore, 12 Seibel Road, Henderson Valley, Auckland.
An evening in honour of Avatar Adi Da’s Birth on November
3rd, 1939 (U.S.time). A contemplative evening including chanting
and video of Adi Da. The evening will finish with celebratory
cake.
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| India |
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Weekly
Satsang Phone Calls — Divine Stories: Conversations
with Devotees Speaking about Adi Da's Blessings in Their Lives.
Satsang calls every Sunday at 10am. Please register ahead
of time!
- October 7, October 14, October 21, October 28, November
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2.1.
More About the "Reality, Truth, and Conscious Light"
Events
"Reality, Truth, and Conscious Light"
is a 90-minute, introductory presentation on the Life, Teaching,
and Living Spiritual Presence of Avatar Adi Da Samraj.
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"Everything about this presentation was a delight! Beautifully
done. I had a delightful time. Let's do it again!"
Leonard M., an attendee at
"Reality, Truth, and Conscious Light"
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"About the evening: I can only say it was lovely warm,
welcoming. . . And Adi Da's presence in the film spoke for
itself, very beautifully."
another attendee at
"Reality, Truth, and Conscious Light"
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Watch a free recording — You can watch
a free recording of our introductory webinar which aired in
February, 2016. It includes stories by two devotees, Rachel Kuhn
and Ruy Carpenter, a 35 minute video, and Rachel and Ruy's answers
to questions asked by webinar participants about Avatar Adi Da and
the Reality-Way of Adidam. 2.2.
More About the "Conscious Light" Film Screenings
In every time and place, human beings have sought to grasp the
ultimate mysteries of life and death. From time to time, great spiritual
realizers have appeared in the world to reveal and transmit the
secrets of reality and truth to all. Avatar Adi Da Samraj (1939-2008)
is one of the rarest of such beings. His entire life was devoted
to the discovery, demonstration, and spiritual revelation of the
highest truth.
Conscious Light offers a penetrating glimpse into the remarkable
life and enlightened teachings of Avatar Adi Da and his work to
create an enduring legacy of potential spiritual realization for
everyone.
Drawing on an extensive archival collection of film, photography,
and audio recordings, as well as interviews with students who lived
with Adi Da and practice his teachings, this intimate documentary
takes the viewer on a journey of spiritual awakening in the company
of one of the great spiritual masters of all time.
- Impact Docs Awards Award of Merit Winner
- Official Selection, 2018 Awareness Film Festival
- 2018 Awareness Film Festival Audience Award for Best Feature
Documentary
filmmakers Blythe Massey and Peter Harvey-Wright
Current screenings: Listed in the Regional
Events section earlier on this page.
More information: Visit the Conscious
Light Film website.
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Powerful. What we would see if we were really serious
about understanding consciousness.
Jeffrey J. Kripal, Ph.D.
Scholar of Comparative Religion
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You handed me such a gift I didn't know I needed. I came
into this thinking I might be partly intrigued and partly
bored and I was just blown out of the water.
a member of the audience
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I would watch this film over and over again for the beauty.
a member of the audience
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2.3.
More about the "Where Is Happiness?" Free Weekend
Retreats
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People are basically un-Happy, I have noticed. Spiritual
practice or "religious" belief or "religious" commitment
is traditionally proposed as a means for attaining Happiness—but
the instructions associated with any "religious" or Spiritual
Teaching are received by the ego, the knotted being that
wants to own the Teaching, to use it, and to be made Happy
by it. You think that you can seek Happiness and find
It. Thus, your search for Happiness is, itself, a confession
of un-Happiness.
I Am here to Tell you that you cannot Realize Happiness
by persisting in un-Happiness, or the "method" of un-Happiness.
All seeking is the expression, the "method", and the practice
of un-Happiness.
It is not enough that what I am Saying is True. What
I am Saying must also be understood by you, most profoundly.
You must observe yourself, observe all of the means represented
by your life, and see that you are always un-Happy, and
always trying to become Happy.
That being the case, you may ask yourself, "Where is
Happiness?" You might well ask!
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
"The Bodily Location of Happiness"
November 28, 1981
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Everybody wants to be happy, but how do you actually "do" happiness?
And, equally important, how do you not do un-happiness?
Please join us to find out more about true happiness in the
free, two-day retreats that we offer in many locations around
the world.
The retreats are based on, and inspired by, the Wisdom of Adi
Da Samraj and includes guided meditations, yoga lessons, video
presentations, group considerations, personal stories, contemplative
walks, and delicious vegetarian meals.
The retreats are hosted by a team of experienced and long time
practitioners of Avatar Adi Da’s Teachings who guide the retreat
program in an inspiring fashion.
All service to these retreats is offered on a volunteer basis.
We are happy that — through these retreats — we
can make Adi Da's essential wisdom about the nature of Happiness
available to a large audience. We hope that, in this way, we
can make a contribution to the well being, peace, tolerance
and enlightenment of all beings on this planet.
The complete weekend program, including workbook and materials,
are offered for free. You only pay a contribution for food,
drinks and your possible lodging during the weekend. Costs can
differ depending on the location.
For more information, visit the
Where Is Happiness? website.
Here are glimpses of some of our beautiful retreat venues around
the world.
The
Man of Radical Understanding Retreat Center at the Mountain
Of Attention Sanctuary in the beautiful mountains of Northern
California:
Tournant du Coeur Retreat Center, Sutton, Quebec:
Wilbees, an impressive Edwardian farmhouse (built 1907) in
Arlington, Polegate, East Sussex, United Kingdom:
The European Danda in Maria Hoop, The Netherlands:
The Adidam Centre in Henderson Valley, Auckland, New Zealand:
2.4.
More About the "Wisdom Tools" Series
Wisdom Tools seminars introduce you to Adi Da's remarkable
wisdom on key topics as it applies to human concerns. Seminar
topics include:
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An overview of the Wisdom Tool Series
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The Dual Sensitivities Required for
True Spiritual Life — Adi Da instructs that in order
for true spiritual practice to begin there must be both
the sensitivity to our mortality and the futility of looking
for fulfilment in life as well as an intuition of our
Prior Condition beyond that.
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The sensitivity to the mortality of existence
and the heart-impulse must strike against one
another at the heart and become an intense heart-fire.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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Death is a Living Process — A helpful
and informative webinar presentation by members the Adidam
Death & Dying Ministry, on preparing for the death process
and serving others going through the death process.
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I have called the process of death "easy death",
because that is what it can become. In order to
die free of fear, you must be in a different disposition
toward life altogether.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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- Transcending the Mechanism of Doubt — Doubt is
one of the core human emotions that creates separation
from others and the Divine. Hear and consider Adi Da’s
simple but profound discourse on how to transcend this
powerful mood.
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We tend to associate doubt with some ‘thing’ we feel
negative about. Whereas actually doubt is a mechanism
that doesn’t have anything to do with some object
or thing to be doubted.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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- Transcending the Knot of Fear — Fear is one of
the strongest and most powerful of human emotions. Hear
Adi Da, in a compassionate but very direct way, address
a devotee who had suffered debilitating fear in his life.
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Everyone is in the midst of an activity that
is generating fear. . . It's inherent in the presumption
of identification with the state of separateness,
change and inevitable death. You cannot get rid
of fear. The Way I have Given enters you fully
consciously into the Domain of Reality Itself,
which transcends that activity which generates
fear.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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Understanding Vital, Peculiar,
and Solid Character Strategies — Human beings
develop what Adi Da calls “character strategies”
in reaction to the "vital shock" of birth and identification
with the body- mind. Discover what your character
strategy might be and how that strategy dictates
your expression of life-energy.
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The three human types (vital, peculiar,
and solid) are a strategic play on life,
or the Life-Principle, conceived as dilemma
or conflict.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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- Feel the Wound of Love — A profound consideration
about how to incarnate love under all conditions beyond
recoil and rejection.
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Love Does Not Fail For You When You Are Rejected
or Betrayed or Apparently Not Loved. Love Fails
For You When You Reject, Betray, and Do Not Love.
. . Therefore, Love. Do This Rather Than Make
Any Effort To Get Rid Of The Feeling Of Being
Rejected.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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- The Traditional and Time-Honored Guru-Devotee Relationship
— At the center of all the world’s religions are individuals
who by their actual Realization of Truth, Reality or God
draw others into that Realization. This session will give
insight into how the relationship to such an Adept-Realizer
works and how it serves one’s own Realization.
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The Primary force and “root” of all esoteric
traditions of human kind are the Adept- Realizers,
those who actually Realize the Spiritual and Transcendental
Nature of Reality.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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- The Seven Stages of Life
- The Searchless Raw Diet
2.5.
More About Other Featured Introductory Events Around the World
- The Gift of True Happiness — The way that Adi
Da Samraj offers is a choice based on awakening to the prior
unity of our true condition and recognition of the Divine
alive in the world. This is an introduction to His work. In
addition, find out about local classes that give you immediate
access to the profound wisdom gifts of Adi Da Samraj on topics
such as Death is a Living Process, the Wound of Love, Transcending
the Knot of Fear, Understanding Vital, Peculiar, and Solid
Character Strategies, The Traditional and Time-Honored Guru-Devotee
Relationship, Transcending the Mechanism of Doubt, and Dual
Sensitivities Required for True Spiritual Life.
- Locate What Is Real — In this two-part presentation,
you will be introduced to Avatar Adi Da's core teaching on
the true nature of reality, the illusion of the separate self,
and the nature of human suffering. Experience Avatar Adi Da's
transformative Spiritual Presence through His Teaching and
Sacred Sightings (or Darshan). Hear stories and testimonials
from long-time devotees of Avatar Adi Da. See video discourses
of Avatar Adi Da speaking.
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