Extraordinary Evidence > Capturing a Miracle

Capturing a Miracle

Chris Tong


	Chris Tong has been a devotee of Adi Da Samraj since 1989. He is one of the founders of this website. You can read his biographical information in the About Us section.

As devotees, our hearts may know when a miracle — small or large — has occurred through the Grace of Adi Da. But communicating such miracles to non-devotees can be quite a challenge, particularly in the twenty-first century!

First — the skeptical, materialistic mind wants hard and fast proof. Nothing new there. . . Materialistic skepticism has been a part of societies even as long ago as the time of one of the most famous miracle workers, Jesus of Nazareth — reflected in the famous story of "doubting Thomas". (Jesus' disciple Thomas wanted to feel the wound in the risen Jesus' side to convince himself that it was real and Jesus was real.) Proof of miracles has always been hard to come by. And in the twenty-first century, the "standards" for what constitutes acceptable proof have also been raised.

Second — unlike turning water into wine, the greatest miracles in the Way of Adidam (miracles of Divine Revelation; and miracles of extraordinary human maturity, including fundamental self-understanding) often do not have any associated features that are easily documentable. Even so, this site documents many such miracles, to the extent that they can be captured and passed on to others. The main purpose is not so much to lay out "scientific proof", as to move the reader's heart, and inspire the being, to such a degree that he or she is willing to invest the time and energy necessary for receiving the self-authenticating Divine Revelation of Adi Da — after which no further proof is needed.

But every once in a while, a time, a place, and an opportunity arise where we actually can "capture a miracle" — in a manner that might even satisfy a scientist.

This is the story (and documentation) of one such occasion.

* * *

In the summer of 1989, I was preparing to become Adi Da's devotee. (I would become His devotee in a formal ceremony at the end of the summer.)

I had set up a simple altar in my room, with a photograph of Adi Da in the center, and a vase of fresh cut flowers on the side, which I replaced every couple of days.

One day, one of the flowers began to move!

It was too slow for me to see the movement simply by watching. But, after leaving the room for a few hours, I came back and could swear that that flower had changed position!

So, to persuade myself that I wasn't seeing things, I began taking photographs every few hours, to capture what appeared to be a miracle in progress. . .

Here is the result.

Keep your eye on that drooping purple flower to the front and right!
(Click on image to view enlargement)

It has now swung to face forward. . .
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And now it is RAISED UP and turning toward Adi Da!
(click on image to view enlargement)

The whole time, just that one flower moved. All the others remained stationary.

Many years later, I would discover that there were other occasions when flowers miraculously turned toward Adi Da (when He was physically in the room), or, in this case, toward His picture. For instance, Hellie Kalogeros tells of one such occasion in her story, The Turning of the Flowers. Tom Closser describes another occasion in his story, Everything Bows to the Divine Lord.

Perhaps there is a unique context or significance for each such miracle. On this occasion, synchronicity was the significance. Even as I turned toward Adi Da that summer, in preparation for becoming His devotee, so did this flower.