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 FAQs
about Adi Da & Adidam > Taking
Up the Way of Adidam Taking
Up the Way of Adidam
Questions about becoming a devotee of Adi Da and taking up the
Way of Adidam.
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The core of this Teaching is the Revelation that the
human individual is structurally intended to be surrendered, body and mind and
self, through love, into the Radiant Transcendental Consciousness or All-Pervading
and Divine Current of Life. The ultimate Destiny of those who love in this manner
is transcendence of both mind and body in the Divine. Our Destiny is not in Heaven
or Earth, but in literal and total Sacrifice and Translation into the Transcendental
Divine Radiance, Infinite Consciousness, and Absolute Personality that is the
Truth and Support and Paradoxical Source of this world. Adi
Da Samraj, The Enlightenment of the
Whole Body
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Enlightenment, or Divine Communion in the most perfect sense, is not annihilation. Nor is it the same as directing attention toward "heaven", or some positive extension of ordinary human "experience". It is simply the dissolution of attention in this realm, with faith — in other words, with most perfect confidence in the Transcendental Spiritual Reality Itself, allowing this life to Be What It Is, and to dissolve. It is to Rest in the Transcendental Spiritual Divine Being, so that (Most Ultimately) when it does fall away completely, there is no connecting link, no seed that would determine attention to return to it. In that case, your Destiny is Divine. What that Destiny is, is not spoken.
There is no "self" behind or contained in the body-mind-complex. Personal "experience" is a modification of the Divine. It is not personal. The same One is modified as any other "person" — is modified as "me". That is the Realization — that there is only the Transcendental Spiritual Divine Being, and no separate "persons". The Transcendental Spiritual Divine Being is appearing to be modified as all kinds of "events", "persons", conditions, "experiences". When one becomes established in the Transcendental Spiritual Divine Being, then the particular necessity of an independent, "personal" existence dissolves — at least, independent existence in the form that you "experience" it in this human limit. What the destiny is beyond the human being, when the necessity of attention to be a human being dissolves, is to be seen. There is no need to be concerned about what will be, or to try and create some circumstance. It will be whatever it is.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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A Divinely purposed life is an ordeal like any other life,
but it is made meaningful or Divinely relevant by its orientation.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj, October 12, 2004
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Use your lifetime for the sake of Divine Self-Realization. If you use it for anything less, then what is less becomes your destiny. All destinies, fulfilled, have a force that leads you to dissatisfaction. There is an emptiness in acquisition. In getting, a dissatisfaction arises, because one was already full of the search. The search is an agony, a disease, a kind of stress you want to be relieved of. You believe you cannot be relieved of it until you achieve union with your object, whatever that may be. Therefore, in your stress, you desire to pursue that object. That pursuit is what you are full of. When you acquire your object, you are empty, because you are no longer full of the stress of the search. And, all of a sudden, you feel, in that moment of absence of the search, a glimpse of something greater, Freedom Itself, Happiness Itself.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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As the ego-“I”, you function as the body does with reference
to Consciousness Itself — in ignorance of the Consciousness-Position.
It is as if the cells of the physical body “meet” together
in order to determine how they are going to “dictate” —
in an entirely insubordinate manner — the pattern of existence
for Consciousness Itself! Then, Consciousness, without direct
and intuitive understanding of Its Own Condition, “goes
along” with these “demands” — as if the body were,
in fact, the Identity of Consciousness Itself. Such is the
essence of egoity.
For Consciousness to Wake Up to Its Own Self-Position
(or to Recognize Its Own State) Is Divine Self-Realization.
However, Divine Self-Realization is not merely a mental
process. Rather, Divine Self-Realization Is, necessarily,
a Transcendental Spiritual process. And the
Real Transcendental Spiritual process requires the orientation
of devotion — which is the orientation to What Is
Beyond the “self”-knot. To embrace the life of devotion
to Me, My devotee must cease to “grant” the body (or the
total body-mind-complex, or the complex psycho-physical
totality) the “right” to “design” the pattern of his or
her existence.
In Reality, the body is not senior
to Consciousness Itself. In Reality, Consciousness Itself
Is Senior — subordinate to nothing and no one. However,
in the human “world”, everything is patterned by ego. Once
the ego-pattern “gets rolling”, it replicates itself automatically.
For that pattern to be corrected, you must become
aware of what you (as ego) are doing, and you must
change your act — and you must be culturally obliged,
by means of systematic accountability, to change your act
(based on right “self”-observation and right “self”- understanding).
All of this is required in order for the Transcendental
Spiritual process to be Real — and It cannot be otherwise.
Without My Divine Avataric Intrusion into
your life, your ego-pattern merely replicates itself endlessly,
relative to everything whatsoever — and you remain trapped
in the ego-possessed domain of “point of view”. The ego-patterning
of each individual human being, and even the collective
ego-patterning of humanity as a whole, is ceaselessly replicated
— very much in the manner of cellular reproduction.
The fundamental by-Me-Revealed and by-Me-Given
Law of true Spiritual life (and even of true human life)
is this: Never subordinate the Source. If
that fundamental Law is discarded, there is not anything
that is right. As soon as that one Law is cancelled, the
ego-pattern starts taking over everything, in the manner
of cellular reproduction. The ego manifests itself virtually
infinitely, in a checkerboard pattern that replicates its
own state and position.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
"The Mirror and The Checkerboard", Part
11, The Aletheon
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The Reality-Way of Adidam Ruchiradam is fundamentally about establishing the Position in the Divine Space. People tend to dwell in the psycho-physical space of the ego, and do not even know the Divine Space. They do not know that the Divine Space Exists.
People are in the "mummery-world" — an illusion that is rooted in ego and the constructs of mind that extend from egoity, "self"-contraction, separateness. The entire "world" is a mummery of people who are bound to this "point of view". They do not know there is the Divine Space.
The process of the Reality-Way of Adidam, even from the beginning, is one in which every devotee is enabled to enter into the Divine Space That is Prior to ego, Prior to mind, Prior to body, Prior to the psycho-physical mummery of egos.
To come to the point where you know that Space — My Space, My Domain — is the great and fundamental transition associated with Adidam Ruchiradam. Once that Space is established, once It is "Known", once there is the Perfect Knowledge" Position, that is the Governor of life from then on.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj, May 23, 2008
p. 83, Adi Da Samrajashram Magazine
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Recognition of Adi Da as the Divine
Person
The entire practice of the Way of Adidam is based on the Revelation
that Adi Da is the Divine Person.
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Without Revelation, living beings do not know that what they are longing for is restoration to the Divine Domain. Divine Incarnation is required, and My Divine Avataric physical human Lifetime has been a Process of that Incarnation. The Way of Divine Enlightenment, then, becomes devotion to Me, devotion to That Which Is Given by Real God uniquely for the Enlightenment, or Realization, of beings.
The Way cannot be perceived, contemplated, realized, or fulfilled apart from Revelation. It is not knowable otherwise. The Way that I have "Considered" with you can be found only by Revelation.
The True Way, the Way that becomes Divine Enlightenment and Divine Translation, absolutely depends upon the Divine Avataric Master, and on surrender to the Divine Avataric Master As He Is. Only such devotion Realizes Divine Enlightenment and Divine Translation, with all of the necessary accompanying signs.
Thus, it was necessary for Me to Appear in the midst of this chaos of traditions, new movements, anti-guruism, the failure of exoteric "religions", and so forth, in order to establish — through Revelation — the Reality-Way of Adidam in Its completeness.
Adi Da Samraj, July 5, 1984
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If you are recognizing Me in the sense of tacitly feeling
and identifying My State, that is yours to acknowledge.
On that basis, you become My devotee. And having become
My devotee, you volunteer for this response — this recognition
produces a response. You volunteer for it. You live
by My Instruction.
You enter more profoundly into this turning
to Me, which becomes surrender to Me, which is merely Beholding
Me and being able to "Locate" My specific Transmission of
My Transcendental Spiritual Nature and Presence, Which Ultimately
Reveals My Very State — Which Is the State, the Divine
Self-Nature, Self-Condition, and Self-State. That is the
nature of the seventh stage Realization of Me.
Adi Da Samraj, October 20, 2004
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The practice I Give you is simple to describe. That practice
requires a Great Attraction to Me — great devotional recognition
of Me, great devotional response to Me, and a great application
to the Yoga of whole bodily turning to Me in every moment,
in every circumstance, in every function. There must be
that whole-bodily-responsive devotional recognition of Me,
Attracted by Me. That devotional responsiveness is necessarily
required. That is the necessary tapas (or heat of “self”-discipline).
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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The
Significance of Recognition in the Way of Adidam
(introduction, 5 parts, and further Q&A)
Q:What does it mean to "recognize Adi Da
as the Divine Person"? How significant is it to
becoming a devotee, or growing in practice? |
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The
Eternal Vow
Q: There is a strong "all or nothing" quality
and a seeming rigidity to the culture of Adidam which
reminds me of orthodoxy. You either totally surrender
or you don't, you either vow for eternity or you don't.
What has so attracted me to other Eastern paths has
been the open access to Dharma and Sangha. With Adidam
the goods, so to speak, are held back (until one commits
for eternity) which, for me and possibly others, increases
resistance. I appreciate your willingness to continue
to clarify and support this neurotic middle aged Jewish
guy in making sense of all of this.
A: Actually, there is much more to it! It
is exactly not a matter of one day getting
up the courage or the will to go beyond one's resistance
and sign the vow. And it is not at all analogous to
the distinction between "orthodox" and "reformed"
Judaism. Adidam is a Revelation-based
Way. It is a new esoteric tradition based on
the Revelation that Adi Da is the Divine. You cannot
and should not become Adi Da's devotee
without having received the Revelation of recognizing
Adi Da as the Divine. The Revelation is what enables
one to take the Eternal Vow. No one should become
a devotee or take the Eternal Vow on the basis of
belief alone. Conversely, when one has received the
Revelation, one happily takes the eternal vow —
you want to take it!
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Devotees
Who Don't Yet Recognize Adi Da as the Divine Person
Q: I'm currently a devotee of Adi Da. I've been
reading the articles on your site (including the one
on The Eternal Vow), and now I'm really wondering whether
I actually "recognize" Adi Da (as the Divine Person)
— Adi Da's prerequisite for becoming a devotee — and
what form of practice I should engage if I conclude
that I am not recognizing Him. Help! |
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Who
Does the Practice?
Q: Based on what you wrote in your
article on Recognition, it seems that what Adi Da
called the Way begins with recognition of Him. In which
case it shouldn't necessarily develop over time or otherwise
involve any particular progression of "something" through
time such that that "something" evolves into the Way.
It isn't anything that any devotee can do. The Guru
does it, when the Guru is Recognized. Is that right? |
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The Three Great Dimensions of the Way
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The Divine Avataric Master, Adi Da Samraj, Gives to His
devotees the Way of the Eternal Relationship to His Holy
Person. He Teaches us that His Way has three great dimensions:
the dimension of "radical" devotion to Him, the dimension
of right-life obedience to Him, and the dimension of "Perfect
Knowledge" of Him. Each of these dimensions is embraced
from the very beginning of practice as Avatar Adi Da's Second
Congregation devotee. And each of these dimensions manifests
greater and greater depth and profundity as the practice
of Adidam matures.
Ruchiradama
Quandra Sukhapur Rani
"Introduction", Notice
This
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Right Life.
"Right Life" is one of the three key dimensions
of practice of the Way of Adidam. We explore: (1)
why devotees practice the disciplines that
comprise "right life"; (2) how to
engage these disciplines in a way that is fruitful;
and (3) what the disciplines of the Way of
Adidam are.
Only when that patterning, all over the body-mind,
is significantly purified, rightened, turned to
rightness so that there's a fundamental equanimity
sufficient at the foundation, it's only then that
you can advance in this Way. It's not merely a
philosophical matter. It's not a talking school,
and it's not about idealized good behavior, and
I don't care how healthy you are. If the signs
of egoity are all over you, you are just a healthy
ego, you see. This understanding of the nature
of Second Congregation practice, and of the Way
altogether, is fundamental to My Revelation.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
"Make Each Moment Into ego-Transcending Practice"
September 8, 2004
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You have to do the discipline in the Divine Avataric Company of the Real-God-Realizer. You cannot avoid that. You cannot get Realized without going through the ordeal. It is not a believing matter. You do not get it for free, in that sense. You get the Grace for free, yes, but you Realize it by accepting the ordeal. In every heart, there is this disposition to Realize That. And there is no end to karma, no end to struggle, no end to life, until there is that Perfect Realization.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
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The Degree Of Your Heart-Attractedness To Me Is The Degree Of Your Devotion To Me.
This Is What I Look For In My Devotee: Are There Signs Of Heart-Attractedness To Me? Is There A Conversion Of life? Is There The Relinquishment Of All Preoccupation With "worldliness" and The Habits and Patterns Of egoity? . . .
When You Have Fully Established The Foundation Practice I Have Given, Then You Are No Longer merely a "worldling".
You Are Attracted To Me Rather Than To the "world".
In That Case, You Are Practicing The Way I Have Given.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj |
You must be willing to deal with yourself, to observe and understand your egoic self and your limitations,
to be moved toward Me because you are inspired and moved directly by My bodily (human) Sign and by My Leelas and by My Heart-Word, My Instructive
Word, My Revealing Word.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj, 1994 |
The body-mind-complex must be made into a Yoga-body, conformed to Me through "radical" devotion to Me, exercised through all the disciplines that I Call "conductivity" practice. This is the seriousness of the beginner, as a way of preparing the body-mind-complex with capabilities, disciplined and purified, for entering and fulfilling the Seeing stages of the Reality-Way of Adidam. Play it fast and loose — just this silly "worldly" business of ego-games, old adaptations, and "Oedipal crapola" — and you can use up the rest of your life, and a lot more future lifetimes. That is all there will be, and you will be constantly returning to this gross, most fearful circumstance of mortality.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj, from a gathering in July, 1995 |
- The
Purpose of Disciplines in the Way of Adidam
Q: I honestly think that there would be a
more vibrant and active Adidam community if there
were fewer strict disciplines and expectations.
I find that people are generally more amenable to
a new direction when they feel there is flexibility.
I am not sure that makes sense, but I think that
imposition of rules kind of feeds resistance. So
that is my current struggle. Can you help?
- The
Necessary Artfulness in Taking Up Disciplines in
the Way of Adidam (8 parts)
Q: For years in the community and after leaving,
now years later, I see I "willed" my way to "practice"
with a recognition of and attraction to the Dharma,
but not to the Spiritual Master, Adi Da. I usually
felt awkward and unfeeling in the devotional aspects
of our life together, suffering an emotional distance.
Eventually I recognized it wasn't enough, and left.
I value my time in the community and in the Company
of Adi Da as the greatest gift in my life for my
human and spiritual growth and continue to listen,
read, etc. But I have NOT received the Revelation
[recognition
of Adi Da as the Divine Person] you describe!
Can any of the disciplines be taken up outside of
this Occurrence to further the possibility of its
Happening?
- The
"Right Life" Disciplines of the Way of
Adidam
Q: What exactly are all the disciplines devotees
engage in the Way of Adidam?
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Other Questions About Taking Up the
Way of Adidam
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Doubt
Mind
Q: I understand that one becomes a devotee on
the basis of recognition
of Adi Da as the Divine. Adi Da's Grace grants that
Revelation, and that is what enables one to become a
devotee. But once that Revelation occurs and one becomes
a devotee, is it the case that one never has any doubts?
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God-Realization
and Ordinary Life
Q: Will "Realizing God" require giving up
my ordinary life? |
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