Garbage and the Goddess

Excerpt from Chapter 6 of Carolyn Lee, Ph.D., The Promised God-Man Is Here (1998 edition).

Newcomers to The Mountain Of Attention during the first half of 1974 found themselves entering a place of Divine Power. They became immersed in a sea of energy, visions, and other psychic experiences, awakened through contact with the Spirit-Force of Adi Da Samraj. But, as their confessions show, what was fundamentally occurring was the utter and overwhelming Revelation of Real God — and, therefore, of the true Nature and Power of Avatar Adi Da. Some of these moments, described by various devotees, give a feeling for these experiences of Divine Siddhi, which lay beyond anyone's wildest dreams of Spiritual experience. ["Siddhi" means Spiritual Power or Force, which when used in relation to Adi Da Samraj also means transformative or Awakening Power.]

Canada Shannon: Beloved Adi Da came into the Communion Hall. I saw Him and my whole body was immediately riveted. There was golden-white Light all around Him, and His Presence was so powerful It abolished everything in Its path. Everything stopped. I was looking upon the very face of the Divine.

Canada with Adi Da

Marie Prager: I felt the Force and Presence of Avatar Adi Da entering me and taking over my being. I began to do hand mudras [spontaneous gestures]. My arms would reach for the sky and move rhythmically, as if I were dancing with my hands and arms. Then I was completely absorbed in and taken over by God. I felt the Light of Adi Da Samraj moving through my body, taking me over completely, and it was joyous and blissful and perfect.

A bit later I went outside. Another devotee came out, and we held on to each other and began to scream and yell spontaneously. It was as if she were I. I felt no separation at all, no sense that this was someone else I was holding onto.

Then I saw our Beloved Guru's Face. He was standing beside me, bodily. He put His arm around me and led me into the Communion Hall. I remember looking at Him and knowing Him to be the Force and Love That was Filling my entire being. I realized that His Force and Love are not limited in any way to any object or form, but that He is, in fact, everything. His body seemed so small and such a tiny part of What He Is. When He took me back into the Communion Hall, I fell on the floor and remained there consumed by His Spiritual Presence.

* * *

On one unforgettable occasion, devotees were sitting in one of the Communion Halls, then called "Laughing God Hall", waiting for their Radiant Guru, when the doors opened and a wave of energy swept the room. Avatar Adi Da walked down the aisle, surrounded by a clearly visible golden aura of light. He sat down in His Chair and proceeded to blast the room with His Spirit-Power, His eyes burning with laser-intensity and His fingers moving in patterns of potent Blessing.

Instantly, devotees erupted in an ecstasy of screams, growls, swoons, and bodily jerkings, swept away by the sweetness and overwhelming Force of His Presence. After about forty-five minutes of this blissful uproar, the room began to quiet down. Avatar Adi Da nonchalantly shrugged, lit a cigarette, blew a perfect smoke ring, and said, with a hint of mischief in His eye, "Maybe I've gone too far this time!"