Empowered
Places and Things > Sanctuaries
> The Mountain Of Attention
The Hermitages and Sanctuaries of Adidam:
The Mountain Of Attention
This article is organized as follows:
- Introduction
- History of Names for the Sanctuary
- Special Periods of Adi Da's Work
- Holy Sites and Other Locations
- Books
- Stories From
the Mountain Of Attention
- Miscellaneous
1. Introduction
The Mountain Of Attention is the primary
Ruchira Sannyasin Sanctuary in the United States.
Located in Northern California, it was the first Sanctuary
Empowered by Adi Da (in 1974), and the principal site
of His Teaching Work from 1974 to the early 1980's.
|
All
Eyes Gate: the front gate of the Mountain Of Attention
Sanctuary
All Eyes Gate: the front gate of the Mountain Of Attention
Sanctuary
(click to enlarge)
|
Sign
next to All Eyes Gate
|
Sign
next to All Eyes Gate
Sign next to All Eyes Gate
(click to enlarge)
|
All
Eyes Gate from inside the Sanctuary
|
Letting
Go Mountain
Letting
Go Mountain [1]
(click to enlarge)
|
The Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary
below Letting Go Mountain [ 1]
|
Seigler
Springs Road, the Mountain Of Attention
Seigler Springs Road, the Mountain Of Attention
(click to enlarge)
|
Seigler
Springs Road, the Mountain Of Attention
Seigler Springs Road, the Mountain Of Attention
(click to enlarge)
|
Beautiful
gardens at the Mountain Of Attention
Beautiful gardens at the Mountain Of Attention
(click to enlarge)
|
Beautiful
pools at the Mountain Of Attention
Beautiful pools at the Mountain Of Attention
(click to enlarge)
|
Devotees
serving the Mountain Of Attention
Devotees serving the Mountain Of Attention
(click to enlarge)
|
A
devotee serving the Mountain Of Attention
A devotee serving the Mountain Of Attention
(click to enlarge)
|
Banner
at the Mountain Of Attention
Banner at the Mountain Of Attention:
"Notice this: You are not the one
who wakes or dreams or sleeps."
(click to enlarge)
|
2. History of Names for the
Sanctuary
- The Mountain Of Attention (late 1980? -
present)
- Vision Mound (October, 1976 - late 1980?)
— On December 12, 1976, Adi Da discussed the significance
of the name "Vision Mound":
Traditionally, spiritual cultures would
often build a mound as a holy place. People
went to a prominent place on the earth, a
rise, a hill, or a mountain. Pyramids are
mounds, a prominence from which to approach
what was considered to be something transcendent
to the earth. It was the custom to go off
alone to such a place, to prepare oneself
for the Divine by fasting, entering a holy
mood and right approach. Then one would stand
on the mound and call for a vision or insight
or deliverance and wait until satisfaction
came. It required giving up the whole life,
throwing everything away until you were given
the Divine impulse. Then you would leave the
mound and return to your normal course of
life, but periodically you would return to
the mound for Divine refreshment. It is a
kind of ceremony that everyone performs. A
ceremony introduces you, initiates you into
a condition of existence that you must otherwise
realize directly. So ceremonies change in
content, but in principle they are the same
eternally. The body, as the mound, is turned
over to the Infinite that pervades it until
the body is surrendered perfectly.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj |
- Right Whale (July 1976 - October, 1976)
— This name for the Sanctuary coincided with the
"Indoor Summer" period. (During this time,
a large sign with a picture of a whale hung at All
Eyes Gate.) "Right Whale" was a phrase
Adi Da had used in referring to a place in Hawaii
that He had been considering for a potential Sanctuary.
He gave the name to the Northern California Sanctuary
instead with the intent that it serve as that traditional
Sanctuary that He was envisioning (a sacred, "set
apart" space enabling Him to do His Work with
fully prepared devotees).
The "Indoor Summer" period (and use of
the "Right Whale" name for the Sanctuary)
ended with Adi Da moving to Hawaii with several
devotees in October, 1976.
- Persimmon (January, 1974 - July 1976)
Sanctuary logo
3. Special Periods of Adi Da's
Work
Below is a partial list of special periods of Adi
Da's Work, that took place at the Mountain Of Attention.
- Garbage
and the Goddess (1974) — A period of
lessons during the first half of 1974 at The Mountain
Of Attention Sanctuary (then known as Persimmon).
The focus of those lessons was the search for self-fulfillment
through both sexuality and mystical experience.
Garbage and the Goddess was one of Avatar Adi Da's
great Teaching Demonstrations, in which He generated
a most extraordinary and sustained display of yogic,
mystical, magical, psychic, and intuitive phenomena
in the lives and environments of His ordinary Western
devotees, who otherwise had no capacity to attain
such marvels. At the same time, He drew people to
a "radical understanding": He constantly drew their
attention to and criticized the illusions and suffering
inherent in mere experience of any kind, ordinary
or sublime. Through these means, He humorously and
compassionately taught them the lesson that all
experience high or low is but a temporary manifestation
of "the Goddess," the Shakti, or great Manifesting
Power of the worlds, and should therefore be treated
as "garbage" and thrown away or transcended through
devotional turning to Adi Da Samraj and "radical
understanding". It was a time when the principle
of attraction to the Guru as the God-Man, and "Divine
Distraction" by Him from self, was demonstrated
as the foundation of Spiritual Life.
For more, click
here.
- Indoor
Summer (1976) — In July 1976, another major
teaching demonstration began, later named the “Indoor
Summer”, since many of the group instructions and
activities (known as “gatherings”) occurred indoors.
Here Adi Da began a fundamental group consideration
about the limits of knowledge. His fundamental address
(called "the Divine Ignorance" consideration)
was “Do you know what anything is?”, and full participation
in this consideration yielded glimpses of the Enlightened
state of "Divine Ignorance".
4. Holy Sites and Other Locations
In this subsection, we list (and provide pictures
of) the Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary's many Holy
Sites. We also include other significant buildings
and areas on the Sanctuary.
My Avatarically Self-Transmitted Divine Spiritual
Body Resides in the (Holy Sites) just as directly
as I might do so physically, but you associate
with My Divine Transmission there through the
cycle of sacramental worship.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
|
All Eyes Gate —
The front gate of the Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary is located in the Cobb Mountain area
of Northern California, one of the highest elevations
in California (apart from the Sierra Nevadas). The
Sanctuary is above the snow line, and snow makes frequent
appearances throughout the winter months here.
All
Eyes Gate, January, 2016
All
Eyes Gate, January, 2016
(click to enlarge)
|
All
Eyes Gate, March, 2018
All
Eyes Gate, March, 2018
(click to enlarge)
|
All
Eyes Gate, with Seventh Gate in the distance
All
Eyes Gate, with Seventh Gate in the distance
(click to enlarge)
|
All
Eyes Gate, February, 2011 (photo by Douglas
Short)
All
Eyes Gate, February, 2011 (photo by Douglas
Short)
(click to enlarge)
|
The Manner Of Flowers — Adi Da's residence at
the Mountain Of Attention.
the gate to the Manner Of Flowers
|
devotees waiting outside the Manner Of Flowers
to receive Adi Da's Darshan (July 5, 2005)
|
outside
the Manner Of Flowers
outside the Manner Of Flowers
(click to enlarge)
|
outside
the Manner Of Flowers
outside the Manner Of Flowers
(click to enlarge)
|
Sukra Kendra — Out
of all the holy places and temples He has established
at each of His Hermitage Sanctuaries, the Sukra Kendra
is the most sacred of all the temples, set apart for
Adi Da's (often daily) use in His Work of World-Blessing,
during His human lifetime. As Adi Da described it, "I
Am eternally seated in each and every one of My directly-by-Me
Transcendentally-Spiritually-Empowered Sapta-Na Sannyasin
Hermitages and Ruchira Sannyasin Sanctuaries — and most
potently in each and every one of the Sukra Kendras
I have established in those Hermitages and Sanctuaries."
the Sukra Kendra at the Mountain Of Attention
|
Temple
Eleutherios — Earlier names: Laughing God Hall,
the Master's Temple, the Location of Happiness, and
Amrita Nadi Chakra Temple. Originally used as a small
movie-viewing room (seating about 50) in the earlier
Seigler
Springs Resort, Temple Eleutherios was the first
place on the Mountain Of Attention where Adi Da gathered
with devotees.
It was in Temple Eleutherios that Ruchiradama Nadikanta first met Bhagavan in 1974.
Temple Eleutherios was, for many years, one of the
most potent Communion Halls at the Mountain Of Attention.
It is now part of Adi Da’s Sukra
Kendra.
Temple
Eleutherios (1974)
Temple
Eleutherios (1974)
(click to enlarge)
|
Seventh Gate
Seventh
Gate
Seventh Gate
(click to enlarge)
|
Seventh
Gate at sunrise
Seventh Gate at sunrise
(click to enlarge)
|
Seventh
Gate — Bright Behind Me is to the right
Seventh Gate — Bright
Behind Me is to the right
(click to enlarge)
|
Seventh
Gate in the center, Bright Behind Me is
to the right — December, 2015
Seventh
Gate in the center, Bright
Behind Me is
to the right — December, 2015
(click to enlarge)
|
Seventh
Gate — Darshan Adytum and Temple Eleutherios
are to the left
Seventh Gate — Darshan
Adytum and Temple Eleutherios are to
the left
(click to enlarge)
|
Seventh
Gate, with lotus pond to the right
Seventh Gate, with lotus pond to the right
(click to enlarge)
|
Pre-blooming
lotuses at the Mountain Of Attention
Pre-blooming lotuses at the Mountain Of Attention
(photo by Hal Okun)
(click to enlarge)
|
Seventh Gate (February, 2011)
|
Seventh
Gate at night, December, 2012
Seventh Gate at night,
December, 2012
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi Da giving Darshan in front of Seventh
Gate
|
Adi
Da walking toward Seventh Gate
Adi Da walking toward
Seventh Gate
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi
Da Blessing Prasad in front of Seventh Gate
Adi Da Blessing Prasad
in front of Seventh Gate
(click to enlarge)
|
Puja being done on Seventh Gate Shrine
in front of Seventh Gate
|
Adi Da Blessing Seventh Gate Shrine
|
Seventh Gate Shrine
|
Seventh Gate Shrine
|
devotee prostrating at Seventh Gate Shrine
|
All True Things
Park [ 2] — All True Things
Park is a park-like area of the Sanctuary that contains
a forest of oaks (with the
Tree of Life at its center) which Adi Da has instructed
should be regarded and served as a sacred grove, in
perpetuity. The Park also contains several of the
holy sites mentioned elsewhere on this page. Thus,
it is a single great Holy Site comprised of various
"internal" Holy Sites, all of them interconnected
and interdependent on the development and preservation
of the others.
All
True Things Park in the background, Paduka
Mandir on the left
All True Things Park in the background,
Paduka Mandir on the left
(click to enlarge)
|
All
True Things Park
All True Things Park
(click to enlarge)
|
The major aspects of the conditional universe ("All
True Things") are represented in All True Things
Park. In this sense, the Park is a great representative
Mandala of the conditional universe in its relationship
of submission to the Unconditional Divine Being. Adi
Da created All True Things Park over a number of years
during the 1970's, conforming these universal aspects
of nature to Himself through the various Holy Sites.
He has remarked at different times that our right
relationship and full devotional service to these
Holy Sites (and all the Holy Sites He has Empowered)
has a benignly transformative effect upon the entire
world.
Earth-Fire Temple is dedicated to the feminine
aspect of the universe. The masculine aspect of the
universe is represented in the temple and great tree
of Skyway Temple. The
temple of Pita Mata Mantapa
honors parents and children, birth and death. Fear-No-More
Zoo represents the vast realms of non-human existence,
our human and sacred relationship to them, and Adi
Da's intention to liberate all beings (not
just human beings). The blessing seat of the Divine
in this world is also represented by the beautiful
temple of Paduka Mandir.
And seemingly out beyond the Park itself, but still
intimately connected to it, is the
Love of the God-Man holy site, which honors the
Divine's extension and emergence into the lives of
all beings, with the purpose of touching and awakening
them.
All True Things Park can also be viewed as a living,
bodily, non-human form of Adi Da. Here is one way
to look at it: Adi Da's Seat, Paduka Mandir, is the
Heart. The Love of the God-Man site is the Head, looking
out and "speaking" to the world. Skyway Temple is
the entire central nervous system. Earth-Fire Temple
is the procreative, generative, active force of the
universe. Pita Mata Mantapa and the animal graves
at the Zoo entrance represent the cycle of death and
rebirth (equal for human and non-human). And Fear-No-More
Zoo represents the broad foundation of the "pyramid"
of the conditional realms and planes, the naturally
contemplative non-human resource of all life and evolution,
without which nothing else conditional would exist.
Adi Da gives the landmark “Day Of the Heart”
talk
to over 800 devotees in All True Things Park
on September 16, 1979
|
Devotees
waiting to receive Adi Da's Darshan in All
True Things Park, 2005
Devotees waiting to receive Adi Da's Darshan
in All True Things Park, 2005
(click to enlarge)
|
Earth-Fire Temple
— A holy site at the Mountain Of Attention, the
first Empowered there by Adi Da, during the Garbage
and the Goddess period in 1974, as a result of
a
miraculous event. It particularly expresses the
nurturing-female dynamic of energies, and so is served
principally by women devotees. It is now also associated
with Skyway Temple (see below),
a nearby site associated with characteristically male
energy. For more about this Temple, read The
Miracle in the Garden and The
Guardian Squirrels.
Earth-Fire
Temple
Earth-Fire Temple
(click to enlarge)
|
another
view of Earth-Fire Temple
another view of Earth-Fire Temple
(click to enlarge)
|
a
puja at Earth-Fire Temple
|
Skyway Temple —
A holy site at the Mountain Of Attention, originally
Empowered by Adi Da in 1979. The center of this site
is a large oak tree, the "Tree of Life". Those who
serve and attend sacred events at this holy site,
as well as devotees who simply glimpse it for a few
moments, testify that Bhagavan Adi Da's Murti-Form
is Spiritually Manifested as this great column of
living Light. The site is associated with characteristically
male energy, and so is served principally by male
devotees. It is associated with the nearby Earth-Fire
Temple, which particularly expresses the nurturing-female
dynamic of energies. Skyway Temple is also the site
of regular Prosperity
Pujas.
the Tree of Life
|
Adi
Da at Skyway Temple
Adi Da at Skyway Temple
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi Da blessing the "Tree of Life" at Skyway
Temple, 1998
(Paduka Mandir is in the background)
|
Adi Da blessing the lingam at Skyway Temple
(the "Tree of Life" is in the background)
|
Devotees participating in a prosperity puja
at Skyway Temple (2011)
|
Devotees participating in a prosperity puja
at Skyway Temple (2013)
|
Between Skyway Temple and Earth-Fire Temple
— Between Skyway Temple and Earth-Fire Temple is a
connecting pathway. This path is reserved exclusively
for Adi Da's own use and for use by priests on special
occasions of puja at these sites.[ 2]
Skyway
Temple (left) and Earth-Fire Temple (right)
S kyway
Temple (left) and Earth-Fire Temple
(right)
(click to enlarge)
|
Red Sitting Man
— A sacred fire site at the Mountain Of Attention,
Empowered by Adi Da on November 3, 1979. It is an
area of the Sanctuary that is made of ash-white volcanic
rock, shaped in the form of a massive natural fire-pit.
Originally designated by Adi Da as His Mahasamadhi
Site, it is now considered the most potent Fire Site
on the Mountain Of Attention. In July of 1979, Adi
Da Initiated devotees there in the sacramental worship
of Him in the form of fire. Fire is one of the most
powerful elemental symbols of the Divine — a sign
of Spirit, Light, and purification. For more about
this holy site, read The
Hole in the Universe: The Sacred Empowerment of Red
Sitting Man. Red Sitting Man is also mentioned
in Look
the Fire in the Eye.
Adi Da Samraj at Red Sitting Man, 2002
|
Paduka Mandir
Paduka
Mandir - November, 2021
Paduka Mandir - December 26, 2021
(click to enlarge)
|
Paduka
Mandir - November, 2021
Paduka Mandir - November, 2021
(click to enlarge)
|
Paduka Mandir
|
Paduka
Mandir
Paduka Mandir
(click to enlarge)
|
Paduka
Mandir
Paduka Mandir
(click to enlarge)
|
Paduka
Mandir
|
Adi
Da in front of Paduka Mandir in 1995
Adi Da in front of Paduka Mandir in 1995
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi
Da in front of Paduka Mandir in 2005
Adi Da in front of Paduka Mandir in 2005
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi
Da in front of Paduka Mandir: July 17, 2005
Adi Da in front of Paduka Mandir: July 17,
2005
(click to enlarge)
|
Humpbacked Flute (aka "The Bell") in winter
(with Paduka Mandir in the distance)
Adi Da gave "The Bell" the name, "Humpbacked Flute", inspired by
the iconic images of "the humpbacked flute plater" (Hopi: " kokopelli")
in the Native American traditions of the Southwest.
|
Ordeal Bath Lodge
— the Mountain Of Attention was originally a
hot springs resort. Ordeal Bath Lodge was the
hot springs bath facility. It is considered one of
the main Holy Sites on the Mountain Of Attention because
of the profound, intimate occasions that occurred
there with Adi Da. Along with Bright
Behind Me, Ordeal Bath Lodge is the Temple that
has been Blessed with Adi Da's Physical Presence most
often.
Ordeal Bath Lodge is now used as a healing Temple.
For more, read: A
Touch of the Divine: A Miraculous Healing at Ordeal
Bath Lodge and " An
Immense Burden Had Been Lifted from Me" (which
features "the plunge", a large pool in Ordeal
Bath Lodge).
Ordeal
Bath Lodge
Ordeal Bath Lodge
(click to enlarge)
|
Ordeal
Bath Lodge
Ordeal Bath Lodge
(click to enlarge)
|
Ordeal
Bath Lodge
Ordeal Bath Lodge
(click to enlarge)
|
Ordeal
Bath Lodge
Ordeal Bath Lodge
(click to enlarge)
|
Ordeal Bath Lodge (December, 2010)
|
Chair for Adi Da to sit in
in front of Ordeal Bath Lodge (July 10, 2005)
|
Ordeal
Bath Lodge, with "the plunge"
on right (November, 2011)
Ordeal
Bath Lodge, with "the plunge" on
right (November, 2011)
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi
Da in front of Ordeal Bath Lodge: July 10,
2005
Adi Da in front of Ordeal Bath Lodge: July
10, 2005
(click to enlarge)
|
| full page linkIf video won't play in place, refresh the page and try again. Or you can click "full page link" (above). | length: 03:01 event date: July 10, 2005 Darshan of Adi Da, as He sits at three locations at The Mountain Of Attention (the second is in front of Ordeal Bath Lodge; the third is at The Manner Of Flowers).
Give the ego gone to Me. Find out My Self-of-Radiance, Which Is All-Love-As-Bliss. Let the ego be Un-Happened now. |
Love of the God-Man
— An "outreach Holy Site", speaking and
looking out into the world, as well as receiving devotees.
The site played a major role in Adi Da's ten-day visit
to the Mountain Of Attention in 1984 to meet with
devotees — which came to be known as the "Love of
the God Man" celebration. A large tent was erected
on the site, which held 700 people. (Tom Williams
describes being in that tent, as a major part of his
story about finding Adi Da.)
Adi Da giving Darshan in the Love of the God-Man
tent
|
Holy Cat Grotto
— Holy Cat Grotto is an outdoor Temple at The Mountain
Of Attention whose name honors Robert the Cat and his relationship with Adi Da Samraj.
The Grotto also holds Robert's ashes:
I recognized that Robert had been my teacher
in the wilderness. He had filled my eye and
owned a thread of attention in my heart. I
Knew him and he Knew me. Nothing could replace
that state of life or console its absence.
I treated him in death like a saint. I had
him cremated, and I kept his ashes.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj, The
Knee Of Listening
|
Holy Cat Grotto is a wild and profound place of healing
and meditation.
Holy Cat Grotto
|
Empowerment of Holy Cat Grotto: September
17, 1979
|
Empowerment
of Holy Cat Grotto: September 17, 1979
Empowerment of Holy Cat Grotto: September
17, 1979
(click to enlarge)
|
Installation of Robert the Cat Statue Murti at Holy Cat Grotto: November 3, 1995
Installation of Robert the Cat Statue Murti
at Holy Cat Grotto: November 3, 1995
(click to enlarge)
|
devotees at Holy Cat Grotto celebrating
the anniversary of Robert the Cat's death
July 4, 2005
|
Initiation
at Holy Cat Grotto: August, 2011
Initiation at Holy Cat Grotto: August, 2011
(click to enlarge)
|
Ceremony
at Holy Cat Grotto: 2013
Ceremony at Holy Cat Grotto: 2013
(click to enlarge)
|
Children
enjoying the koi in the old swimming pool
at Holy Cat Grotto (~1993)
Children
enjoying the koi in the old swimming pool
at Holy Cat Grotto (~1993)
(click to enlarge)
|
Huge Helper — Also
known as "the hotel", after its original
purpose when the Mountain Of Attention was still a
hot springs resort called " Seigler
Hot Springs".
Huge
Helper
Huge Helper
(click to enlarge)
|
Huge Helper (February, 2011)
|
Huge
Helper (October, 2011)
Huge Helper (October, 2011)
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi Da sitting with devotees at "Here I Am"
holy site
in front of Huge Helper, 1982
|
Adi Da sitting with devotees at "Here I Am"
holy site
in front of Huge Helper, 1982
|
"Here
I Am" holy site
"Here I Am" holy site
(click to enlarge)
|
The Well on the Mall in front of Huge Helper
|
the
Well surrounded by greenery
the Well surrounded by greenery
(Huge Helper: rear left, Darshan Adytum: rear
right)
(click to enlarge)
|
Huge Helper and the Well beneath a full moon
January, 2011
|
Huge
Helper in the early morning light: December,
2011
Huge Helper in the early morning light
December, 2011
(click to enlarge)
|
Huge
Helper in the winter snow: December, 2012
Huge Helper in the winter snow
December, 2012
(click to enlarge)
|
Huge
Helper from the back
Huge
Helper from the back
(click to enlarge)
|
The
path between Ordeal Bath Lodge and Seventh
Gate
with the back of Huge Helper on the right
The
path between Ordeal Bath Lodge and Seventh
Gate
with the back of Huge Helper on the right
(click to enlarge)
|
Sri Adi Da Pitamata
Asthi Mantapa — Translation: "Father-Mother
Temple". Shorter name: Pita Mata Mantapa. The
ashes of Adi Da's mother and father are in this Temple.
Pitamata
Asthi Mantapa
Pitamata Asthi Mantapa
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi
Da installs the ashes of His mother, Dorothy
Jones,
in Sri Adi Da Pitamata Asthi Mantapa
October 1, 1995
Adi
Da installs the ashes of His mother, Dorothy
Jones,
in Sri Adi Da Pitamata Asthi Mantapa
October 1, 1995
(click to enlarge)
|
Dan Jones is Adi Da's first cousin.
(Adi Da's father and Dan's father were brothers.)
Dan Jones: In 1996, I went to the
Mountain Of Attention — a very powerful and magical place! I started to actually
"feel" the sanctuary when I was about fifty
miles away. As I got closer, I was overcome
with emotion and could feel the energy to
the point that I thought I was going to
be sick.
Hal Okun took me to where my aunt
and uncle's ashes are [Pitamata Asthi Mantapa], and I knew without
a doubt that my own blood was there. I remember Hal
picked a leaf from a tree as an offering for me to give. I
approached the shrine with leaf in hand,
but I didn't make it to the door before I was on my knees.
Hal told me that Beloved Adi Da called
it the most powerful spot in the universe
. . . I have to agree.
|
Adi
Da as a young man, playing with Dan Jones
Adi
Da as a young man, playing with Dan Jones
(click to enlarge)
|
Darshan Adytum
— Formerly called "Great Food Dish", because
it used to serve as the central dining facility for
the Mountain Of Attention.
Darshan
Adytum
Darshan Adytum
(click to enlarge)
|
View of Seventh Gate Shrine and Bright Behind
Me
from Darshan Adytum
|
Adi
Da with devotees, in front of Darshan Adytum,
1975. Land Bridge Pavilion is in the background.
Adi Da with devotees, in front of Darshan
Adytum, 1975.
Land Bridge Pavilion is in the background.
(click to enlarge)
|
Land Bridge Pavilion
— A large Communion Hall and one of the most used
meeting places at the Mountain Of Attention. Adi Da
offered devotees hundreds of Darshan and Discourse
occasions here.
Adi
Da sitting with devotees in Land Bridge
Pavilion in 1986
Adi Da sitting with devotees in Land Bridge
Pavilion in 1986
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi Da talking to devotees in Land Bridge
Pavilion, 2005
|
Adi Da in Land Bridge Pavilion
November 4, 2005
|
musical performance by concert pianist Katya
Grineva
Land Bridge Pavilion, August, 2005
|
Adi
Da's entrance to Land Bridge Pavilion
Adi Da's entrance to Land Bridge Pavilion
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi
Da's entrance to Land Bridge Pavilion
Adi Da's entrance to Land Bridge Pavilion
(click to enlarge)
|
Presentation
for devotees in Land Bridge Pavilion
Presentation for devotees in Land Bridge Pavilion
(click to enlarge)
|
Presentation
for devotees in Land Bridge Pavilion
Presentation for devotees in Land Bridge Pavilion
(click to enlarge)
|
New
25 foot screen (showing Adi Da's Geome
One) at Land Bridge Pavilion
New
25 foot screen (showing Adi Da's Geome
One) at Land Bridge Pavilion
(click to enlarge)
|
Devotees
watching a sacred fire puja on the new 25
foot screen
Devotees
watching a sacred fire puja on the new 25
foot screen
(click to enlarge)
|
The
Murti of Adi Da at the front of Land Bridge
Pavilion
The
Murti of Adi Da at the front of Land Bridge
Pavilion
(click to enlarge)
|
Oak
tree on the hill above Land Bridge Pavilion
Oak
tree on the hill above Land Bridge Pavilion
(click to enlarge)
|
Chanting Springs
Chanting Springs
|
Chanting
Springs (center)
Chanting Springs (center)
(click to enlarge)
|
Temple Adi Da — Formerly
known as "Western Face Cathedral".
Adi
Da's Entrance at the rear of the Temple
Temple Adi Da:
Adi Da's Entrance at the rear of the Temple
(click to enlarge)
|
Temple Adi Da (front):
"Meditation and Puja Always in Progress.
Silence Please. Om Ma Da."
|
Temple Adi Da (front)
|
Temple Adi Da (side view) in the snow
|
Temple
Adi Da and Plain Talk Chapel
Temple Adi Da and Plain Talk Chapel
(click to enlarge)
|
Plain Talk Chapel
— While most devotees meditate in Temple Adi Da, Adi
Da set aside the neighboring Plain Talk Chapel for
those devotees who, in meditation, tend to have noisy
kriyas (bodily movements, vocalizations, etc. that
arise when the natural bodily energies are stimulated
by Adi Da's Spiritual Transmission), which might disturb
other meditators if they weren't in a separate hall.
Plain Talk Chapel in winter
|
Adi
Da's Art on Plain Talk Chapel
Da Purnima Celebration (July 27, 2013)
Adi
Da's Art on Plain Talk Chapel
Da Purnima Celebration (July 27, 2013)
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi
Da's Art on Plain Talk Chapel
Adi
Da's Art on Plain Talk Chapel
(click to enlarge)
|
Fear-No-More Zoo /
Sacred Camel Gardens — For more, visit the Fear-No-More
Zoo website. Sacred Camel Gardens offers occasional
"Retreats Among Camels"; check our Special
Events section.
| full page linkIf video won't play in place, refresh the page and try again. Or you can click "full page link" (above). | length: 08:24 views: 7084 A "Fear-No-More Zoo" historical compilation that includes pictures of Fear-No-More Zoo (at The Mountain Of Attention), audio clips of Adi Da speaking about the "non-humans", and pictures and video footage of Adi Da Blessing and interacting with the non-humans.
video production, camera work, and editing: David Baumbach narrator: Wes Vaught music: John Wubbenhorst, Transcendental Veranda Ray Lynch, Ralph's Rhapsody Thomas Newman, Star Machine
Thanks to the many photographers, videographers, and audio recorders who created the archival photographs, video clips, and audio clips over the years.
Additional video footage: Robert Wessel
Special thanks to Matt Barna.
For more about Fear-No-More Zoo, visit the Fear-No-More Zoo site. |
Sacred
Camel Gardens
Sacred Camel Gardens
(click to enlarge)
|
Sacred
Camel Gardens
Sacred Camel Gardens
(click to enlarge)
|
Sacred
Camel Gardens
Sacred Camel Gardens
(click to enlarge)
|
Sacred
Camel Shrine
Sacred Camel Shrine
(click to enlarge)
|
Peaceful
Baba (who has always shown a spiritual sensitivity
to Adi Da)
Peaceful Baba (who has always shown
a spiritual sensitivity to Adi Da: more here)
(click to enlarge)
|
A
baby camel at the Lake of Radical Understanding
A
baby camel at the Lake of Radical Understanding
(click to enlarge)
|
Sanctuary
turkeys
Sanctuary
turkeys
(click to enlarge)
|
Sanctuary
turkeys
Sanctuary
turkeys
(click to enlarge)
|
| full page linkIf video won't play in place, refresh the page and try again. Or you can click "full page link" (above). | length: 23:12 This documentary shows the development of the cooperative process between camels and people that fosters the spiritual growth of both cultures.
We welcome you to find out more at sacredcamelgardens.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Daji
Megan Fear-No-More — Until
the early 1980's, a German Shepherd
named Megan lived with Adi Da at The
Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary. Adi
Da loved him dearly, and it soon became
obvious that Megan wished only to
serve his Spiritual Master as devoted
friend and protector. He did so for
nearly eight years. Daji Megan's burial
site is at the entrance to Fear-No-More
Zoo, a tangible sign of his guardianship.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tall Animals Land
— A beautiful, forested area of the Sanctuary. The first
puja was performed here on March 25, 1980.
Bright Behind Me
— Houses the American
Trickster Library (which contains Adi Da's summary
comprehension of all traditions of human knowing and
endeavor Revealed via His Seven Schools of God-Talk);
and the Sacred
Archives of Adidam. It was built on the site of
the original Bright Behind Me Temple, which was lost
to fire. Devotees still wear
a bead (on their mala) that contains ash from the original Bright Behind
Me (Adi
Da's original residence at the Mountain Of Attention),
as a reminder of their personal responsibility for Adi
Da's Sanctuaries and every aspect of His work for the
liberation of all beings.
Bright
Behind Me
Bright Behind Me
(click to enlarge)
|
Devotees
on the lawn in front of Seventh Gate.
Bright Behind Me is behind them and Seventh
Gate is to the left (not in picture).
Devotees on the lawn in front of Seventh Gate.
Bright Behind Me is behind them and Seventh
Gate is to the left.
(click to enlarge)
|
Bright
Behind Me
Bright Behind Me
(click to enlarge)
|
Bright
Behind Me
Bright Behind Me
(click to enlarge)
|
Bright
Behind Me at sunset in July, 2019
Bright Behind Me at sunset in July, 2019
(Seventh Gate Shrine is on the left)
(click to enlarge)
|
The Geyser — One of the
original springs from the Seigler
Springs resort.
The Geyser
|
The
Geyser: the original "Seigler Springs
Resort" sign is still there!
The
Geyser: the original "Seigler
Springs Resort" sign is still there!
(click to enlarge)
|
Goat's Wool Blanket
— Quarters for Sanctuary residents.
Spirit Vase — Quarters
for Sanctuary residents.
Earth Keeper — The
Sanctuary carpentry shop.
Middle Phase Chief
Pile of Poles — Quarters
for devotee retreatants on the Sanctuary.
Pile
of Poles Retreat Quarters
Pile of Poles Retreat Quarters
(click to enlarge)
|
[Being on retreat is an excellent circumstance
for transcending the illusion of identification
with the "pile of poles":] The cells of
the body are like simple organisms, amoebas,
little creeps in the swamp, perhaps more highly
organized but basically the same guys. Your
body is just a pile of those guys, the same
guys that have only learned through the vast
eons of evolutionary time how to organize themselves
in relation to one another and to specialize
their tasks. They are not conscious. They are
a mechanical breed, a potential within this
particular kind of gross manifestation
You are just a stack of these guys, a pile
of poles, which are related to one another not
as conscious entities but as mechanical entities,
little computers, little robots, each one of
which is nothing much more than a little bug,
a little slimy character living in the medium
of water, which is basically the body's composition.They
permit the Transcendental Being, the Living
Consciousness, the Divine Personality, to have
a vehicle of manifestation, but if that Divine
Personality forgets Its own Condition and no
longer recognizes this pile of poles, this mound
of creeps, then the mound of creeps becomes
"I", begins to command the Living God and cause
the Living One to conceive of Itself as the
ego, as the individuated personality necessarily
limited and bound by the mounds of individuated
slime out of which manifest existence is composed.
Avatar Adi Da Samraj, Chapter 2,
The
Dreaded Gom-Boo
|
Home Dance — Home Dance
was for many years the laundry facility of the Sanctuary
(hence the name), until it was expanded and transformed
into a retreat facility for devotees. It is now permanently
heated with hydronic flooring. Hot water from Holy
Cat Grotto is constantly flowing under the floor
boards, providing radiant heat.
Home Dance Retreat Center
|
Quiet Dogs — In 1974,
at Adi Da's request, Quiet Dogs was purchased to be
part of the Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary. "Quiet
Dogs" derives its name from the fact that the previous
owner of Quiet Dogs had noisy dogs that were disturbing
the quiet of the Sanctuary, a principal reason why Adi
Da asked that devotees purchase the property. For members
of the First and Second Congregation, meditation and
service retreats are open all year round at Quiet Dogs
for any length of time. Service retreats for members
of the Third Congregation are offered on a case by case
basis depending on the devotee's skills and the services
needed on the Mountain Of Attention.
Quiet Dogs Retreat Center
|
Quiet Dogs burnt to the ground in the Valley Fire
of 2015.
Where
Quiet Dogs once stood
Where
Quiet Dogs once stood — September 12-14,
2015. (© ASA)
|
Mother's Bed — A beautiful lake where Adi
Da liked to swim and gather with devotees.
Mother's Bed
|
Adi
Da with devotees on the platform in the middle
of Mother's Bed: July 7, 1982
Adi Da with devotees on the platform
in the middle of Mother's Bed: July 7, 1982
(click to enlarge)
|
Adi Da in a kayak in Mother's Bed
|
|
Children boating on Mother's
Bed
at the Mountain Of Attention
(click to enlarge)
|
|
Mother's Bed
(click to enlarge)
|
The
Man of "Radical" Understanding — The public
retreat center for the Mountain Of Attention. On October
28, 1995, Adi Da visited the Man Of "Radical" Understanding
Retreat Center with a few devotees. He Empowered the
communion hall and sat in the retreat house.
The Man of "Radical" Understanding Retreat Center
|
The Lake of "Radical" Understanding
|
|
First Room Theater Site
at The Man of "Radical" Understanding
(click to enlarge)
|
|
First Room Theater Site
at The Man of "Radical" Understanding
(click to enlarge)
|
Fresh Milk — The Adidam
Bookstore at the Mountain Of Attention (open
to the public).
Fresh Milk (outside)
|
Fresh Milk (outside)
|
Fresh Milk (inside)
|
Fresh
Milk visitors
Fresh
Milk visitors
(click to enlarge)
|
Fresh
Milk visitor
Fresh
Milk visitor
(click to enlarge)
|
Fresh
Milk visitors
Fresh
Milk visitors
(click to enlarge)
|
Fresh
Milk visitors
Fresh
Milk visitors
(click to enlarge)
|
Fresh
Milk visitors
Fresh
Milk visitors
(click to enlarge)
|
Fresh
Milk visitors
Fresh
Milk visitors
(click to enlarge)
|
Fresh
Milk visitors
Fresh
Milk visitors
(click to enlarge)
|
Fresh
Milk at night, December, 2012
Fresh Milk at night, December,
2012
(click to enlarge)
|
Celebration Gate
Celebration Gate
(an entrance to the Sanctuary near Fresh Milk)
|
Celebration Gate in winter
|
A
wild turkey on the path, heading up toward
the gate
A wild turkey on the path, heading up toward
Celebration Gate
(click to enlarge)
|
Celebration
Gate, looking outward
Celebration Gate, looking outward
(click to enlarge)
|
Celebration
Gate during the Celebration of Danavira Mela (2020)
Celebration Gate during the Celebration of Danavira Mela (2020)
(click to enlarge)
|
Celebration
Gate during a Celebration
Celebration Gate during a Celebration
(click to enlarge)
|
Great Food Dish — The
primary kitchen and dining facility for The Mountain
Of Attention. Formerly known as "First People".
Great Food Dish: June, 2017
Great Food Dish: June, 2017
(click to enlarge)
|
Great Food Dish (in the snow)
|
Adi Da making cookies in Great Food Dish (December
23, 1995)
|
Adi Da making cookies in Great Food Dish
|
Inside Great Food Dish
|
On
a wall of Great Food Dish: a picture of Adi Da
as a young man,
working in a kitchen similar to Great Food Dish
in the Catskills
On a wall of Great Food Dish: a picture of Adi
Da as a young man,
working in a similar kitchen in the Catskills
(click to enlarge)
|
devotees
eating outside Great Food Dish
devotees eating outside Great Food Dish
(click to enlarge)
|
Cabins on the Circle — Cabins
for some of the Sanctuary residents.
Cabins on the Circle
|
Cabins on the Circle (February, 2011)
with Huge Helper in the distance
|
Cabins
on the Circle (February, 2014)
Cabins
on the Circle (February, 2014)
(click to enlarge)
|
Cabins
on the Circle (February, 2014)
Cabins
on the Circle (February, 2014)
(click to enlarge)
|
5. Books
In this subsection, we provide a partial list of
books compiled from Adi Da's Instruction to devotees,
while He was living at the Mountain Of Attention.
|
6. Stories From The Mountain
Of Attention
Below are stories from devotees about Adi Da's Work.
Each story took place — either entirely or in
part — at the Mountain Of Attention.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Miracle in the Garden: Adi Da's Empowerment
of the First Holy Site — During
her first weeks of coming to Avatar
Adi Da in 1974, Ruchiradama Nadikanta
broke many things, including a plaster
statue of the Virgin Mary that belonged
to Avatar Adi Da. At the same time,
she was also in charge of the vegetable
garden being planted at The Mountain
Of Attention, and this too was problematic.
Nothing would grow! For this reason,
Avatar Adi Da decided (as He later put
it) "to show her something".
|
|
|
|
|
The
Hole in the Universe: The Sacred Empowerment
of Red Sitting Man Fire Site — In
1979, Avatar Adi Da created and consecrated
a holy site at the Mountain Of Attention
called Red
Sitting Man. It was there, in July
of that year, that He Initiated devotees
into sacramental worship of Him in the
form of fire. Fire is one of the most
powerful elemental symbols of the Divine
— a sign of Spirit, Light, and purification.
Ann Rogers recalls the potency of the
occasion in initiating her recognition
of Avatar Adi Da as the Divine Person.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Peach — In July 1978, Avatar Adi Da
Samraj invited the children of Mound Builder
Free School to a devotional occasion at
the Mountain Of Attention. This is the
story of how Adi Da reads the mind and
heart of one young devotee with a strong
desire.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
An
Immense Burden Had Been Lifted from Me
— Toni
Vidor tells a story (that took place in
Ordeal Bath
Lodge) of the impact of Adi Da's Spiritual
Transmission on her: "When it was finally
over, I felt as if an immense burden —
eighty tons of whatever it was I had been
carrying around all my life without even
realizing it — had been lifted from me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Look
the Fire in the Eye — On September
17, 1979, a hot
and dry day, fire
threatened the Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary.
Ben Fugitt, a devotee caretaker of the
Sanctuary, noticed the initial tuft of
smoke, and sprang into action. He soon
discovered that the fire was out of control,
and heading on a direct line for the Sanctuary.
He never anticipated the adventure Adi
Da would involve him in that day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Garbage
and the Goddess — 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 stories 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saving
a Life in Future Time —
Adi Da teaches devotee Hellie Kalogeros
the Heimlich maneuver so that she can save
the life of her child a few days later.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When
There Is Surrender — An account of
Leroy Stilwell's first direct, tangible
experience of Avatar Adi Da's Spiritual
Transmission.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
First Celibacy Consideration — In the
summer of 1979, Adi Da began to talk about
celibacy. He suggested that if we cut out
our “middle class indulgence” in coupling,
perhaps we would be able to really get down
to the spiritual practice. James Steinberg
describes where the consideration went from
there. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"And
Who Is a Master?" — a conversation
between Crane Kirkbride and Adi Da Samraj
about the difference between the Divine
Self-Realizer and God.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Everything
Bows To The Divine Lord
— Tom Closser: "There
were very full arrangements of flowers on
both sides of His seat. The flowers literally
bent toward Him, obviously acknowledging
His Presence as were the other devotees
in the room." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My
2017 Visit to the Manner of Flowers
— Longtime devotee Aniello
Panico describes his visit to the Manner
of Flowers, Adi Da's Residence at the
Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary in Northern
California, on Aniello's 82nd birthday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7. Miscellaneous
Seigler Hot Springs, 1947 |
|
Before
It Was the Mountain Of Attention — Before
it became the Mountain Of Attention, the land
now associated with this Sanctuary had served
as a popular hot springs resort called Seigler
Hot Springs (Seigler Springs, for short). Here
is a brief recount of that history, along with
an album of historical photos. |
Happy
40th Anniversary! — January 23, 2014
was the 40th Anniversary of Adi Da setting foot
at the Mountain Of Attention.
|
|
the Mountain Of Attention, 1974
|
|
|
The Valley Fire at
the Mountain Of Attention — In September,
2015, a devastating fire (called the "Valley Fire")
swept through a large area of Lake County, California,
with extraordinary speed, burning virtually everything
in its path, before 4,000+ firefighters finally
succeeded in containing it. Miraculously, the
core temples, archives, and residences of The
Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary were untouched.
However, several outlying buildings and holy sites
were destroyed; and the homes of many devotees
living near the Sanctuary were also lost. |
The
Mountain Of Attention Coloring Book — A
fun and educational activity-book for children
ages 3–10. Features a full-color cover and 22
drawings of the Holy Sites of The Mountain Of
Attention. Also includes stories about Adi Da
Samraj's relationship to each of these special
places. Available from The
Dawn Horse Press.
|
|
|
NEXT SANCTUARY: Da
Love-Ananda Mahal
|
FOOTNOTES
|
186,104 people have liked our site's pages and shared them with their Facebook friends - Most Shared Pages
Diane B. - Ashby, Massachusetts, United States
(Sent Monday, September 19, 2022 0:44AM)
Dan J. - United States
(Sent Sunday, September 18, 2022 10:14PM)
My first Darshan was at Seventh Gate during the 25th Anniversary Jubilee in April, 1997. I was invited on a service retreat to landscape and build a pathway and install a lawn at Bright Behind Me upon Beloved Adi Da’s request. I was told that He wanted a lawn there. He wanted to see green instead of the lifeless brown appearance there.
It was truly a wonderful period of Grace showered upon devotees. I’m sure I’ve read your leelas of that occasion.
Through the subsequent years, I was invited to serve with Mo, Kate, Fred and Gardenia as we all participated in the design, fundraising and installation of the Flagstone pathway from All Eyes Gate on down into the Sanctuary, and the marble Temple at Seventh Gate.
I have been fully Graced to be allowed to serve Beloved Adi Da’s Holy Temples, House and grounds on the entire sanctuary. The Mountain Of Attention and the culture of Adidam devotees is my sole purpose for living in Lake County (California) and I am eternally grateful to Beloved Adi Da for having invited me in and allowing me to serve Him personally in His Divine Domain!! ❤️🙏🏽💫
Al Y. - California, United States
(Sent Sunday, September 18, 2022 10:09PM)
Chris Tong (site founder) - Kelseyville, California, United States
(Sent Saturday, February 9, 2019 2:48AM)
allister lehan - sydney, nsw, Australia
(Sent Saturday, February 9, 2019 0:12AM)
Sara M. - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
(Sent Saturday, July 15, 2017 9:51AM)
sage one - sebastopol, California, United States
(Sent Friday, November 25, 2016 2:30AM)
Jackie F. - Richmond, Virginia, United States
(Sent Saturday, January 25, 2014 11:02AM)
Sylvain T. - Quebec, United States
(Sent Thursday, January 23, 2014 7:35PM)
Daniela M. - Singapore
(Sent Thursday, January 23, 2014 6:53PM)
John M.
(Sent Thursday, January 23, 2014 3:31PM)
Pamela B. - Vanderbilt, Michigan, United States
(Sent Thursday, January 23, 2014 3:26PM)
Across the sweet mountain land
Echoes in my heart.
Michael V. - United States
(Sent Thursday, January 23, 2014 3:23PM)
Joseph D. - Canandaigua, New York, United States
(Sent Thursday, January 23, 2014 2:12PM)
Jan M. - Novato, CA, United States
(Sent Thursday, January 23, 2014 2:10PM)
Paul D. - Newport, Rhode Island, United States
(Sent Thursday, January 23, 2014 11:01AM)
Michelle - United States
(Sent Sunday, September 18, 2011 8:17PM)
© 2024 Copyrighted materials used with the permission of The Avataric Samrajya of Adidam Pty Ltd, as trustee for The Avataric Samrajya of Adidam. All rights reserved. None of these materials may be disseminated or otherwise used for any non-personal purpose without the prior agreement of the copyright owner. ADIDAM is a trademark of The Avataric Samrajya of Adidam Pty Ltd, as Trustee for the Avataric Samrajya of Adidam.
Technical problems with our site? Let our webmaster know.