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Is Adi Da Still Spiritually Active?
I saw Him sitting on the edge of the pool, eight years after the end of His human lifetime! — in Person, just like seeing anyone in the flesh.
Question:
Adi Da's life ended on November 27, 2008. Is He still spiritually
active, now that His human lifetime is over?
Brief answer: Very much so! In fact, the entire purpose of His human lifetime was to make Himself and the Way of Adidam available to all beings, in perpetuity. We'll now consider Adi Da's words about this, as well as the experiences of devotees (and non-devotees) after His human lifetime.
Sections in this article:
- Adi Da Describing the Period After His Human Lifetime
- The Experiences of Devotees and Non-Devotees After Adi Da's Human Lifetime
- On the Phrase, "Spiritually
Active"
This Body Has Its Work to Do — and the day its Work is Done, I will Breathe right out of it and Stand In My Infinity, and That Is It. But I will not be divorced from you. I will Work with you Directly — forever.
I have Already Connected with every one. I Am Already Coincident with every one. . . I Am Doing the Same Work now That I Will Do forever — even when I am no longer physically Embodied here.
From the beginning of His work with devotees, Adi Da was very aware that His human lifetime was finite, and that the great purpose of that lifetime was to establish the Way of Adidam for all time, so that His Presence and Spiritual Transmission would always be accessible to human beings in all future generations:
This bodily (human) Form is not required forever. It is required only for the time of Revelation, the establishment of this Divine Avataric Way, such that, at some appropriate moment, the bodily (human) Form can be relinquished and dissolved. Then devotees will have understood how this is the Way of associating with the Power of My Eternal Samadhi, My Eternal Presence and Person of a Spiritual and Ultimate Nature, Which cannot be gone — Which cannot and will not be withdrawn. I will be Present then, exactly as now, not diminished. I cannot separate from the conditional domain. I Am its Very Source. I Am Perpetually Present. This is My Revelation to you.
The question, "Is Adi Da still spiritually active?", comes from a view of Adi Da as an ordinary person, whose human lifetime is now over; or as an extraordinary Realizer and Spiritual Master, who is now in some "other plane" and may or may not have chosen (or may or may not be able) to have contact with us here in the "material plane" now that He has passed on.
But the fullest answer to the question, "Is Adi Da still spiritually active?", is based on the understanding that Adi Da was neither an ordinary man nor (merely) an extraordinary Spiritual Master (although He certainly was that). Rather, devotees of Adi Da receive the Revelation that Adi Da is the human incarnation of the very Divine Person. The Divine Person was, is, and will always be Eternally Present. But that fact was not of any practical use to any of us without our ability to find the Eternally Present Divine. Thus the true and ongoing significance of Adi Da's human lifetime and physical appearance here was that He provided us with the means — the Way of Adidam — by which we could always locate Him (the Eternally Present Divine Person), without requiring Him to be alive in human form forever:
I am teaching you about it in My physical lifetime so that after My physical lifetime you will have this learning, the cultural supposition, this understanding, this Yoga to do, and I won't have to be physically present. But you will know that I will be Present. I will be with you, you see, not gone forever.
I have helped you by My physical Incarnation to identify or locate Me as I've always been, which you never noticed before. And I will have taught you about how to notice Me, having physically incarnated.
Thereafter, you will be able to associate with Me as I was before, but now that you have noticed it, you will be able to locate Me forever. I will never leave you or ever be dissociated from you or ever be separate from you. . . And after My physical lifetime I will be in the same Play with you, exactly as present with you. . . You will have My Murtis and My Holy locations and so on.
Adi Da addresses the notion that time spent in His physical Company (while He is alive) is somehow necessary for fruitful practice of the Way of Adidam, and points out how this notion is based on a misunderstanding of Who He Is:
Most of the devotees of all kinds of Spiritual Teachers, throughout history, did not have a physical, or immediate, daily association with that Person. That has never been required in order to practice. It is, in fact, not necessary.
You have to do the ego-transcending practice in the context of your daily life, devoted to the Spiritual Master. It is not that the Spiritual Way has to be about being in physical proximity to the Spiritual Master, all the time. It is not possible, it has never been the case, it is not necessary, it is not even appropriate, taking into account all the things you have to deal with for real.
So the Reality-Way of Adidam is not about immediate physical association with Me. To date, everyone has (generally) come into My physical Sphere, at least on occasion. Even that is not necessary. After the death of this Body, nobody is going to do it. And during the Lifetime of this Body, only some — those who can afford to come here — will do that.
However, all the elements of the practice of Adidam are Given to all. If it is not possible to come into My physical Company, you can still practice Adidam fully, effectively — because you are devoted to Me. Likewise, only a handful can do immediate, physical, daily service in My physical Company. That is a practical necessity. It does not mean that they are the only ones really doing the ego-transcending practice, or really Given the full circumstance to do the ego-transcending practice. That is nonsensical.
Physical proximity to Me is not the basis of the Reality-Way of Adidam. It is simply that some must be Given that kind of access for the sake of service — because I am physically here, at the moment. But it has nothing to do with that being the necessary context of the Reality-Way of Adidam.
It is often said in the traditions, in fact, that those who had, for whatever reason, the opportunity to serve the Spiritual Master bodily, or to be in that Sphere, often seemed to Realize less than everybody else. It was not always the case — some in that intimate circumstance progressed greatly. But it is not the circumstance that does it — it is the disposition of the devotee.
I am just as much on the "other side" of the "world" as I Am "here" Sitting in this Chair. I am immediately Available to all devotees, because of Who I Am. You have to find that out, and truly create a culture of right devotion to Me. You must realize and communicate that I Am the Divine Avataric World-Teacher, and not just the Teacher of those who are up close on My Body, or of some group that happens to be associated with Me at the present moment. You must be fully communicative about Me.
But to do that, you must be fully aware of Who I Am, and enjoy a culture with one another that is about Who I Am, and not just about wanting to indulge in some sort of attachment game with a physical "person".
Necessarily, then, for Me to do My Work while physically alive, I have to have some who I associate with very directly and physically, in order to be served, or to generate means of service to everyone. So, as a practical matter, that has to be, but that is not a description of the fundamental context of ego-transcending practice for all devotees.
All of Time and Space is My Domain and My Body and Person, Manifested. This must be your understanding, the basis of your approach to Me, and the basis of your communication in the "world". Instead of persisting in this up-close-to-the-Body kind of neurosis, or ego-game, and keeping it "small" around Me, you must be expansive to the entire "world", and include all in My Divine Avataric Company.
And you, yourselves, must relate to Me As I Am, and not just as a human "other", in the conventional sense. Wherever you are, in time and space, you have equal access to Me, As I Am.
You can read much more of what Adi Da said about this in our section, Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi and Adidam In Perpetuity.
As we write this, only a brief time has passed since Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi. We are only at the very beginning of the period of history that post-dates His human lifetime. But we can already confirm everything Adi Da said through the already unfolding story of His continuing impact on both devotees and non-devotees alike.
Stories from the time of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi. We have gathered together many stories specifically associated with the time of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi, in which both devotees and non-devotees confirm His Presence. Here are just a couple of excerpts.
First is from Alaya Gernon's story, Suddenly A Foot and Thumb Appeared.
Alaya: I received a phone call from a devotee advising me of [Adi Da's] Mahasamadhi. I cried solidly for three days and nights — it felt beyond self. I then had the most remarkable experience. I had not been able to look at the Murti for a day or so — not properly, because I felt so upset. Then when I finally was able to do so, within minutes the Murti changed to simply light as it often does for me. Suddenly, within the Murti, a foot and thumb appeared. The thumb then extended and burst into my third eye, and again I experienced a crashing current and fell back. Since that moment, I have continued to turn to Beloved Adi Da and have had several remarkable 'experiences' which are astounding and a mystery. On reading The Boundless Self Confession, I can now understand totally what can only be described as a Great Sacrifice for the sake of all.
Next is from Kiam's story, To God Knows Where. Kiam is a resident of Israel, responding to a November 30, 2008 article about Adi Da's passing in Ma'ariv, Israel's second largest newspaper. (The following is translated from the original Hebrew.)
Kiam: A little over two years ago, through your Ma'ariv article on Adi Da, I recognized the face that was visiting/guiding me during certain mental/contemplative exercises. Discovering that the face belonged to a Real Living Man blew me The F*** Away to God-Knows-Where!
Yes, Adi Da can be hard to take, and I'm still digesting. Such is often the case with Love: It breaks the heart, and that hurts . . .
I am blessed for having the privilege of sharing space-energy-time with He who was known as Franklin Albert Jones, He who shined brightly the Love of Da. God bless Franklin Albert Jones and may God bless you too.
With much thanks. Thank you so much.
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Sara Morin tells how, in February, 2016, she saw her Beloved Guru: "I saw Him sitting there, eight years after His Divine Mahasamadhi! - in Person, just like seeing anyone in the flesh." |
| Some of the stories of the continuing experience of Adi Da's Presence after His death are quite humorous, like His sister's story of a picture of Adi Da coming to life one day and blinking at her! She felt He was reassuring her that He was still present, and always would be.[2] |  |
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Other stories report the same kinds of miracles that occurred throughout Adi Da's decades of work with His devotees. For example, in one story, Anne Henderson describes how, one night in January, 2013, Adi Da was suddenly in the room, transforming it and her with His Love — and she was instantly, Gracefully relieved of a reactive pattern that she had suffered for decades. |
| In another story, Trish Mitchell describes how, in April, 2013, Adi Da's Grace initiated a miraculous recovery from work-related PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). |  |
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Steven Shapiro writes: "Reminds me of 2012, when I was at Naitauba, Fiji. I was walking past the outer courtyard of Aham Da Asmi Sthan. I glanced at Beloved Adi Da's chair — and saw Him sitting there! 'Oh', I thought. 'I guess He didn't die.' Then looked back at a now empty chair and smiled." |
| In another story, Alaya Gernon tells of travelling to and attending a retreat at The Mountain Of Attention in July, 2016, and the many Graceful Revelations given to her by Adi Da along the way. |  |
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Scott Belanger tells the story of the last days in the lifetime of his father, Serge Belanger — from December, 2016 to March, 2017 — and how Scott helped enable Adi Da's Grace to enter into his father's life in those final moments. |
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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. He left with the absolute conviction
that Adi Da was still in residence there.
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To access video, click on image or title:
This video begins with longtime devotee, Anthony Costabile, describing how the relationship to Adi Da is manifesting after the end of Adi Da's human lifetime.
Then at 2:29, Adi Da also speaks on this subject. This is an excerpt from a talk He gave on April 16, 1995, "Love is How I Got To Here". You can read a transcript of much more of this talk here. The talk is also available as a CD here.
At 6:43, another longtime devotee, Dennis Coccaro, talks about the direct relationship to Adi Da after His lifetime.
For much more about Adi Da's human passing and Eternal Presence, visit our section, Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi and Adidam In Perpetuity.
Stories from devotees visiting Adi Da's Mahasamadhi site. Many devotees have visited Adi Da's Mahasamadhi site, The "Brightness", and attest to the extraordinary power of His Spiritual Transmission there.
It is an Eternal Intention that I Demonstrate and Speak
about during My physical Lifetime, a Work to go on forever.
I Established a Place of My Radiation. It is the Place
where this Body in Its end-time will be fitted. I have
Accounted for everything. My Mahasamadhi Site will ultimately
become the Principal Locus on the Island. The "Root"-Place,
the Source-Point is here, at Adi Da Samrajashram, where
people will have the most immediate contact with Me beyond
My physical Lifetime. This is the Principal Seat, the
Blessing-Seat, the Source-Position — in perpetuity. People
are to come to Me, where and As I Am. That is how I will
Transform humankind and the Earth-"world".
Here is one of those stories.
I went up back to the "Brightness" Temple in the early afternoon. . . . The entire area seemed to vibrate with a tangible Presence that was very familiar to me as Bhagavan's Spiritual Form. As I sat down on the ground, I became conscious of the fact that this was only about thirty feet away from the chamber in which Bhagavan's physical form was buried. Soon the feeling of intimacy with my Master started increasing significantly. There was a quickly growing feeling of very tangible Love-Bliss energy in the body. I noticed this energy entering my hands — which were placed on the ground in front — moving up and filling the entire body with the most blissful Love-Touch. The feeling of the intimacy of touch was the most outstanding part of the experience. . . .There were frequent incidents in my life as devotee in the past of feeling Bhagavan's Love touch, very typically in the heart region. I never had the opportunity though to be physically touched by Bhagavan Adi Da, but what was happening now was new, it was . . . both. . . . Weeping with tears of joy, I fell into a swoon that lasted for hours.
I want to share testimony that Da is still present. I received a CD of Adi Da. I have been making Mahamantras to Him, and something very obvious is happening in my life! People are "breaking my heart", showing to me my obsessed areas. They are reflecting to me my "shadow" . . . that same "shadow" I have always been denying to myself. It is a hard but growing process. . . Reality is not what I thought!
I can testify to the Transcendental, risen qualities of Adi Da Samraj. It is quite clear to me that the inner knowing of the Guru is only by Divine Grace and that this Grace is given freely and can penetrate any circumstances, as it does not rely on any condition other than Grace.
So it is, with my "vision" of the Avatar. I never saw Him and indeed did not know of Him until after His earthly physical existence had ended, yet, I feel I know Him and He has become the Guru of the Bright and has Awakened my heart to a new life.
I just finished your beautiful Heart Story with Adi Da, and find tears of gratitude and inspiration falling down my face. I can see now how in very specific times in my life, the Divine Heart Master has been with me all along. I never "met" Him in person while He was in His bodily form, but now I know more intensely than ever, that He is eternally Here with us ALL and lives in our hearts eternally. . . Thank you!
Every now and then when I am teaching Kundalini Yoga, Adi Da "comes in" and blesses the group with his transmission of love bliss. It's very special, and unmistakably him.
E. (who is not a devotee) came to our Adidam introductory event. After the event, she said that she had come not expecting much, and she was surprised at what had happened. The Spiritual Transmission from the large beautiful Murti of Adi Da we had at the front of the room was strong for her. She felt Adi Da's face moving and communicating to her, and saw His face changing in age, from younger to older. She also said she felt Bhagavan Adi Da's Presence strongly. She said that as much as her fear and "doubt mind" came up (at the event and since), Adi Da's Touch in her heart was and is undeniable and persistent. She now wants to attend our introductory "Da Avatar" course.
In 2009, I came across The Knee of Listening at my university's library in upstate New York. On the back, there was a testimonial from Alan Watts, who I am fond of, and I think I had also seen a recommendation from Robert Anton Wilson in one of Wilson's books. So, I borrowed the book.
I read parts of The Knee of Listening, but I guess you could say I was not pulled in at the time. I returned it and didn't give it a second thought.
Then — I think it was 2011 — I had a dream where I entered a building, some sort of center of Adi Da's. A receptionist told me "Adi Da is ready to see you now." So I walked into a small room where Adi Da was sitting on a platform that wrapped around the room. He got up, walked over to me, and, without saying anything, He put his hands on my shoulders — and I was filled head-to-toe with the most incredible bliss I have ever experienced. All of my perpetual, self-contracted seeking activity was released in that moment. I was home. Every cell in my body was radiating illuminated ecstasy. Although He didn't say anything, my overwhelming impression of His communication was that I needed to "Stop!".
This dream is easily one of the most powerful experiences of my life. Upon waking up, I went to one of the Adidam websites where it says in the FAQs, "If Adi Da appears in your dreams or visions, this is a sign of who He is, and the most appropriate response would be to look into His teachings and reach out to His devotees." So I ordered a copy of The Liberating Word CD, and went back to the library and borrowed The Knee of Listening a second time.
At some point in this renewed investigation of Adi Da's Teachings, I came across the Today Show "exposé", and some of the negative websites that try to paint a not-so-pretty picture of Adi Da, and this was a put-off for me. So I put Adidam on the back-burner as I finished college and moved to Colorado. I did not give Adi Da much thought from 2012-2015.
However, this past spring (2016), I decided that the dream in 2011 was one of the most meaningful spiritual occasions of my life. So, for the past eight months, I have been more or less firmly committed to an investigation of Adi Da's teachings, listening and re-listening to several hours of His talks per week, relating these experiences and teachings to my friends and meditation teachers, and reading more of His writings. I also am going to take the Da Avatar intro course.
Others record experiences of Adi Da's influence.
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For example, Buddhist teacher Jenna Sundell writes on her personal blog of Adi Da appearing in a dream (on November 10, 2011) and saying mysteriously: "ten more years". We spoke to her shortly after November 10, 2021 — but at least up until that time she had received no further revelation about what Adi Da was referring to. Perhaps time will tell! |
| Spiritual seeker, Joost, writes on his blog (on January 7, 2015) about reading Adi Da's words from The Knee Of Listening: "By the time I had read past the fourth paragraph, the words fell through me as if I did not exist! Recognition had dissolved the reader!" | 
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"What Is That Photograph?" — Alaya Gernon tells of an extraordinary Revelation one of her non-devotee treatment clients received (in June, 2015), while looking at a photo of Adi Da, in which he saw Adi Da blinking and breathing in the "photo". That Photograph Again — A few months later, a little girl receives another extraordinary Revelation from that same photograph. |
Stories from new devotees who never met Adi Da while He was alive. The first generation of new devotees who have never seen Adi Da alive in human form has begun. We are gathering together their stories (on this site), to confirm in living terms that, just as He was while alive, Adi Da is still available to all His devotees, including those who will come to Him in the years and centuries after His human lifetime. Here are just the first of those stories.
- Free
From Feeling Like a "me" — The author is from the Southeastern
U.S. Region of Adidam. She became Bhagavan Adi Da's devotee
only a few months before His Divine Mahasamadhi, and was never
in His physical Company while He was alive. This is her personal
account of traveling to Naitauba for the first time, for a 10-day
pilgrimage retreat during the Vigil following the Divine Mahasamadhi
of Adi Da Samraj.
The
Baby on My Shoulder — Margaret Dempsey: "One
night, I had a dream. I was standing in my kitchen, looking
out to sea, and I had a baby on my shoulder. Because of how
the baby was positioned, I couldn't see the baby's face, so
I leaned back a little to look — and got the shock of my life
when I recognised it as the face of Adi Da when He was a baby."
No Doubts
Whatsoever — Alaya Gernon: "Suddenly, Adi
Da Himself appeared in the room, life size. He was sitting right
in front of me. . . And then — suddenly, it was Ramana Maharshi
sitting in front of me!"
One clarification: For many, the phrase, "spiritually active?", can conjure up images of Adi Da "up" in the Divine Domain, looking down, and intending and doing various "spiritual things" with living human beings. Adi Da has made clear that that is not the way it works. He is simply, merely Present. But that All-Pervading Presence combines with human beings here (particularly those who are putting their attention on Him) in ways that have all kinds of miraculous consequences — none of which require any "attention" from Him.[1] It's a little bit like His lightbulb analogy:
If
you walked into a room, and there were a light shining in
the ceiling, it would be shining in all directions. You would
see the light at one point, depending on your position in
the room, and say "It's shining on me", as if in some sense
the lightbulb noticed you! But in fact the lightbulb is radiating
in all directions "indifferently".
If you see Me in some visionary sense, or I say something and you hear it without My being physically there, well that is interesting. Examine that phenomena and feel everything about it. On the other hand, do not identify the experience with Me. I am not the experience. At most it is an effect of My Presence. I am simply My Presence, My Person. I remain, the experience does not — it is gone. . . .
All these phenomena are of interest. They may and should be hopefully inspiring to your practice, but they are not, in and of themselves, to be identified with Me. So I do not care what I said in your dream, you see. That is not the point. The point is I said it, not what I said. Do not imagine that your vision of Me in a dream is Me. You will be looking for Me in your dreams from that time on, trying to see Me again. Whereas in the moments you are not seeing Me in your dreams, I am still here — so I am not in the form of some experience.
I will not always be here in this Bodily Form. There will be photographs and all the rest, but I will not be physically animated. I will be present, however, just as I am now and accessible by the means, specific means I have indicated, and those are the means that are to be tested.
In this time beyond His human lifetime, Adi Da no longer has an etheric body, an astral body, or a causal body. So if someone sees a vision of Adi Da, it is not because His etheric body (or astral body) is making an appearance. Rather, the devotional response of a devotee can combine with Adi Da's Eternal Presence in all kinds of ways, producing a wide variety of phenomena such as visions, dreams, conversations, "channeling", etc. All of that is evidence that Adi Da — the Divine Person — is Eternally Present, and that is sufficient basis for being profoundly inspired!
So when we respond, "Yes, He is spiritually active",
it is in this sense of His being merely Present, but that Presence
— because It has Emerged here — having numerous, active consequences,
particularly when people actively respond to (and combine with)
It. The gist of your question is, "Can He still help people
Realize the Divine?" And the answer is: Absolutely! To make
that eternally possible was the purpose of His human lifetime. And
His Eternal Presence — and the means for locating His Eternal
Presence: the Way of Adidam — is sufficient for that Greatest
of Purposes.
I Will Be here Forever.
I Will Be every "where" Forever. . .
I Am Eternal and I Am Always Merely Present — here, and every "where" In The Cosmic Domain. . .
The Power of My Own Divine Translation will always Be Effective within The Cosmic Domain.
I Do Exactly What I Must Do, Perfectly — and I Will Always Do So, For The Sake of every one, and all, and All.
This article appears in the section
Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi and the Future of Adidam
and in The Introduction
FOOTNOTES
| [1] |
Indeed, it's not clear that it makes any sense to talk about Adi Da even being "capable" of attention at this point, for a couple of reasons:
On the other hand, one never knows with Adi Da. In principle, it is impossible for a living human being to be in the State of Divine Translation and still be alive — but Adi Da did so for eight years (April, 2000 to November, 2008) before finally passing. The Great Event at Lopez Island was more than a 'body' can bear. It was literal death. In some sense it was not survived. It is not possible to survive it. Just this Body, alone, could not survive it. . . Divine Translation shatters the body-mind-complex, destroys its foundation of existence. Divine Translation is all-consuming. The body-mind was Outshined. So, there is no body-mind, and, yet, there is this report, this Confirmation. It is a Divine Grace, this Continuation, and it has made this Vehicle, this Agent here, this Body, Full in its Unique preparedness to serve the Purpose it must serve forever. |
6 Comments
Theo J. - Oakland, California, United States June 5, 2019 9:48PM
My awakening from the ego/self-contraction happened in 2013, 5 years after Adi Da's death. He has the power to draw anyone into serious practice, and beyond the ego, now more than ever.
Don F. - Dallas, Texas, United States July 12, 2018 6:50PM
I happily report Master Da's active siddhi!
Jojo J. - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada December 12, 2016 10:06PM
[In answer to the question, "Is Adi Da Still Spiritually Active?":] It would seem - more active!
Noah S. - Xi'an, China December 14, 2015 10:28AM
My experience is that He most certainly is [spiritually active].
Rachel L. - Trinidad, California, United States November 26, 2014 10:17AM
It has been my experience that Bhagavan's Presence can be felt, just as before, especially watching Darshan or meditating. It's a Divine Mystery and unfolding Revelation for sure!
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Fletcher R. - Middletown, California, United States June 5, 2019 9:52PM
[In answer to the question, "Is Adi Da Still Spiritually Active?":] Yes, absolutely. I have had very strong experience of Him being even very Alive. I will write up the story soon.