Adi Da and Adidam: Differences in Adi Da's Teaching Over Time

Adi Da's Teaching was communicated in many forms and stages of development, starting in 1970 and ending in 2008. This section considers questions about both real and apparent changes in Adi Da's Teaching over the years. Some differences signify actual changes made by Adi Da over time, while other differences reflect different ways Adi Da communicated the same underlying point at different times.

A Framework for Exegesis: Understanding Adi Da's Word in Context — To rightly understand a particular passage of Adi Da's Teaching Word, we must know exactly when He wrote or spoke it, and the context in which He wrote or spoke it. And to pin down that context, it is useful to evaluate the talk or essay or passage along seven different dimensions, which are presented and described in this article.

Views on other Adepts — Has Adi Da changed His views on other adepts over the years? In His autobiography, The Knee Of Listening, 1973 edition, He expresses great respect towards Ramana Maharishi and calls Maharshi His teacher. After that, when He developed his "seven stages" framework, Ramana (and the Buddha) were given "seventh stage status". But later yet, after 1991, it seems like He "demoted" them to sixth. Can you provide some clarification here?

Is Adidam a Religion? — It seems at times Adi Da has described the Way of Adidam as a religion, and at other times has said it is not a religion. So is Adidam a religion, or not?

Use of the term, "Avatar" — In 1974, Adi Da said, "The world is the Avatar, the totality of human beings is the Avatar." Many years later, He would describe Himself as Avatar. How do we reconcile these?

Scientology and The Knee Of Listening — I heard that there was a chapter in the original Knee Of Listening in which Adi Da described the time he spent in Scientology, and that this was later removed. Was this because He didn't want anyone to know about His association with Scientology?

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