poster: Gerald Sheinfeld speaker: Gerald Sheinfeld length: 18:35 date added: June 28, 2021 language: English views: 571; views this month: 2; views this week: 2
Part 1 of longtime devotee Gerald Sheinfeld's reading of his book, At the Feet of the Spiritual Master.
[Contains Italian subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]
Devotee Ben Grisso, who grew up in the Adidam community, and who worked with Adi Da on His Divine Image-Art, offers this testimonial to Adi Da's life and work.
Excerpt from Second Evening: Track 11 on the DVD, A Tribute to the Life and Work of His Divine Presence, Adi Da Samraj. More than 7 hours long, this Tribute DVD was filmed on the occasion of the first Anniversary of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi, when devotees, family, and friends of Adi Da Samraj gathered at Adi Da Samrajashram, Fiji (Adi Da's principal Hermitage), to acknowledge Adi Da as the Divine in human form, to praise His Greatness, and to express their heart-felt gratitude for the Blessings they have received from Him.
A list of all the tracks on this DVD can be found here.
[Contains Finnish subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]
Adi Dan yhteisössä kasvanut omistautuja kertoo nuoruudestaan, jolloin hän päätti tutkia, mitä maailmalla on tarjottavana, kuten monet teini-ikäiset tekevät. Muutaman vuoden jälkeen hän kuitenkin tunsi vahvempaa vetoa Adi Data sekä Hänen tarjoamaansa elämäntapaa kohtaan, ja teki tietoisen päätöksen osallistua elämään Adidamin parissa ja palvella Adi Data henkilökohtaisesti.
Stanley Hastings talks about his childhood and adolescence growing up in the Adidam community. Like many other young people, as a teenager, he decided to see for himself what the world had to offer. After several years of experimenting, he decided to return to Adi Da and the Way of life He offered — to fully participate again in the life of the community and to serve Adi Da directly.
[Contains Polish subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]
Prezentowane tutaj video to fragment rozmowy Adi Da ze studentaim z 1976 roku. Jak zawsze Adi Da Samraj nie oferuje studentom ani pocieszenia ani lepszego życia w przyszłości. "Twoje cierpienie jest twoim własnym działaniem". Lekarstwem jest zrozumienie przyczyny cierpienia i poznanie Tego co cierpienie poprzedza.
In this seminal discourse (at the Mountain Of Attention), from the early years of His Teaching Work, Adi Da speaks about the inevitable process of self-revelation and self-understanding that prepares the being for true Spiritual life.
This is a beautiful talk by Adi Da. But it IS very compressed, making quite a few points in a short space, and depending to a significant degree on a familiarity with Adi Da's spiritual teaching. Here are some notes that may help.
Throughout the talk, the technical term, "sadhana" (spiritual practice), is used.
Genuine spiritual practice is not about belief systems, mere rituals, or a little "peace of mind", but rather about actually locating the Divine, through the tangible Transmission of the Spiritual Master.
After a recent illness, a devotee mentions to Adi Da that he notices how the physical suffering of illness was distracting enough that he was not "able" to find Adi Da's Transmission when he is ill.
Adi Da acknowledges this, and responds with three more general points.
1. The illness didn't "make" the devotee lose the thread of practice; rather, he allowed himself to be distracted from God by the illness. When the devotee gets this, and sees how he himself is "doing" the turning away, he'll be able to "do better next time" by not turning away even when ill.
2. Until Divine Enlightenment — in other words, until there is no limit on one's spiritual practice — sadhana (spiritual practice) is always only reflecting back to devotees the remaining limits in their practice: where they are still turning away from the Divine, where they still need to become responsible for not turning away.
In the beginning, the "turning away" is very "crude": even mere physical suffering is enough to distract one from God. (If we find ourselves saying, "what do you mean, MERE physical suffering?" that definitely identifies us as spiritual beginners! :-) ) But as one grows in practice, and ceases to turn away in such a crude manner (as one becomes a "saint", "yogi", "sage", etc.), one discovers that one is still turning from the Divine at an even subtler level of the being (in the mind, the psyche, etc.)
It is only when that "turning away" has been inspected, understood, and transcended in every dimension of the being that Divine Realization occurs.
In this sense, for the genuine spiritual practitioner, physical suffering — along with every other circumstance that reveals to us our turning away from the Divine — is truly a Grace, enabling us to grow in our practice.
3. Where we are turning away is a reflection of what we are identifying with: the body, the mind, the soul, etc. (For example, if physical illness is enough to distract us from God, then the physical body is what we currently are identified with.) God-Realization only occurs when all "identities" less than God are understood and transcended.
In this sense, "there are no winners in God" — the Way is not about seeking, accomplishment, or winning, but rather about surrender to God, sacrifice of self, and ego-death. There's no "one" left to "win"! But the One Who Remains is perfectly, eternally happy.
[Contains Italian subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]
By tendency, people are bound to the natural cycle of ups and downs. Neither bodily pleasures nor spiritual pursuits result in True Freedom from this constant phasing. One path merely accentuates the descending (or bodily) experiences and the other, the ascending (or subtle) experiences.
In this Discourse, Avatar Adi Da reveals with absolute clarity how the relationship with the Guru gives freedom from this trap—because the Guru is the Manifestation of the Condition that is Prior to this mechanical cycling, not part of it.
Watching this DVD will transport viewers to a special moment in Adidam history. July 29, 1973, was the day Avatar Adi Da left Los Angeles for a Yajna (sacred journey) through India and Nepal. He returned as “Bubba Free John”, His first spontaneously revealed Teaching-Name. Thus, this was the last Discourse He gave as “Franklin Jones” (Avatar Adi Da’s birth name).
[Contains Finnish subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]
Devotee Antonina Randazzo talks about Adi Da's passing and His Eternal Presence, and how He assured devotees that He would never leave them, and how she can confirm this in her own life.
[Contains Czech subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]
Video excerpt from an early discourse by Adi Da Samraj on July 29, 1973.
Adi Da would later make a similar communication in a very memorable way in “The Divine Avataric Self-Disclosure” (in The Aletheon):
ADI DA: The conditionally Apparent “world”-Process Of “Everything Changing” Is Simply The Natural “Play” Of Cosmic Life, In Which the (Always) two sides of every possibility come and go, In Cycles Of appearance and disappearance. Winter’s cold alternates with summer’s heat. Pain, Likewise, Follows every pleasure. Every appearance Is (Inevitably) Followed By its disappearance. There Is No Permanent “experience” In The Realm Of Cosmic Nature. One whose Whole bodily Devotion To Me Is Constant Simply Allows All Of This To Be So. Therefore, one who Truly Listens To Me and “Knows” Me Spontaneously Ceases To Add “self”-Contraction (and, Thus, “conditional-experience-causing” energy and intention) To This Relentless Round Of Natural and Futile Changes. . . Intrinsically egoless Self-Realization Of Me Is Possible Only When a living being (or body-mind-“self”) Has Whole bodily Ceased To React To The Always Changing Imposition Of Cosmic Nature. . . Those who Perfectly “Know” Me Tacitly Understand That whatever Is Not Always Already (or Eternally) Self-Existing and Self-Radiant Only Changes. . . Those who Perfectly “Know” Me Acknowledge (Tacitly, and With every Whole bodily act) That What Is Always Already The (One and Only) Case Never Changes. Such True Devotees Of Mine (who Perfectly “Know” Me) Perfectly Realize That The Entire Cosmic Realm Of Change—and Even the To-Me-Surrendered Whole body (itself)—Is Entirely Pervaded By Me (Always Self-Revealed As That Which Is Always Already The Case).
James Steinberg poster: Adi Da Videa, čeština speaker: James Steinberg length: 15:06 date added: May 17, 2021 event date: November 28, 2009 language: Czech views: 793; views this month: 0; views this week: 0
[Contains Czech subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]
Longtime devotee, James Steinberg, offers this testimonial to the life and work of Adi Da Samraj.
Excerpt from First Evening: Track 4 on the DVD, A Tribute to the Life and Work of His Divine Presence, Adi Da Samraj. More than 7 hours long, this Tribute DVD was filmed on the occasion of the first Anniversary of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi, when devotees, family, and friends of Adi Da Samraj gathered at Adi Da Samrajashram, Fiji (Adi Da's principal Hermitage), to acknowledge Adi Da as the Divine in human form, to praise His Greatness, and to express their heart-felt gratitude for the Blessings they have received from Him.
ADI DA: "I am your Real State, Real Condition speaking to you, being present with you through a form like your own. That is the mystery of the Spiritual Master. I'm not really suggesting all this is so or think it's logically so or communicating it to you as a metaphor. I am this. This is My Realization. This is My State. I am telling this to you because it is also your state.
I am here in this form to make this communication to you and this Transmission to you so that you will realize that state. The Transmission of Spirit Blessing is the Transmission of Light. What you taste is Light, what you smell is Light, what you hear is Light, what you see is Light what you feel is Light what you sense altogether is Light. The body is Light. What is Light then? It is nothing but the self-radiant bliss of the Divine Self.”
[Contains Polish subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]
In this discourse excerpt, Adi Da addresses the fact that the assumption of a separate self or being, is not really the case. It is, in fact, an illusion — a "lie" that rules our entire life. But based on this assumption, we assume all kinds of limitations, and struggle to get out of our suffering through the very means (our assumption that we are separate) which binds us in the first place. All that does is reinforce the illusion.
[Contains Italian subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]
Opening night gala (July 9, 2015) for Adi Da Samraj, “The Ascent of Orpheus” exhibition at the Bargello National Museum, Florence. Includes opening events and interviews.
For the first time, on April 25, 1972, Avatar Adi Da Samraj invited people to approach Him as Spiritual Teacher at His new ashram center on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. That evening, Avatar Adi Da first sat in silence for perhaps an hour with those present, Transmitting to them the Sublimity of His Radiant State of Realization. Then, Adi Da spoke.
ADI DA: Are there any questions?
No one replied, so Avatar Adi Da Samraj spoke again.
ADI DA: Everyone has understood? QUESTIONER: I have not understood. Explain it to me. ADI DA: Very good. What have you not understood?
[Contains Italian subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]
An overview of Adi Da's life and work by Ruchiradama Nadikanta, a long-time devotee. She is a member of the Ruchira Sannyasin Order, the order of fully renunciate practitioners in Adidam.
[Contains Finnish subtitles. If the CC icon ("Subtitles/closed captions") has a red line under it, the subtitles should appear. If you don't see them, just press the CC icon to turn them on.]
Vuonna 2009, vuosi Adi Dan poismenon jälkeen, monet omistautujat matkustivat Adi Dan Erakkola-Pyhättöön, joka on Naitauban saarella Fidzissä, osallistumaan kahden päivän muistotilaisuuteen. Megan Anderson, joka kasvoi Adidamin yhteisössä, kertoo ajasta jolloin Adi Da kannusti häntä palvelemaan omistautumalla Hänen Sanansa toimitukseen.
Devotee Megan Anderson, who grew up in the Company of Adi Da, offers this testimonial to His life and work. She also describes how she was encouraged by Adi Da to take up her service to Him as one of the key editors of His Word, and how He personally guided her growth into human maturity.
From a 2004 Avataric Discourse. Avatar Adi Da communicates both verbally and through bodily gestures that the assumption of a separate self or ego self is an illusion and not the truth of Reality itself.
Our multimedia library currently contains 1203
YouTube video clips and audio clips about (or related to) Adi Da and Adidam.[1]
Enjoy! indicates
a video, and
an audio. Special categories of interest include:
Thanks to the many videographers who took the footage, to the many editors who
created these videos and audios, and to the 132
people and organizations who posted these videos and audios on YouTube and other places on the
Web. Special thanks to Lynne
Thompson, who did a lot of the data entry for our audio/video database.