I’ve sung Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas to Beloved Adi Da many times over the years — at the Manner of Flowers, at Adi Da Samrajashram, at First People / Great Food Dish, etc. (as one of a small group of singers, and usually also as the keyboardist) — and I’m singing it to Him again (and all of you!) here. It is one of my favorite songs at this time of year.
For me (starting with Judy Garland's original film version), it has always been an emotion-filled song, by turns joyful, playful, nostalgic, and wistful — so that is how I sing it here.
This song as a bridge to God. In Beloved Adi Da’s Company, everything (from Mickey Mouse to cookie-making) becomes “a bridge to God”.
ADI DA: “You must Awaken and discover the Divine World wherein everything is a bridge to the Infinite, One Being.”
And so for me, the words of this song have always taken on a significance beyond the usual secular understanding of the song. They lead me through a consideration that I’ll share with you here.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be light From now on our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas Make the Yuletide gay From now on our troubles will be miles away.
Here we are as in olden days Happy golden days of yore Faithful friends who are dear to us Gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together If the fates allow Hang a shining star upon the highest bough And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.
That wistfulness: Raymond’s problem. On the surface, the words of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas are purely joyful — "faithful friends" coming together each year in a joyous Christmas celebration. And yet, one of the emotions I feel when I sing this song is wistfulness. So where is the wistfulness coming from? It's that big "IF" in the song: "if the fates allow". In fact, as every one of us knows (more and more, with each passing year), fate (conditional existence) only allows such reunions for a limited number of years. As I sing, I have a vision of a photograph of a gathering of friends, from a Christmas or Danavira Mela many years ago, and, in this vision, each face in the photograph — one by one over the years — turns "ghostly", either through our circumstances (high school, college, living near each other) no longer being shared, or life paths that have moved in different directions, or the passing on of that person. My awareness of that inevitable reality is the source of the wistfulness and nostalgia. The inevitable disappearance of the (mortal) loved one is “Raymond’s problem”, a phrase Adi Da uses, based on the central character of The Mummery Book.
Danavira Mela: A Divine Celebration in the midst of a conditional universe. The joy and playfulness of the song comes from the celebration we can still have together, even in the midst of an ever-changing, conditional universe. One of my (and many other devotees’) favorite quotes of Beloved Adi Da has always been this extraordinary prayer, from “Death is a Perfect Insult” in The Enlightenment of the Whole Body:
“Let us surrender into Infinity with all our friends and hold on to no thing or condition that ever appears. Let us forget all things in present Happiness, and so forgive the universe for all its playful changes. Let us always love one another, and so forgive one another for appearing, for changing, and for passing out of present sight. So be it.”
When I sing this song, I hear it giving further guidance for just how to do this.
At Adi Da Samrajashram, in December, 1988, Bhagavan Adi Da gives this talk on the transcendence of mind.
The Five Reality-Teachings poster: AdiDaUpClose length: 03:30 date added: September 3, 2023 language: English views: 878; views this month: 3; views this week: 3
As part of His recitation of The Happenine Book in April, 2006, at Adi Da Samrajashram, Adi Da recites "The Five Reality-Teachings". A chanted version is available here.
THE FIVE REALITY-TEACHINGS
Notice this:
1. You are not the one who wakes, or dreams, or sleeps.
2. You Are the actionless and formless Mere Witness of the three common states — of waking, dreaming and sleeping — and of all the apparent contents and “experiences” associated with the three common states, of waking, and of dreaming, and of sleeping.
3. You are not the body, or the doer of action, or the doer of even any of the body’s actions or functions.
4. You are not the mind, or the thinker, or the doer of even any of the actions or functions of mind or of body-mind.
5. No matter what arises — whether as or in the state of waking, or of dreaming, or of sleeping — you Are the actionless, and formless, and thought-free Mere Witness of attention itself, and of every apparent “object” of attention, and of any and every state of “experience”, and of the entirety of whatever and all that arises.
Always intensively “consider” these Five Reality-Teachings.
Always intensively observe and notice every moment of your “experience” — whether waking, dreaming, or sleeping — and, thus and thereby, “consider” and test and directly prove these Five Reality-Teachings in the moment-to-moment of your every kind and state of “experience”.
This is track #3, "The New Doctrine of Materialism",from the CD, Participate In The Invisible Dimension of Reality, available from the Dawn Horse Press. This talk was given by Avatar Adi Da on February 27, 1988.
Using the Shamanistic traditions of North America to illustrate right relationship to the invisible, energy realms of existence, Avatar Adi Da urgently calls everyone to overcome the addiction to the false doctrine of materialism. Free and full participation in the energy dimension of existence, Avatar Adi Da says, provides the necessary foundation for restoring balance to the Earth-world, and for ecstatic embrace of the Reality-Realizing Process in His Divine Company.
ADI DA: Aren’t you still . . . limited by this materialistic “point of view”, such that you do not yet feel free to accept the Reality of the Very Divine (and the spirit-“world” itself) in all of Its dimensions? . . . You have to break the spell of the doctrines of your own time that limit your consciousness to the material domain. . . . You have to Wake Up.
During the period when this Discourse was given, Avatar Adi Da regularly responded to devotees’ presentations on specific titles from The Basket of Tolerance—the comprehensive bibliography developed by Avatar Adi Da that covers all significant aspects of the collective wisdom of humankind. The Basket of Tolerance is not only a tool for understanding the collective tradition of humankind as a single “Great Tradition”, but also for understanding the unique nature of Avatar Adi Da’s Offering—which demonstrates continuity with the Great Tradition, and simultaneously perfectly transcends and completes it.
Avatar Adi Da organized the titles on The Basket of Tolerance according to His “mapping” of the seven stages of life—which are related to the gross (physical), subtle (energic), and causal (“root”) dimensions of the human structure. This Discourse includes Avatar Adi Da’s response to the book Black Elk Speaks (by John Neihardt), representing a significant individual from the North American Shamanistic traditions. This book appears on the “fifth stage list” of The Basket of Tolerance, which includes materials associated with the view of the subtle dimension of existence. Avatar Adi Da also references Leo Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of God Is Within You—a title from the “social Wisdom” section of The Basket of Tolerance—representing an expression of physically-oriented social idealism of the first three stages of life.
A shorter form of this Discourse was published on cassette tape in 1988. With this audio publication, the extended form is available for the first time. This recording has been digitally remastered. It is an archival recording with some quality variations.
Trybut Rachel Kuhn poster: Adi Da Video Polska speaker: Rachel Kuhn length: 06:16 date added: July 4, 2023 event date: November 29, 2009 language: Polish views: 798; views this month: 0; views this week: 0
[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.]
Devotee Rachel Kuhn, who grew up in the Company of Adi Da, offers this testimonial to His life and work.
Excerpt from Second Evening: Track 7 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.
poster: CDBaby length: 02:17 date added: June 29, 2023 event date: January 6, 2006 language: English views: 448; views this month: 3; views this week: 3
The CD, The Master Is The Means, is a compilation of talks in which Avatar Adi Da describes the spontaneous heart-response to the Spiritual Master as the great, effective, and anciently known Means of Spiritual Awakening.
By exposing the true nature of ego, and pointing out our false and limiting presumptions about Spiritual Masters, Avatar Adi Da enables a free consideration of what is truly needed to Realize the Truth of our Condition. He provides a traditional context for the purpose of His human Form here, while also communicating the utterly unique appearance and offering He Is.
poster: CDBaby length: 05:24 date added: June 29, 2023 event date: October 10, 2004 language: English views: 422; views this month: 2; views this week: 2
The CD, The Master Is The Means, is a compilation of talks in which Avatar Adi Da describes the spontaneous heart-response to the Spiritual Master as the great, effective, and anciently known Means of Spiritual Awakening.
By exposing the true nature of ego, and pointing out our false and limiting presumptions about Spiritual Masters, Avatar Adi Da enables a free consideration of what is truly needed to Realize the Truth of our Condition. He provides a traditional context for the purpose of His human Form here, while also communicating the utterly unique appearance and offering He Is.
poster: CDBaby length: 16:08 date added: June 29, 2023 event date: October 12, 2004 language: English views: 443; views this month: 2; views this week: 2
The CD, The Master Is The Means, is a compilation of talks in which Avatar Adi Da describes the spontaneous heart-response to the Spiritual Master as the great, effective, and anciently known Means of Spiritual Awakening.
By exposing the true nature of ego, and pointing out our false and limiting presumptions about Spiritual Masters, Avatar Adi Da enables a free consideration of what is truly needed to Realize the Truth of our Condition. He provides a traditional context for the purpose of His human Form here, while also communicating the utterly unique appearance and offering He Is.
poster: CDBaby length: 10:03 date added: June 29, 2023 event date: July 2, 2004 language: English views: 382; views this month: 3; views this week: 3
The CD, The Master Is The Means, is a compilation of talks in which Avatar Adi Da describes the spontaneous heart-response to the Spiritual Master as the great, effective, and anciently known Means of Spiritual Awakening.
By exposing the true nature of ego, and pointing out our false and limiting presumptions about Spiritual Masters, Avatar Adi Da enables a free consideration of what is truly needed to Realize the Truth of our Condition. He provides a traditional context for the purpose of His human Form here, while also communicating the utterly unique appearance and offering He Is.
poster: CDBaby length: 06:53 date added: June 29, 2023 event date: September 26, 2004 language: English views: 357; views this month: 2; views this week: 2
The CD, The Master Is The Means, is a compilation of talks in which Avatar Adi Da describes the spontaneous heart-response to the Spiritual Master as the great, effective, and anciently known Means of Spiritual Awakening.
By exposing the true nature of ego, and pointing out our false and limiting presumptions about Spiritual Masters, Avatar Adi Da enables a free consideration of what is truly needed to Realize the Truth of our Condition. He provides a traditional context for the purpose of His human Form here, while also communicating the utterly unique appearance and offering He Is.
poster: CDBaby length: 08:23 date added: June 29, 2023 event date: September 20, 2004 language: English views: 352; views this month: 2; views this week: 2
The CD, The Master Is The Means, is a compilation of talks in which Avatar Adi Da describes the spontaneous heart-response to the Spiritual Master as the great, effective, and anciently known Means of Spiritual Awakening.
By exposing the true nature of ego, and pointing out our false and limiting presumptions about Spiritual Masters, Avatar Adi Da enables a free consideration of what is truly needed to Realize the Truth of our Condition. He provides a traditional context for the purpose of His human Form here, while also communicating the utterly unique appearance and offering He Is.
poster: CDBaby length: 06:10 date added: June 29, 2023 event date: September 12, 2004 language: English views: 360; views this month: 2; views this week: 2
The CD, The Master Is The Means, is a compilation of talks in which Avatar Adi Da describes the spontaneous heart-response to the Spiritual Master as the great, effective, and anciently known Means of Spiritual Awakening.
By exposing the true nature of ego, and pointing out our false and limiting presumptions about Spiritual Masters, Avatar Adi Da enables a free consideration of what is truly needed to Realize the Truth of our Condition. He provides a traditional context for the purpose of His human Form here, while also communicating the utterly unique appearance and offering He Is.
poster: CDBaby length: 07:08 date added: June 29, 2023 event date: January 21, 2005 language: English views: 387; views this month: 4; views this week: 4
The CD, The Master Is The Means, is a compilation of talks in which Avatar Adi Da describes the spontaneous heart-response to the Spiritual Master as the great, effective, and anciently known Means of Spiritual Awakening.
By exposing the true nature of ego, and pointing out our false and limiting presumptions about Spiritual Masters, Avatar Adi Da enables a free consideration of what is truly needed to Realize the Truth of our Condition. He provides a traditional context for the purpose of His human Form here, while also communicating the utterly unique appearance and offering He Is.
poster: CDBaby length: 05:10 date added: June 29, 2023 event date: January 6, 2006 language: English views: 379; views this month: 3; views this week: 3
The CD, The Master Is The Means, is a compilation of talks in which Avatar Adi Da describes the spontaneous heart-response to the Spiritual Master as the great, effective, and anciently known Means of Spiritual Awakening.
By exposing the true nature of ego, and pointing out our false and limiting presumptions about Spiritual Masters, Avatar Adi Da enables a free consideration of what is truly needed to Realize the Truth of our Condition. He provides a traditional context for the purpose of His human Form here, while also communicating the utterly unique appearance and offering He Is.
[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.]
An archival talk from July 15, 1973. One of the earliest video recordings of Avatar Adi Da speaking. Here He talks about the Free State of the fully Realized being, which is neither inward nor outward.
Adi Da: "God is neither within nor without. This is the principle of Satsang [the relationship with the Guru]: the Divine already present, the Divine lived with, the Divine as your Condition."
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