Adi Da (Da Free John) 1939-2008

[yogani]

Received in email:
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In the early evening of Thursday, November 27, His Divine Presence, Avatar Adi Da Samraj, Departed from the Body. He was in His Fijian Hermitage, Adi Da Samrajashram (the Island of Naitauba). His Passing was entirely peaceful and free of any struggle. He Passed of natural causes. At the time of His Passing, He was Working in His Art Studio, surrounded by devotees who were engaged in serving His Artwork. On November 30, His Body was interred in the most sacred Place of Adidam - the secluded Temple which Avatar Adi Da established in 1993 (at Adi Da Samrajashram) as His burial place.  On the morning of His Passing, He had completed His Writing of The Aletheon, the book which He designated as "first and foremost" among all of His Writings. Avatar Adi Da worked on The Aletheon intensively for the last two years, bringing all of His most essential Spiritual and philosophical communications into a final form. The Aletheon is scheduled for publication by The Dawn Horse Press in 2009. His Divine Presence Bequeathed to humankind a Legacy of Inexhaustible Profundity and Limitless Blessing-Power.
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For more information on Adi Da, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adidam

[Jo-self]

Interestingly, this teacher, though primarily advocating a guru bhakti approach, also taught a few practices.  One of these was (is?) Spiritual Conductivity.  SC sounds like a form of AYP Spinal Pranayama but in a Microcosmic Orbit orientation, that is using also the frontal line.  This was also combined with a form of meditation.  That's all I know, not being part of it, and the practices could have of course changed.

-- jo-self

[david_obsidian]

Yikes! I suppose Yogani has given Adi Da a de-facto endorsement of a sort, by posting the way he has here.  Time to balance the thread a little.

One of Adi Da's core teachings is that he is the most (and only) fully realized being of -- wait for it -- the entire universe of universes.

His system of 'bhakti' yoga is the worship of himself, in his human bodily form -- not as an abstraction, not as a representative of the Divine, but as the divine itself. As incarnated God. No ifs, ands or buts about this,  that's the core 'technique' of Adidam:  Adi Da is God, and you worship Him.  Just like Jesus is God in the Christian tradition, or Rama is God in the Hindu. You even use capitals on the pronoun for Him, if you have any manners!

As is to be expected,  not many people seem to have made much spiritual progress using that technique. That 'technique', if you can call it that,  is ancient, primitive and atavistic, and never really worked at all, and I would say generally comes into existence due to the desires and needs of the teacher, not the students. It led to disaster for the organization of course.  Nothing new about that.  When you worship a living person as God, things go wrong.  Why? Perhaps the real God doesn't like it?

I know something about Adidam because I knew someone who was involved in it.  There are great websites out there,  explaining the phenomenon of Adi Da, in some cases in a very mature way.  I'm not sure Yogani will permit links directly to those websites though.  There are many true things about historical gurus that are not to be said or linked to on the forum, while distorted ones in their favor are allowed.

This is a form of 'yoga' I would advise no-one to get involved in -- ever.  I wouldn't really call it yoga myself.  I don't think it deserves the name.

P.S.

One thing I see as a virtue in Adidam though is that, while I don't think worshipping any human being as God is a good idea, they are not sneaky about it.  It's out there, clear in black-and-white in their written teachings,  that Adi Da is God, and the practice is to worship Him.  For every one organization that does this (establishes a worship of their leader) consciously, overtly and honestly, there must be 100 that do essentially the same thing but unconsciously, insidiously, and with denial.

[Jo-self]

David:

I hope it did not appear that I was advertising That path or practice.  Just an information snippet about the ascend/descend technique.   And, I don't think Yogani is endorsing him.

I am well aware of the controversial stuff associated with that teacher. I was never part of it.  But, during my own search came upon his books.  His early ones did have a very good critique of the yogic internalization and that helped me to not fall for in for the nonsense.  Remember, in the 70's there were many groups promising enlightenment: listening to sounds, lights, and I bet even sticking one's fingers up the nose advanced technique.  It was nuts.  It seems there is a rebirth that the web is making even more accessible.

Also, I don't think I believe the "crazy wisdom" approach.  Seems to easy to fall into abusive relationships.

A book that analyzes this subject (but seems to waver undecidedly in coming to a conclusion) is:  
http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Madness-Tactics-Teachings-Crazy-Wise/dp/1557782504/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234718441&sr=8-8

peace

[Etherfish]

Hi David! good to "see" you.

David said:
"When you worship a living person as God, things go wrong. Why? Perhaps the real God doesn't like it?"

i don't believe that, IMHO. I think there are plenty of examples of people doing utterly idiotic things and still coming out OK. I think we have complete freedom of choice, and the consequences come from our actions, not the wrath of God. If I was a creator of a kingdom of ants, and some ants worshipped another, I wouldn't care. It would make a funny play to watch.


"There are many true things about historical gurus that are not to be said or linked to on the forum, while distorted ones in their favor are allowed."

I think the criterion is: positive stuff allowed, tearing down not. Many lessons can be learned from even the worst of teachers, and people who aren't teachers at all. So we are likely to have members who look up to gurus who may have no validity at all in other eyes. So AYP protects members by not allowing trashing of people no matter if they may deserve it.
Our inner guru guides us to lessons, and someone may learn a lesson from a disgusting drug addict murderer laying in the street, and perhaps see the divinity in him. So AYP honors that divinity.

[david_obsidian]

Hi Ether,

good to 'see' you too.


i don't believe that, IMHO. I think there are plenty of examples of people doing utterly idiotic things and still coming out OK.

Actually, I don't literally believe in any such 'god' either that actually likes or dislikes -- so I'm not sure we disagree.  'God doesn't like it' is to me just a metaphorical way of saying that it is unwise or inappropriate.

To those of us brought up in the Judeao-Christian tradition, the sense that such a relationship is inappropriate is deeply traditional.  The ancient Jews (as brought to us by the Torah and the Old Testament) seem to have developed a tradition that such relationships -- whether to person or thing -- were forbidden by 'God'. Meaning simply, as I translate it, that they are unwise or inappropriate.

I hope that clears it up.

[CarsonZi]

Hi David,

quote:Originally posted by david_obsidian

To those of us brought up in the Judeao-Christian tradition, the sense that such a relationship is inappropriate is deeply traditional.  The ancient Jews (as brought to us by the Torah and the Old Testament) seem to have developed a tradition that such relationships -- whether to person or thing -- were forbidden by 'God'. Meaning simply, as I translate it, that they are unwise or inappropriate.

So you personally believe that The Judeao-Christian tradition has it right?  And that there can be no benefit to putting one's faith in a guru and that this is blasphemy?

Love,
Carson[^]

[david_obsidian]

Carson asked:
So you personally believe that The Judeao-Christian tradition has it right?

In this particular respect, I believe yes.  It believe it is wiser.  The Jews left living gods behind at some point, and arguably, those of us in Europe benefited culturally from their advance.

And that there can be no benefit to putting one's faith in a guru and that this is blasphemy?

Nothing wrong with putting one's faith in anything.  The critical question is whether or not your view of some living person or thing has become extreme and imbalanced.  If it has, then you've lost a lot of your wisdom (at least with respect to that person).

Regards,
-D

[CarsonZi]

Hi David.......

quote:Originally posted by david_obsidian

In this particular respect, I believe yes.  It believe it is wiser.  The Jews left living gods behind at some point, and arguably, those of us in Europe benefited culturally from their advance.

OK.  But this is just your opinion right?  And being an opinion it can't be proven right OR wrong correct?  Meaning that those who believe that spiritual liberation can be acheived through the guidance and direction of a living human guru could be just as correct as you are right?  It is their opinion versus yours.  And there is probably just as much evidence of people progressing down the path towards spiritual liberation through the direction and guidance of a guru, as there is evidence that a lot of gurus are misguided and leading people into a more confused state then they previously were correct?

quote:Originally posted by david_obsidian

Nothing wrong with putting one's faith in anything.  The critical question is whether or not your view of some living person or thing has become extreme and imbalanced.

Yes but this has to be up to the individual practitioner to decide for oneself....One cannot answer this question for another.  And the only way to get to a point where the question is even relevant is if we are all allowed to make our own mistakes right?

Love,
Carson[^]

[david_obsidian]

And the only way to get to a point where the question is even relevant is if we are all allowed to make our own mistakes right?

Carson,

I'm opposed to making the worship of living beings illegal if that is your question. I believe in the legal freedom to believe someone is God, and to make the mistakes that go with that -- again, and again, and again....

[CarsonZi]

Perfect.  Me too[]

[themysticseeker]

Bad gurus aside, the mind is the guru. But you may not notice the nature of your mind by yourself, which is why there is guru yoga. Strong devotion to your guru helps soften your mind so that an esoteric transmission is possible. I have not seen this work outside of the Tibetan Buddhist world, because as far as I know they are the one's who do it right, with genuine selfless love and compassion for their students.

[Christi]

Hi TMS,

 

quote:Bad gurus aside, the mind is the guru. But you may not notice the nature of your mind by yourself, which is why there is guru yoga. Strong devotion to your guru helps soften your mind so that an esoteric transmission is possible. I have not seen this work outside of the Tibetan Buddhist world, because as far as I know they are the one's who do it right, with genuine selfless love and compassion for their students.

I am sure the Tibetan Buddhists do it right. I have also come accross this system (complete surrender to an enlightened teacher) working beautifully in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition, in the Yogic tradition, in Christianity, and in Suffism.

 It is a very effective spiritual path because the teacher is able to see the issues that keep coming up again and again for a particular student (the points where they are really getting stuck in their own minds) and help them to completely let go of those issues and move on.



Christi

[YogaIsLife]

quote:It is a very effective spiritual path because the teacher is able to see the issues that keep coming up again and again for a particular student (the points where they are really getting stuck in their own minds) and help them to completely let go of those issues and move on.

Do you think one must search for a guru or, when one is ready, the right teacher comes to us, even in our western world?

Thanks.

[Katrine]

Hi YogaIsLife

 

quote:Do you think one must search for a guru or, when one is ready, the right teacher comes to us, even in our western world?

I know your question was directed at Christi (and I hope he will answer it ).....but since I am here:


Yes. The guru is always here....but  will "come" when you are ready. That goes for both the inner guru and the outer guru. It matters not at all which part of the world you live in. We live where we live because it is the prefect place to be...... in order to....turn inwards. The only reason an outer guru might be needed is because - like Christi said - the stuckness is difficult to transcend on our own. That is also why the Ishtas work so beautifully.

This forum is of great help too. All the inner gurus of the people posting here come together as what it is - one single guru. And all the references...pointers...here, is also enableing the contact with different outer gurus.

There are so many of them.....and though many of them are "dead"....their vibrational resonance is always existing....it is only a matter of tuning in.

There is no difference between the inner guru and the outer guru. The outer guru is never the body we see. It is always the vibrational essence.

Love