India
The Divine Way Given by
Avatar Adi Da Samraj
“The Way of Adidam is not about strategic dissociation from the body-mind as a technique, but (rather) surrender as the body-mind…”
—Avatar Adi Da Samraj
Avatar Adi Da, 2008
4. Participation in global ashram and community programs
5. Support of sannyasins and ashrams
6. Right participation in relationships
7. Service to Avatar Adi Da and all others
8. Meditation
9. Puja
The Spiritual process in the Way of Adidam is about “Enlightenment of the whole body”. By contrast, the ego is the contraction of the whole body. The purpose of the life-disciplines of Adidam is entirely a matter of allowing your body-mind to become an ever greater “vessel” for receiving Avatar Adi Da’s Spiritual Transmission of the “Bright.”
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The disciplines of the Way of Adidam are “life-positive” because they are based in the disposition of completely accepting the realities of human life—which can be summarized as money, food, sex, and social relatedness—rather than making any kind of attempt to “get away” (or “escape”) from these realities. The aim of disciplines in the Way of Adidam is not merely a moralistic or puritanical attempt to be “well behaved” (in the manner of conventional religion), nor is it a means of intentionally dissociating from the body-mind (in the manner of traditional ascetic practice).
The life-positive disciplines bring balance and well–being to the body, emotion, mind, and breath and are all done in the asana (or disposition) of devotion to Avatar Adi Da Samraj. They include:
1. Sacred study
2. Sattvic, intelligent dietary practices
3. Hatha Yoga, Pranayama, Qi Gong and Exercise
The Second Fundamental of the Way of Adidam
Life-Positive Disciplines:
Devotion to Avatar Adi Da must be lived concretely and demonstrated in every area of life. It is thus that the being transcends the impulse to self-fulfillment in body and mind. And it is for this reason that disciplines are introduced into the life of a devotee—as an indispensable support to the fundamental devotional practice of Ruchira Avatara Bhakti Yoga. The beginning devotee adapts to a complete range of disciplines that serve the process of devotional Communion with Avatar Adi Da.
The ego is programmed, or patterned, to seek its own satisfaction, under any and all circumstances—whether in the ordinary dimensions of life or even in religious and Spiritual terms. Thus, if our lives are not re-patterned—such that we go beyond the orientation to self-fulfillment—our being is literally shut off from the Divine. During His Teaching years, Avatar Adi Da also Revealed that the true Spiritual process cannot take place unless the body-mind enjoys the equanimity of being rightly oriented to the Divine. The body-mind is not “automatically” ready for Spiritual life—there is preparation that must take place in order to be capable of receiving Avatar Adi Da’s Spiritual Transmission.
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