Adi Da

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Adi Da Samraj
Adi Da Samraj
Born	3 November 1939(1939-11-03) New York, New York, United States
Died	27 November 2008 (aged 69) Naitauba, Lau Islands, Fiji

Adi Da Samraj (November 3, 1939 – November 27, 2008), ^[1][2] born Franklin Albert Jones in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, was a contemporary and often controversial guru, spiritual writer and artist. ^[3] He was the founder of a new religious movement currently known as Adidam.

Adi Da asserted that he had realized a higher state of consciousness or being, and that his followers could find similar realization through his guidance. He called his movement Adidam, or "The Way of the Heart". ^[4] Similar to South Asian religions, his movement emphasized a devotional, guru/disciple relationship.^[5] Adi Da said and is seen by his devotees to be the most spiritually realized being ever to incarnate in human form.^{[citation needed]}

In the mid 1980s, allegations by former devotees of financial, sexual and emotional abuses within Adidam were reported in the local media, ^[6][7] and on NBC's The Today Show. These allegations culminated in a number of lawsuits on both sides. Adidam said that these allegations were part of a conspiracy to extort large sums of money from the movement. ^[8]

Contents 1 Biography 2 Adidam 3 Art 4 Controversies 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links

Biography

Born Franklin Albert Jones and raised in the New York City borough of Queens, Jones graduated from Columbia University in 1961 with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, and from Stanford University in 1966 with a Master's of Arts in English literature. In 1965, Franklin Jones became a disciple of Albert Rudolph, also known as Rudi or Swami Rudrananda. In 1968, Jones formally left Rudi and became a disciple of Swami Muktananda.

When Jones visited Muktananda in India, the guru gave him extraordinary spiritual experiences.^[9] Later,for approximately one year—in 1968–1969—Adi Da was involved with Scientology^[10] (the mention of which was expunged from subsequent versions of his autobiography, which says that during this period he did not meditate, but "simply listened"^[11]).

Adi Da returned to India in 1969 to see Muktananda, who subsequently gave him a letter acknowledging his yogic realization and authorizing him to initiate others into the Siddha Yoga tradition of meditation.^[12][13] Adi Da formally left Muktananda after a meeting in India in 1973, where Adi Da and Muktananda differed irrevocably on the nature of full enlightenment, which Adi Da claimed he had achieved while Muktananda had not.^{[citation needed]}

Adi Da (then still Franklin Jones) began to gather with students in April 1972, teaching in a bookstore in Los Angeles, California, known as the "Melrose Avenue Ashram". Later known as the Dawn Horse Communion, the movement founded by Adi Da has been through several name changes: previous names have included The Free Primitive Church of Divine Communion, The Johannine Daist Communion, and Free Daism. It is now known as Adidam, or The Way of the Heart.^[14]

In 1974, Adi Da and his devotees established a residential community in Northern California (initially known as "Persimmon") called The Mountain Of Attention, which became the center of their activities. In 1983, Adi Da's community purchased the island of Naitauba, Fiji, which became the center of Adidam's activities as well as Adi Da's residence, where he spent the final years of his life.^[15]

Adi Da frequently changed his name, which he asserted reflected changes in his teaching. As a student of Muktananda, he was given the name Dhyanananda. Shortly after declaring himself an independent teacher, he adopted the name Bubba Free John. In 1979, he changed this to Da Free John. Subsequent names included Da Love-Ananda, Da Kalki, Da Avabhasa and, finally, the Ruchira Avatar, Adi Da Samraj, literally "the radiant avatar (or radiantly descended one), primordial giver, universal ruler". His followers frequently refer to him simply as "Beloved".^[16]

In March 1993, Adi Da began to claim that in the entire history of the cosmos, he alone had achieved "seventh stage realization," the highest level of universal consciousness. He claimed that the historical Buddha and Ramana Maharshi were only "sixth stage realizers" and Jesus had achieved only the "fifth stage."^[17] He also maintained that true salvation and enlightenment could only be attained by submission to him as the one true universal sage, teacher, and savior.^{[citation needed]}

Adi Da wrote over 70 books on religion and related matters.^{[citation needed]}

He had four daughters, one adopted and three biological daughters by three different women. ^[18]

Adi Da died from sudden heart failure at his home at the age of 69, on Naitauba Island, Fiji on Thursday, November 27, 2008. ^[19]

Adidam

In the introduction to his teaching, the Adidam website states: "While there have been many saints and sages in human history, the ancient traditions of humankind foretell a final Revelation, a God-Man promised for the "late-time" who will perfectly fulfill the deepest longings of the human heart. Adidam is established on the recognition that this all-surpassing Event has occurred. Ruchira Avatar Adi Da Samraj is the Divine Being of Grace and Truth Who authenticates the ancient intuitions."^{[citation needed]}

Adi Da wrote that "I (Alone) Am the Avatarically Self-Manifested Divine Self-Revelation of the seventh stage of life."^{[citation needed]} He stated "I Am the First and the Last seventh stage Adept to Appear in the human domain (and in the Cosmic Domain of all and All). It is neither possible nor necessary for another seventh stage Adept To Appear anywhere."^{[citation needed]} According to Adidam, for the rest of humanity it is solely through faith and devotion in Adi Da and this attainment that the end of human craving, hence suffering, can be achieved.^{[citation needed]}

In the practice of Adidam, all the traditional means of religious life are employed as a means of "radical understanding" and devotional communion with Adi Da —meditation; study; ceremonial worship; community living; ethical observances; disciplines related to diet, health, and sexuality; money; and so on. The specific, or technical, practice of this relationship to Adi Da is called Ruchira Avatar-Bhakti Yoga—or the God-Realizing practice ("Yoga") of devotion ("Bhakti") to the Spiritual Master ("Ruchira Avatar") who is the chosen Beloved ("Ishta") of your heart. According to Adidam, Ruchira Avatara Bhakti Yoga (or Ishta-Guru-Bhakti Yoga) is the turning of every faculty of the body-mind to Adi Da—always bringing attention, feeling, body, and breath into contemplative communion with him.^[20]

Again, quoting Adi Da: "Those who do not Heart-Recognize Me and Heart-Respond to Me - and who (therefore) are without faith in Me - do not (and cannot) realize Me. Therefore, they (by means of their own self-contraction from Me) remain ego-bound to the Realm Of Cosmic Nature, and to the ever-changing round Of conditional knowledge and temporary experience, and to the ceaselessly repetitive cycles of birth and search and loss and death."^{[citation needed]}

While based in Fiji, there are a number of Adidam communities and practice centers around the world^[21] In a 1999 news article they claimed 1,800 members worldwide ^[22]

Art

In the last decade of his life, Adi Da produced visual art which he labeled "Transcendental Realism". These works were primarily photographic and digitally-based. In 2007, Adi Da's art appeared in an independently sponsored exhibition collateral to the 52nd Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy. ^[23] Adi Da's artwork was curated by Italian art critic and former Biennale director, Achille Bonito Oliva.

American art historian, Donald Kuspit, wrote the introduction to a book of Adi Da's art titled "The Spectra Suites" published by Welcome Books of New York City. ^[24]

Controversies

In 1985, Adi Da and his movement were sued by a former member for (among other things) fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment, and assault and battery; the suit sought $5 million in damages.^[7] Adidam then filed its own suit naming the former member and five others for abuse of process, extortion, breach of fiduciary duty and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The suit further charged that the six former members tried to deprive the movement of its "constitutionally protected rights to freedom of religion". Adidam sought $20 million in damages. ^[8]

Around the time of these lawsuits, Adi Da and Adidam (then known as Da Free John and The Johannine Daist Communion) were subjects of a report on The Today Show.^[25] There, and in other media reports, ex-members were quoted as saying that Adi Da exhibited a pattern of psychologically, sexually and physically abusive behavior.

Adidam charged that these public allegations were part of a conspiracy to extort large sums of money from the movement. ^[8] Adidam said that the former members, (some of whom appeared on the Today show report)^[25] "met several times to discuss, conspire and scheme to obtain extraordinary sums of money from Adidam under the threat of destroying the church".^[8] Adidam stated that before the media campaign had occured they had received a letter from the former members demanding $5.2 million dollars. In the letter the former members said if their demands were not met, they might undertake to destroy the movement.^[8]

Local media also reported that an Adidam spokesman disclosed that despite previous denials, controversial sexual practices involving the guru had continued after 1976 but had been hidden from some members and the general public. ^[26] An Adidam official said that no illegal acts took place and the movement had a right to continue experiments in lifestyles. ^[27]

In 2005, the Washington Post reported: '"The lawsuits and threatened suits that dogged the group in the mid-1980s were settled with payments and confidentiality agreements", says a California lawyer, Ford Greene, who handled three such cases.'^[6]

See also

• Shawnee Free Jones, a daughter
• Advaita Vedanta
• Nondualism
• Avatar

Notes

References

• Georg Feuerstein, Holy Madness: The Shock Tactics and Radical Teachings of Crazy-Wise Adepts, Holy Fools, and Rascal Gurus, Paragon House, 1991, ISBN 1-55778-250-4; Hohm Press; Rev & Expand edition Holy Madness: Spirituality, Crazy-Wise Teachers, And Enlightenment, (June 15, 2006) ISBN 1-890772-54-2

• James R. Lewis, Odd Gods: New Religions and the Cult Controversy Book, Premetheus Books, February 2001, 435 pgs. ISBN 1573928429

Further reading

• David C. Lane and Scott Lowe, Da: The Strange Case of Franklin Jones, Mt. San Antonio College Philosophy group, 1996, ISBN 1-56543-054-9. online:
  • Part One: The Paradox of Da Free John: Distinguishing the Message from the Medium by David C. Lane
  • Part Two: The Strange Case of Franklin Jones by Scott Lowe
• Edward Plotkin, The Four Yogas Of Enlightenment: Guide To Don Juan's Nagualism & Esoteric Buddhism (2002) ISBN 0-9720879-0-7.

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Adi Da

• Official Adidam website
• The Art of Adi Da Samraj
• Fear-No-More Zoo - Introduction