Synopses & Reviews
First published in 1972,
The Knee of Listening is the spiritual autobiography of the Ruchira Avatar, Adi Da Samraj. Containing simple narrative, ecstatic poetry, complex argument, and discourse, Adi Das autobiography reveals the miraculous story of his unique incarnation and revelation in the west for “the sake of liberating all beings.” The revised edition includes an expanded description of Adi Das early life leading up to his divine reawakening in 1970, as well as revelations about the spiritual work of the great realizers in his lineage.
"From time to time, there is a book that challenges, and eventually changes, the entire perspective of a civilization. In modern times, Charles Darwins Origin of Species was such a book–and, centuries before Darwin, On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres of Copernicus (the first publication of the theory that the earth orbits the sun). The Knee Of Listening is such an epoch-making book–in an entirely different way. Appearing at the beginning of the third millennium of the Common Era, it carries a Revelation that has the potential to transform all future time. This book is not about how life on earth physically evolved, nor the design of the solar system (of which this planet is a part). The Knee Of Listening is about Reality Itself, the Reality within which this earth and its cosmic locale arisethe Blissful, Effulgent, Conscious Force of Being which is always so, and which can be located and enjoyed under every possible condition, and in every dimension of space-time."
from the Introduction by Carolyn Lee, PhD
Synopsis
The Knee of Listening is the ultimate Spiritual Adventure and Life-Story. Avatar Adi Da's Spiritual Autobiography contains an Autobiographical description of the Divine Process of Perfect ego-transcendence and God-Realization. This greatly expanded new edition also contains many Essays describing; The various forms of Spiritual Realization exemplified by the Great Realizers in Adi Da's Lineage; The Secrets of Adi Da's "Pre-History" previous to His Birth in 1939; And the profound Events of "Yogic Death" that have occurred since the time of His Divine Re-Awakening (in 1970)--Events that Completed Adi Da's Process of Incarnating the Divine Conscious Light.
About the Author
From his birth (on Long Island, New York, in 1939), Adi Da Samraj has always manifested unique signs of spiritual illumination and of artistic and literary inspiration. Today, he is seen by a number of people worldwide as an avatar–as the Divine Heart-Master, the Very Incarnation of Truth Itself.
After having earned a BA from Columbia University and an MA from Stanford University, Adi Da began a period of intensive practice under a succession of spiritual masters in the United States and India. Eventually, in 1970, after a final period of intense spiritual endeavor, Adi Da spontaneously became reestablished in the continuous state of illumination that was his unique condition at birthand that re-awakening signaled the end of his thirty years of spiritual quest. In 1972, he began to teach in living dialogue, creating a vast repository of wisdom.
To date, his literary, philosophical, and practical writings consist of over sixty published books (The Knee of Listening, Easy Death, and My “Bright” Word among his most popular). Many of his discourses are also available on DVD and CD from The Dawn Horse Press.
Since 1998, he has created a massive body of artwork using the media of photography, videography, and digital technology. He states that his intention as an artist is to offer a visual communication of the truth of "Reality Itself.” His collateral exhibition at the 52nd Biennale di Venezia (2007), “Transcendental Realism,” marks the first time his work is being shown to the public at large.