Synopses & Reviews
Contemporary renderings of the dharma of the great sages of Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism from the Realized Spiritual Master Avatar Adi Da Samraj
• Includes transmissions of wisdom teachings of the great sages Gotama Sakyamuni, Nagarjuna, Shankara, and Ribhu
• Presents classic texts of spiritual realization from the perspective of a Realized Teacher
• Provides insight into the ultimate realization possible when dualistic consciousness has been transcended
In this book Avatar Adi Da Samraj offers his unique renderings of the dharma of the great sages of Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism, including Gotama Sakyamuni, Nagarjuna, Shankara, and Ribhu. Rather than simply translate their teachings from available source texts, Avatar Adi Da, himself a Realized Master, respeaks them as one who has personally realized their truth, revealing that the Buddhist “Nirvana” and the Advaitic “Brahman” point to the same transcendental condition. Avatar Adi Da’s transmissions restore to these texts the profound communication intended by the spiritual masters who created them.
The ego nurtures the illusion of separation, an illusion that cannot be removed by the ego’s own efforts. It is only the spiritual master who makes possible the realization of egoless consciousness. The great sages proclaimed a state of spiritual realization that exceeded both worldly dualism and mystical seeking. They had awakened to a reality that spoke of abiding in a state of consciousness only. Avatar Adi Da brings these remarkable declarations back to life and then concludes with his own unique description of a realization that transcends even these extraordinary utterances--the realization of Reality As It Is, free of all forms of the ego’s search.
Review
“Adi Da uses his deeply insightful reading of a number of traditional texts, drawn from both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, as a means to clarify and specify the practice that leads to the ultimate stages of attainment. A revelation of profound originality and force, this book brings forward a new perspective on reality and consciousness.”
Review
“The writings of Adi Da Samraj--including the important essays and talks in this book--are the most doctrinally thorough, the most philosophically sophisticated, the most culturally challenging, and the most creatively original literature on nonduality currently available in the English language.”
Review
“Adi Da uses his deeply insightful reading of a number of traditional texts, drawn from both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, as a means to clarify and specify the practice that leads to the ultimate stages of attainment. A revelation of profound originality and force, this book brings forward a new perspective on reality and consciousness.” < b=""> Paul E. Muller-Ortega <> , author of < i=""> The Triadic Heart of Shiva <>
Review
“The writings of Adi Da Samraj--including the important essays and talks in this book--are the most doctrinally thorough, the most philosophically sophisticated, the most culturally challenging, and the most creatively original literature on nonduality currently available in the English language.” < b=""> Jeffrey Kripal <> , director and chair of Religious Studies at Rice University and author of < i=""> Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion <>
Synopsis
The great sages of Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism taught spiritual realization that exceeded both worldly dualism and mystical seeking. In this book, Realized Master Avatar Adi Da Samraj respeaks these teachings and reveals his realization of Reality As It Is, free from all forms of the ego's search.
About the Author
Avatar Adi Da Samraj (1939-2008) was born on Long Island, New York. In 1970, after a period of intense spiritual endeavor, he spontaneously became reestablished in the continuous state of illumination that was his unique condition at birth. After his reawakening, Adi Da began to teach. His philosophical, practical, and literary writings consist of more than 70 published books and his students have established Adidam centers around the world. Avatar Adi Da Samraj departed the body on November 26, 2008, in his hermitage sanctuary in Fiji.
Table of Contents
Conventions: A Note about Avatar Adi Da’s Writings
Introduction
by Carolyn Lee, PhD
I. To Realize Nirvana Is To Realize The True Self
Buddhist Realism and Its (Ultimately) Inherent Sympathy With Advaitic Idealism
An Essay by Avatar Adi Da Samraj
II. There Is A Non-conditional Condition To Be Realized
The Reality-Teachings of The Buddhist Sage Gotama Sakyamuni
III. The Transcendental Truth of Reality
The Reality-Teachings of The Buddhist Sage Nagarjuna
IV. The Sixth Stage Transcendentalist Ways of Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism--and The Seventh Stage Acausal Reality-Way of Adidam
An Essay by Avatar Adi Da Samraj
V. What Is Required To Realize The Non-Dual Truth?
The Controversy Between The Talking School and The Practicing School of Advaitism
An Essay by Avatar Adi Da Samraj
VI. Ten Declarations of The Transcendental Self-Identity of Consciousness Itself
The Reality-Teachings of The Advaitic Sage Shankara
VII. The Five Declarations of Ultimate Knowledge
The Reality-Teachings of The Advaitic Tradition As A Whole, On The Necessary Characteristics of An Inherently Perfect Guru, or True Master-Sage
VIII. My Renderings of The Ancient Reality-Teachings
A Discourse Given by Avatar Adi Da Samraj to His devotees, on January 28, 2006--directly after He had first Recited His Renderings of the Reality-Teachings of Gotama Sakyamuni and Nagarjuna
IX. The Way of Knowledge That Becomes Possible Only At The Final Stage of Maturity
The Reality-Teachings of The Advaitic Sage of The Devikalottara
X. Reality (Itself) Is All The God There Is
A Discourse Given by Avatar Adi Da Samraj to His devotees, on January 6, 2006--directly after He had first Recited His Rendering of the Devikalottara
XI. The Reality-Teachings of The Sage Ribhu
1. The Plain Truth of Traditional (or Sixth Stage) Non-Dualism, As Represented By The Ribhu Gita
2. The Legendary Story of The Sage Ribhu and His Devotee Nidagha, As Told By Avatar Adi Da Samraj
3. The Essence of The Non-Dualist Reality-Teachings of The Sage Ribhu
4. Abide As That: On The Practice of Self-Abiding As The Indivisible Self-Reality of Intrinsically Self-Evident Being, Itself
XII. Sixth-Stage Method Versus Perfect Practice
A Discourse Given by Avatar Adi Da Samraj to His devotees, on December 11, 2005--directly after He had first Recited His Rendering of the Ribhu Gita
XIII. Advaita Buddha Dharma of Avatar Adi Da Samraj
Appendix: Avatar Adi Da’s Revelation of the Seven Stages of Life
Notes
Glossary
About Avatar Adi Da Samraj
The Reality-Way of Adidam
Index