“the social order in general daily manifests more and more critical signs of deterioration. Mankind is not permitted to learn the higher purpose of humanity, but is continually indoctrinated into a superficial state of mind that is merely observing and reacting to objective events and struggling with mortal psychological states.”
Adi Da Samraj, Cooperation and Doubt
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The following is an adaptation of an article originally published in Crazy Wisdom Magazine 44 years ago. The original article follows below.
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It is crucial for the members of Adidam and others to navigate the realities of this world while engaging in spiritual practice. However, it is becoming increasingly clear, based on undeniable evidence, that those who identify as students, devotees, or friends of Adi Da are living in isolated areas, unable to join together in any meaningful way. This isolation is reinforced by the constant barrage of news predicting the imminent collapse of anything remotely promising.
Those who have studied and, in some cases, practiced Adi Da’s teachings must understand the circumstances in which they continue to live and the importance of community. There should be no “ifs” or conditions on the survival of this Wisdom Teaching in the world. Adi Da’s teaching differs from a philosophy that may or may not survive.
The Word is out! You don’t have to look far into the history of many long-standing prophecies from various sources that have foreseen the insanity of wars, natural disasters, and plagues that will begin to take over the earth. This dimension of human karma may profoundly affect the experience of the world, and it must be taken into account. If the wisdom Adi Da brings into this world is to survive, even though much of it has been lost, there must be locations in many areas where a certain number of people create authentic communities. Then, the wisdom teaching in the world can survive, and centers of practice can be part of the regeneration of a larger communion in the future. If such profound effects suffer, who knows what might happen? Therefore, it is in the interest of everyone who honors who and what Adi Da has brought into this world as a cultural entity to create a real community in isolated areas and to support one another for the survival of the Wisdom Teaching and the practical survival of his teachings.
Hopefully, the Sanctuaries and the Spiritual Masters’ residences will always be the principal form of a renunciate hermitage. However, many places should be established in other locales as well. Such centers should be in protected areas so they would not likely be affected by war and political influence. A small group of people could inhabit each. Each should be a repository of the Wisdom Teaching. These centers should also contain a sound library, and people who practice in the various stages of the Way should live there. As much as possible, these centers should be self-sustaining environments for educational and priestly activity to preserve and communicate the Wisdom Teaching and to maintain the Sacred Influence within the community of like-minded people.
Even if there is no holocaust, it is still reasonable to do all this because we live in a world that is distracted by itself, corrupted, and turned in on itself, a place where human beings are easily deluded. This is the reason for the evolution of the Spiritual Community, which must pursue its cultural integrity by creating its own centers of activity and realization.
It is reasonable to do all of this if there should be global chaos. These centers might well have to deal with many eventual adverse effects. The first would be a global catastrophe, such as a war or disaster. The second would be dramatic political and economic changes, and the third would be the inevitable influence of deluded humans, which always exists.
We, and that means you, must begin to understand this real potential. We must do all this while remembering that as long as it takes and to whatever degree possible, we must function for the sake of others. Communion must always be the vehicle for the world’s education and the intelligent consideration of wisdom teaching. We must be outer-directed while at the same time not undermining ourselves.
Beezone, May 25, 2924
Original article
CRAZY WISDOM
Volume 5, Number 2
MARCH/APRIL 1987
The Survival of the Community of Devotees
a conversation with Heart-Master Da Love-Ananda
May 19, 1980
HEART-MASTER DA: The members of this Communion must function in the realities of this world and also engage in Spiritual practice. Yet they are acting as if they live forever and as if the world will continue to be a TV-land forever. Practitioners must understand the circumstances in which we live and they must understand what the Communion must do. There should be no “ifs”, no conditions on the survival of this Wisdom-Teaching in the world. This institution is not like a business that may or may not survive. It therefore requires a profound commitment of energy and intelligence to insure.
Many long-standing prophecies from many sources foresee that the entire population of the world will be reduced to a fraction of its size through a combination of wars, natural disasters, and plagues. This dimension of the karma of humans may affect the experience of the world profoundly, and it must be taken into account. If the Communion is to survive, even though many may be lost, there must be locations in many areas of the world where a certain number of members of the Community exist. Then the Wisdom-Teaching in the world can survive, and centers of practice can be part of a regeneration of the Communion in the future-if such profound negative effects will actually be suffered. Therefore, it is in the interest of the Communion, as a cultural entity, to create renunciate hermitages in isolated areas and to support them for the survival of the Wisdom-Teaching and for the practical survival of devotees.
The Sanctuaries and the Spiritual Masters residences will always be the principal form of a renunciate hermitage. But a number of places could be established in other locales so that the Spiritual Master could reside in any one of them. Such hermitages should be in places that are so isolated that they would not likely be affected by war and political influence. Each could be inhabited by a small group of people. Each should be a repository of the Wisdom-Teaching. Each hermitage should also contain a good library, and people should live there who are practicing in the advanced stages of the Way. The hermitages should be self-sustaining environments for educational and priestly activity to preserve and communicate the Wisdom-Teaching and to maintain the Sacred Influence within the Community of devotees.
Even if there is no holocaust, it is still reasonable to do all this, because we live in a world that is distracted by itself, corrupted, and turned in on itself, a place where human beings are easily deluded. This is the reason for the evolution of the Spiritual Community, which must pursue its cultural integrity through the creation of its own centers of activity. The principle of these centers is Satsang, an essential Spiritual life, and “Good Company”, including the Company of God, the Company of the Spiritual Master, and the company of devotees.
It is reasonable to do all of this if there should be a holocaust. The Communion might well have to deal with many eventual negative effects. The first would be a full holocaust, such as a war or other such disaster. The second would be dramatic political and economic changes, and the third would be the inevitable influence of deluded humans, which always exists.
We must therefore create cultural environments where Spiritual life can be practiced. We must do all this while remembering that as long as it takes and to whatever degree possible we must function for the sake of others. The Communion must always be the vehicle for the education of the world and for the intelligent consideration of the Wisdom-Teaching in the world. We must be outer-directed while at the same time not undermining ourselves.