What is the Nature of Spiritual Ascent?
Introduction
The following exposition is drawn from UP?, a book by Adi Da Samraj that explores the nature of “Ascent” in the context of Spiritual Transmission within the Way of the Heart. In this work, Adi Da examines the upward movement inherent in authentic spiritual practice—not as a strategic effort of self-willed attainment, but as a natural response to the Divine. He contrasts the pure, spontaneous Ascent of Spiritual Energy with the conventional yogic and religious models that often mistake effortful striving for true transcendence.
Adi Da clarifies that Spiritual Ascent is not a search for self-transformation or an achievement of the ego but rather an expression of faith—a movement of surrender and devotion that arises in direct relationship to the Divine Presence. This ascent, however, does not occur in isolation; it is always preceded by the Divine’s Descent. The transmission of Spirit-Energy (Shaktipat) is first given from above, initiating the process of response and upward return. Adi Da explains that without this prior descent, any attempt at ascent remains bound to the limitations of self-effort and illusion.
Through this selection from UP?, Adi Da describes the distinct phases of Spiritual Ascent in the Way of Adidam, detailing its difference from traditional yogic practices and its necessary foundation in ego-transcending devotion and true hearing. He also articulates the core principle of “Primary Dualism,” which involves a rigorous relinquishment of body-consciousness as part of the higher process of Divine Realization. At the heart of this teaching is Adi Da’s own revelation of the “Bright” Condition—the state of perfect Divine Awakening in which the Love-Bliss Energy of the Divine is fully manifest and moves through the body-mind in a pattern of descent and ascent.
This discourse offers a radical reorientation to the understanding of Spiritual Ascent, pointing beyond conventional religious and mystical efforts toward the inherent Grace and Transforming Power of the Divine Reality Itself.
The following are segments complied by Beezone from the book Up? on what Adi Da means by “Ascent” in practice and in Spiritual terms. Beezone
True Spiritual life is not a search, or an effort of ultimate self-transformation, but it is an ascent. All its actions are practical—having limited, efficient ends.
The ascent (of Spiritual Energy,) is the natural movement of faith, drawn by the risen Lord. It is simply the rising tendency—the aspiring, surrendered Spire of Energy and Love. It is not an ordinary Yoga, an ego-willful and strategic means of seeking toward some great (and even perfect) goal. It is already a relationship to the Perfect One. It is an unqualified, unburdened Bliss. It is a cooperative ease of Joy that purifies in Spiritual Fire. It is the living condition of Reality.
The traditional term “Shaktipat” (which generally indicates “the Transmission of Spirit-Energy, or Shakti”) literally means “the descent of Spiritual Power.” It does not mean the ascent of It.
The ascending Yogic process in the Way of Adidam—to whatever extent it must occur—is a different course and discipline than the ascending process associated with the traditional Yogas of idealized ascent.
Spiritual processes be presumed to have included a process of direct Spiritual Transmission (from Master to disciple), and, also, a verbal transmission of esoteric instruction about inwardly concentrated Spiritual Ascent—or the mystical (or Yogic) Spiritual process that is, by necessity, psycho-physically internal, and that, through the development of inward and upward concentration (ultimately, in the brain core), expands, experientially, into a cosmic and supercosmic understanding. That Spiritual process of Ascent is not about going up into the physically existing sky. It is about going up into the “sky of mind.” It is about internal, or entirely Spiritual, Ascent.
The first step (or phase) of the process of Spiritual ascent is a process that begins with simple, but ego-transcending, devotion to the Divine, and eventually becomes heart-receptivity, and heart-response, to the descended Presence of the Divine Spirit—eventually culminating in the process of Spiritual ascent itself.
The second step (or phase) of the total process of Spiritual ascent begins at the ajna door. However, this fine distinction (between two steps) is not made in the traditional literature that describes the process of Spiritual ascent.
What is Necessary in the Process?
True hearing (or most fundamental self-understanding, which is the unique capability for transcending the ego-act of self-contraction) is absolutely necessary for right (and really ego-transcending) technically fully responsible Spiritual practice in My Company. True hearing is the unique foundation of the technically fully responsible Divine Spiritual Yoga of Adidam.
The “method” of “Primary Dualism” is primarily ascetical (or a bodily intensive effort to relinquish, or to release the Deep Being from, body-consciousness and all psycho-physical states).
My “Bright” Condition was (and Is) the Most Perfectly (Divinely) Awakened Spiritual State (or Self-“Bright” Divine Self-Condition), in Which the Divine Love-Bliss-Energy (or Ruchira Shakti, or Hridaya-Shakti) is Centered in the heart and the head, and Circulates throughout the Circle of the body-mind (by a pattern of frontal Descent—from Infinitely Above the total crown of the head—and subsequent spinal Ascent, or Return).