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The American born guru currently known as Adi Da has been widely recognized to be a uniquely brilliant religious genius by many who have studied his written teachings. But many of those familiar with his “crazy wisdom” teaching style and personal behavior have concluded that he is as dangerous as he is brilliant. He has proven that he is willing to stop at nothing to awaken those who turn to him as guru, and indeed he once warned: “Do not approach me unless you are willing to be undone.”

I was a student and devotee of Adi Da from the mid-seventies to the early eighties, and the process of assimilating his comprehensive teachings, integrating his powerful transmission of spiritual force, and differentiating between the guru, his teachings, and his “crazy wise” methods remains an ongoing part of my work on myself.

Adi Da continues to teach, publish, and lure devotees to him, and I feel strongly that part of the danger which Adi Da represents to seekers is not merely his deliberately disturbing teaching style, but the unintegrated shadow which surrounds he and his community. In addition, he and his community hide or distort a great deal of information about Adi Da’s behavior, information that, if it were known, might seriously inhibit his ability to draw new devotees and donations for his non-profit organization.

This paper is a subjective look at Adi Da, his teaching, and his teaching method, a look back at some of my memories of life in his community, and an account of some of the scandals which have earned him his bad boy guru reputation.

To the reader who is unfamiliar with Da’s teachings, the temptation to dismiss him as another phony guru may be great, but would be ill-informed. A partial list of those who have offered high praises of Da might serve to underline this point: Ken Wilber, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Larry Dossey, M.D., Willis Harman, President of the Institute of Noetic Science, Sun Bear, Fred Alan Wolf, Joan Halifax, Judith Cornell, Georg Feuerstein, Alan Watts, Bonnie Greenwell, Malidoma Patrice Some, Leroy Finch, Robert K. Hall, M.D., Irena Tweedie, Richard Grossinger, Charles T. Tart, Stanley Krippner, Peter Russell, Bill Gottlieb, Jeffrey Mishlove, etc.

I agree with Ken Wilber’s remark in his introduction to one of Adi Da’s books, “...that no one in the fields of psychology, religion, philosophy, or sociology can afford not to be at least a student of Da Free John.” [I no longer feel that way. JC, 2005] But I would no more recommend that anyone go further than studying his teachings by becoming his devotee than I would recommend skydiving without a parachute while on LSD.

A partial list of those who have offered high praises of Da might serve to underline this point: Willis Harman, President of the Institute of Noetic Science... Fred Alan Wolf, Joan Halifax..Alan Watts...Charles T. Tart, Stanley Krippner..Jeffrey Mishlove, etc.

American Dream wrote:

A goodly number of "connected" individuals on this list, whatever their quirky, independent natures...

Six Hits of Sunshine wrote:

American Dream wrote:

A goodly number of "connected" individuals on this list, whatever their quirky, independent natures...

I think I get what you're saying, but just in case I'm not, connected to who/what?

American Dream wrote:

Six Hits of Sunshine wrote:

American Dream wrote:

A goodly number of "connected" individuals on this list, whatever their quirky, independent natures...

I think I get what you're saying, but just in case I'm not, connected to who/what?

Deep Power...

Hammer of Los wrote:...

Fascinating, ain't it?

...

Hammer of Los wrote:...

The Krishna Consciousness ain't no picnic.

God Realisation ain't all its cracked up to be.

And the Shamanic Initiation ain't no bed of roses, neither.

...

Hammer of Los wrote:...

Thank Christ for Six Hits of Sunshine.

At last it appears that someone has some faint clue of what I'm talking about.

Some think me mad.

But I'm sane.

It's everyone else that's mad.

How on earth can I be accused of being delusional?

I follow the most potent practice of thoroughgoing agnosticism, after all.

They understand not.

Who understands?

...