Gnosticon (ePub)

An anthology of masterful "e;translations"e; of ancient Advaitic and Buddhist texts, Avatar Adi Da's own "e;perfect knowledge"e; teachings, and commentary on preliminary religious traditions, The Gnosticon is an unparalleled scholarly and revelatory survey of the esoteric transcendentalist traditions of humankind, given by the unique divine realizer Avatar Adi Da Samraj. The Gnosticon-which means "e;the book of knowledge"e;-was begun at the end of 2005, when Avatar Adi Da was moved to make his own rendering, or "e;interpretive translation"e;, of a traditional Advaitic text, The Ribhu Gita, in order to elucidate (and thereby honor) its full meaning. Adi Da Samraj then did the same with other great texts from the traditions of Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism. In each case, he brought the essence of the instruction to the fore, with elegance and illumined understanding. Texts whose meanings were only partially (or cryptically) expressed even in the original-let alone in translation-suddenly shone forth, like rough gems cut by an expert hand. Such was the original kernel of The Gnosticon-an anthology of these masterful "e;translations"e;, together with discourses about the traditional texts, given by Adi Da Samraj. In the course of 2006, Avatar Adi Da transformed the nature of the book by adding many of his own teachings relative to "e;Perfect Knowledge"e; of Reality-such as "e;Eleutherios"e; and "e;The Teaching Manual of Perfect Summaries"e;-as well as essays on "e;radical"e; devotion and right life, the other key fundamentals to the reality-way he gives. In order to present these teachings in their full context as the apex of human wisdom, Adi Da Samraj also added essays he had written over the years about the more preliminary stages of human understanding, including commentaries on popular "e;God"e;-religion. Avatar Adi Da's final work on The Gnosticon (only months before his passing in November 2008) included the addition of his culminating communications on his own self-revelation and the reality-way of Adidam, given in the essays "e;Atma Nadi Shakti Yoga"e; and "e;The Boundless Self-Confession"e;. Taken together, the works compiled in The Gnosticon offer a profound clarification of the highest transcendentalist teachings, an opportunity to consider Avatar Adi Da's completing "e;perfect knowledge"e; teachings, and an invitation to all human beings to respond to the perfectly illuminating truth directly transmitted by and as Avatar Adi Da himself. A foreword by Paul Muller-Ortega, author of The Triadic Heart of Shiva, and a beautifully written introduction by Carolyn Lee offer an invaluable orientation and in-depth understanding of why this book is a masterwork of truth. Adi Da's Message, in all of His writings, is that there is only one force in human affairs that can correct the terrible trajectory of the world today. The "e;decline and fall"e; of global civilization is inevitable, unless a greater knowledge of Reality can begin to affect human culture. Locating this greater knowledge, and bringing it to bear in real human life, both individual and collective, is the most critical issue for all humankind. To convey the urgency of Truth, the Truth about Reality, was the incomparably creative lifetime-effort of Avatar Adi Da Samraj. His offering of The Gnosticon is part of that Work. In this extraordinary book, He explains the Great Tradition to itself, illumines its hidden treasures, and Reveals the Perfect Tradition that resolves the great wisdom-search in a Place never fully found before. -from the introduction by Carolyn Lee Adi Da Samraj has created a body of work that surpasses in its force and insight that of any other author and teacher of our time The present book [is] a mature document that culminates forty or more years of reflection and articulation on Adi Da Samraj's part. I can only add my own humble invitation to all to plunge into its ecstatic waters and savor The Gnosticon. -Paul E. Muller-Ortega Professor of Religion, University of Rochester