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The Art and Practice of Robert Adams Own Compassionate Self Inquiry - The Illuminated Life
Robert Adams Personal Introduction and Tender Guidance of an Enjoyable, Simple Daily Personal Application in Rising Above All Temporal Circumstances, Suffering and False Limitations, Enabling Direct Experience of the Reality of our True Eternal, Divine Nature.
“So we begin a program. And from my experience I have found Self Inquiry to be the fastest way to awaken for some people. It makes no difference how many times you have done this before. Whenever you do it is like the first time. Do this in a gentle, peaceful way. When doing Inquiry, don’t forget the love.”
Robert Adams SOH
Over forty years ago the gentle American Sage, Robert Adams, introduced his uniquely personalized liberating and instantaneously elevating, divinely transmitted art of Self Inquiry to the West at large, in an age and culture where this had been primarily unheard of. Quickly disseminated throughout India, Europe, the Orient and America, his books, lessons and personal counsel to everyone from University students, homemakers and priests, to celebrities and prominent spiritual teachers, acquired a distinguished and revered stature as the sole transmission of genuine Vedanta in universally accurate and authentic application from an Illumined pure source. Robert Adams Teachings were quickly embraced and engraved in firm stature in the traditional temples and ashramas of the East, recognized as a pure vehicle of Truth, a rarity for Westerners, where few if any are acknowledged by the “True Masters and Spiritual Giants” of the Eastern pure ancient traditions.
Based on his own singularly unique transmission of this powerful and beautiful method of experiencing the reality of our eternal, All-Pervading Bliss Nature beyond the smallness of identifying solely with ‘the lack and limitation of mere human existence’, he emphasizes this specific Practice of Compassionate Inquiry as currently carried on in presentation by his Institute and Dr. Blake Warner internationally, ( he also refers to it as ‘sadhana’ or devotions, defining the practices of ones faith, accompaniment with other practices). The following guidance into Compassionate Inquiry constitutes a premier component of his path of Illumined living, providing a ‘direct experience rather than discussions or debates, enabling you to reap the reward of your efforts. Freedom, joy, deep compassion ensue.”
FAQ’s
What is the basis of this practice?
One simply questions, or inquires, in a personally meaningful and conscious manner in deep pondering, “To whom does this come?”, “Who is actually experiencing this?” in a variety of specifically instructed forms, often in a realistic and practically useful ‘intervention’ in the those of suffering, loss or grief, as well as in daily calm and peaceful observation. One eventually ponders, who is asking the questions, if ‘you’ are observing the question being asked as well. A natural sequence of freedoms resonating from deep within begin an elevation from the dross of limitation to the physical world alone, into an awakening of the reality within, that of the eternal ,unchanging, source of our being. The series of inquiries, richly profound in their resemblance to the Greek style philosophers circles and Sages of old lifting humanity out of the mire of complete immersion and identification with incoming events devoid of the spiritual remembrance of being beyond this, rooted in The Supernal, results in immediate inner elevation, gentle and sparkling transcendence, and a ‘breather’ from deep suffering/chaos.
There appear to be recent American presented books and retreats, workshops and systems that say they feature ‘inquiry’, yet follow an extremely different, melded combo of the individuals own interpretations and philosophy. How is Robert Adams Inquiry different?
Robert Adams presents a uniquely relevant, powerful and divinely transmitted teaching of The Supernal through the vehicle of a modern day devoted father, husband, suburbanite, and humanitarian, fully aware of all of the realities of contemporary living yet offering a true, immediately palpable experience of ‘the highest embodiment of The Supernal’ honoring traditional ancient mores regarded as sacred ‘in all true religions’. In this tradition, his own path of non harm and direct adherence to ‘The Correct Laws of Living in Compassion’, as well as the foundations of the ancient Golden Age of higher consciousness in which the ancient scriptures were created, all provide a previously understood foundation for his practice. “You must begin at the beginning. You cannot progress in Inquiry if you are still hurting people, angry, mean, aggressive, belligerent. It is impossible. Therefore, acquire the first steps before beginning. This world is like the third grade. People are still learning not to hurt each other. This is called the highest path, the direct path, because it is assumed that the preceding has been previously understood.”
“Of course, if you are a devotional heartfelt nature, you can simply surrender everything to God. But you must surrender everything, your entire life and circumstances.”
In this way, a primary differentiation consists of his ethical, compassionate stance. Additionally, most aspirants find that the traditional full- form path of Unfoldment that accompanies Inquiry is rarely presented, rather an extracted form of the technique, devoid of the original true spiritual path enabling progression and unfoldment beyond a temporary feeling of relief from circumstances, whereas the full Path presents a permanent peace and perception that is intended.
Often times a dry, misunderstood sense of disassociation with ones heart and life is mistaken for ‘Inquiry’ by many grown cynical to the original joy and innocence of true spirituality, or embittered due to suffering. Robert often corrects those who misunderstand his own Teaching to be of a jarring or “cold and dry head knowledge’ orientation due to unrelated interpretations. “Do not say ‘wake up!’ because you are angry, or ‘drop it!’ to win a point. This is the ego. This is the opposite of compassion. Wisdom. This has nothing to do with Inquiry. You transcend the ego and become an embodiment of loving kindness.” Understandably, many in the previous generation were introduced to a more common hybrid Americanized ‘cold hearted’, dry, abrupt and often self absorbed misunderstanding of the true Inquiry in Unfoldment, described by Robert Adams as the gentle and natural unfoldment of a flowers petals into its natural state of fragrant bloom. This format is unrelated to the presentation of Robert Adams, who states:
“When practicing Inquiry, don’t forget the love.”
“This is a gentle, natural process. Be compassionate with yourself. Have mercy on yourself. Have mercy on everyone else.” “This should be an enjoyable practice. How do you know if you are progressing?
By the sense of peace. It lasts longer and longer. By the happiness that emerges.”
Lastly, the personalized caring, benevolence and supernal wisdom in Knowing of a true Sage, assures the effective discernment of ‘the wheat from the chaff’ of mere memorization intellectual theory, or exorbitantly charged for retreats/events devoid of personal caring. “The West thinks that spirituality is three hundred dollar retreats. I do not give three hundred dollar retreats. The West does not understand true spiritual Unfoldment.” Robert
Do we simply ‘inquire’ at any time of the day or night, or is there a time and manner?
Initially, Inquiry is practiced in a pondering and reflective, peaceful time and sanctuary, prepared beforehand per Roberts directions. Eventually it becomes a part of your being, expanding as an Inner Realization throughout the day, enabling a smoother existence.
“This enables you to sail through life.” Unbroken Inquiry immerses ones being. One becomes a Realization of “The Glory and the Splendor” beyond the delusion of suffering, rather than a dry, disassociated observer which Robert explains is apathy.
“One who truly Knows that they are not the body, the name, has no desire to announce this to anyone. To discuss it. They simply abide in Truth.” Robert
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Begin at the Beginning
“Who am I? Send the ‘I Thought’ back to the Spiritual Heart.”
Pivotal References and Instructives on Robert Adams Inquiry from Silence of the Heart
“ Therefore, you passionately get yourself involved in Self Inquiry. As I said before, it is true that listening to these words, and realizing that everything is Consciousness, can awaken you. But this is only if you are prepared.
By prepared, I mean that you have already transcended all of the things we were talking about. All of the emotions...fears. All of the hurts...frustrations. If you have already transcended these things then all you have to do is hear the word and awaken but for most people it does not work this way. Therefore you have to practice some form of Practices.”
The method to remember is to catch yourself all during the day. “Who believes this? To whom does this come? Who feels this?” Over and over again. When you say, “Who am I?” For some people it is better to say, “Who is ‘I’?” The same thing. What you are really doing is finding the source of the ‘I’. You are always talking about the personal ‘I’. Who is this “I”? Who gave it birth?
Inquire in a Gentle, Peaceful Way
Self Inquiry becomes very useful. You simply allow thoughts to come to you, and you inquire, in a gentle way, “To whom do these thoughts come? Who is thinking these thoughts? I am.” You wait., and you inquire sincerely, “Who am I? What is the source of the is I?” When I say that you have to dive within your SELF, that is how you dive within your SELF. People ask me, “How do you dive within your SELF?” That is how you do it. You inquire, “Where does the ‘I’ come from ?”
The “I” is deep, deep within your SELF. “What is the source of the I?”
Than thoughts will come to you again. And you repeat the same thing over again: “To whom do these thoughts come? They come to me. Who is this me? What is the source of ‘me’?” “Me” and “I” are synonymous. “Where does the ‘me’ come from?”
You do it over and over, over again. (* Robert selected ambient music of great peace that he guided recorded Inquiry for students to, emphasizing the soothing nature of peaceful Inquiry to many who applied this method in an abrupt fashion.)
Take the time. Sit down in a chair and watch your thoughts. And begin to inquire, “To whom do these thoughts come? They come to me. I am thinking these thoughts. Who is the ‘I’? What is the source of ‘I’? Where did it come from?”
It makes no difference how many times you practiced this before. Whenever you do it, it is like the first. This may be the time for you to ‘awaken’. This is why you should never give up.
You do the same thing again, and again, in a gentle, peaceful way.
This is a beginning introduction to the Teaching. For more on Robert Adams Original Self Inquiry, The Lessons and further Discourses/Recordings offer in depth further transmissions.
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