GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND PHRASES

conditionally manifested reality / Reality Itself — Adi Da distinguishes between two meanings of the word "reality". (1) He refers to reality as we ordinarily perceive it and participate in it as "conditionally manifested reality". The "ordinary reality" is the complex effect of all kinds of causes. Thus, the "ordinary reality" can manifest only in accordance with whatever conditions are the case. Therefore, because the "ordinary reality" is dependent on conditions, Adi Da describes it as "conditionally manifested". (2) In contrast to "conditionally manifested reality", Adi Da refers to "Reality Itself" (with capital letters). Reality Itself is not in any sense dependent on conditions. In other words, Reality Itself is utterly "Non-conditional". Adi Da states that Reality Itself is the the "One and Only Self-Nature, Self-Condition, and Self-State" of every thing and every being in the universe.

diaspora — The "diaspora" — "dispersion", or "scattering" — of humankind all over the earth, over the course of many thousands of years, has resulted in the establishment of different cultures and philosophies. But no matter what cultural or even racial differences have appeared, Adi Da emphasizes that humankind is still a single species.

ego / ego-"I" — Adi Da teaches that the ego is an activity, and not an entity. The activity of egoity is what Adi Da calls the "'self'-contraction", or the presumption of separate and separative existence. When he uses the term "ego-'I'", he places the "I" in quotation marks to indicate that he uses it in the "so to speak" sense. He is indicating (by means of the quotation marks) that, in Reality, there is no such thing as the "I", even though it appears to be the case in ordinary experience.

Enlightenment — The actual Realization of Reality Itself, or Truth Itself — Which Realization is Inherently Full of Light. Adi Da sometimes sets the word "Light" off in hyphens (as in "En-Light-ened") to emphasize the root-meaning of the word.

face-to-face — Humans all over the Earth are now "face-to-face" with one another, in that no one exists in an isolated tribe or culture. There is now a single world, transformed by worldwide communication, economic interdependence, and the potential of global warfare.

"late-time" (or "dark" epoch) — Adi Da uses the terms "late-time" and "'dark' epoch" to describe the present era — in which doubt of anything at all beyond mortal existence is more and more pervading the entire world, and the "self"-interest of the separate individual is more and more regarded to be the ultimate principle of life.

lose face — To "lose face" is to allow one's vulnerability and one's shortcomings to be seen, without the apparent protection of a powerful or influential image. See save face.

mummery — The dictionary defines "mummery" as "a ridiculous, hypocritical or pretentious ceremony, observance, or performance". Adi Da uses the term "mummery" to describe all the activities of ego-bound beings, who are committed to the false view of separation and separativeness.

"Narcissus" — Adi Da uses "Narcissus" as a key symbol of the un-enlightened individual as a "self"-obsessed seeker, enamored of his or her own "self"-image and egoic "self"-consciousness.

He is the ancient one visible in the Greek myth, who was the universally adored child of the gods, who rejected the loved-one and every form of love and relationship, and who was finally condemned to the contemplation of his own image — until, as a result of his own act and obstinacy, he suffered the fate of eternal separateness and died in infinite solitude.

-Adi Da
The Knee Of Listening

"neighborhood-wars" — The term "neighborhood-wars" describes the destructiveness of the ego (or the presumed separate "self") at all levels of human endeavor — not just the conflicts between nations and ethnic groups but in the most intimate scale of human interaction (the "private wars of Everyman"). This term comes from Adi Da's literary work The Mummery Book.

Non-Dual Self-Nature, Self-Condition, and Self-State — A phrase Adi Da uses to describe the True Reality-Source of all apparent arising. The word "Non-Dual" indicates that Reality Itself is inherently indivisible, and, therefore, never composed of "two" (or "self" and "not-self"). The phrase "Self-Nature, Self-Condition, and Self-State" indicates that Reality Itself is the true "Self" (capital "S") of all existence.

Perfectly Subjective — In the phrase "Perfectly Subjective", the word "Subjective" does not refer to "the inward experience of an individual". Rather, it points to Reality Itself — the True Source (or "Subject") of all apparent experience, which exists prior to any apparent individual "self".

"point of view" — By placing this phrase in quotation marks, Adi Da is communicating that, in Reality, every ordinary "point of view" is an illusion — because all ordinary "point of view" is founded in the presumption of the separate existence of "I".

prior unity — Adi Da's term "prior unity" points to the unity that exists prior to all the apparent differences and conflicts in the world. That unity, in other words, is senior to all apparent signs of disunity. Adi Da also calls this the "unifying life-principle" and the "cosmically extended pattern of Oneness".

Reality Itself — See conditionally manifested reality / Reality Itself.

save face — To "save face" is to try to "look good", or cling to an image of invulnerability and superiority in order to avoid being exposed as flawed or threatened. See lose face.

scientific materialism — The predominant philosophy and worldview of modern humanity, the basic presumption of which is that the material world is all that exists. In scientific materialism, the method of science, or the observation of "objective" phenomena, is made into a philosophy and a way of life that suppress the native human impulse to Realize Reality Itself.

"self"-contraction — The fundamental presumption (and activity) of separation. Also called "ego", or "ego-'I'".

Transcendental Spiritual — Adi Da uses this phrase as a description of the two fundamental aspects of Reality Itself, and also of the process of Reality-Realization (or Enlightenment). "Transcendental" refers to Existence (or Being, or Consciousness) Itself, and "Spiritual" refers to Energy (or Light) Itself. Adi Da has revealed that these two aspects inherently coincide in Reality Itself, which is indivisible.

Unifying Life-Principle — See prior unity.