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The Western Prohibition Against Higher Knowledge and Realization
True religion or Spiritual life can be described as an ordeal of purification and Divine "Brightening". Each of the various religious and Spiritual traditions has proposed a particular approach to this ordeal, depending on its fundamental point of view. But the entire collective of all cultural traditions of humankind (which Avatar Adi Da calls the "Great Tradition") forms a single great and coherent process, with the unified (although variously expressed) purpose of Realizing the Truth, or the Divine "Brightness".
This is the message of Avatar Adi Da's extraordinary book The Basket of Tolerance . In The Basket of Tolerance , Avatar Adi Da Samraj "maps" the entire spectrum of potential religious points of view (as exemplified by all the known religious traditions of human history) through a precisely outlined and extensively annotated bibliography of over 5,000 items (including books, articles, video recordings, and audio recordings).
In ancient India, the earliest Buddhist manuscripts were written on palm leaves, and the collections of leaves were stored in baskets. There were three baskets altogether--one basket for the disciplinary rules of the monastic community (vinaya), one for Gautama's collected discourses (dharma), and one for the special texts analyzing the nature of human mental operations (abhidharma). Thus, the canon of Buddhist literature came to be known as "the three baskets" (or, in Sanskrit, "tripitaka").
In our time, the "basket" of religious and Spiritual literature includes the scriptures of all of the world's traditions. People in all parts of the world can now read the literature of any of the religious traditions of past and present. Therefore, it is essential that human beings study this literature in the disposition of tolerance and with intelligent discrimination appreciating the particular importance and significance of each branch of the Great Tradition. Avatar Adi Da created The Basket of Tolerance in order to help all come to a right and full understanding of the collective Great Tradition of humankind, and in order to provide a context in which to understand His unique Appearance and Offering. Each of the booklets in the "Basket of Tolerance" series contains one or more Essays from The Basket of Tolerance , in which Avatar Adi Da Samraj elucidates a particular aspect of (or point of view within) the Great Tradition.
"The Out-Growing of the Western fear (and its ambivalence, its materialistic revulsion, and its suppressiveness) relative to the higher (and, altogether, relative to the esoteric) process and Reality is the principal necessity for even all of mankind in this "late' (or "Westernized") time and in this "dark" (or "modern") epoch."
---Avatar Adi Da Samraj
This is the message of Avatar Adi Da's extraordinary book The Basket of Tolerance . In The Basket of Tolerance , Avatar Adi Da Samraj "maps" the entire spectrum of potential religious points of view (as exemplified by all the known religious traditions of human history) through a precisely outlined and extensively annotated bibliography of over 5,000 items (including books, articles, video recordings, and audio recordings).
In ancient India, the earliest Buddhist manuscripts were written on palm leaves, and the collections of leaves were stored in baskets. There were three baskets altogether--one basket for the disciplinary rules of the monastic community (vinaya), one for Gautama's collected discourses (dharma), and one for the special texts analyzing the nature of human mental operations (abhidharma). Thus, the canon of Buddhist literature came to be known as "the three baskets" (or, in Sanskrit, "tripitaka").
In our time, the "basket" of religious and Spiritual literature includes the scriptures of all of the world's traditions. People in all parts of the world can now read the literature of any of the religious traditions of past and present. Therefore, it is essential that human beings study this literature in the disposition of tolerance and with intelligent discrimination appreciating the particular importance and significance of each branch of the Great Tradition. Avatar Adi Da created The Basket of Tolerance in order to help all come to a right and full understanding of the collective Great Tradition of humankind, and in order to provide a context in which to understand His unique Appearance and Offering. Each of the booklets in the "Basket of Tolerance" series contains one or more Essays from The Basket of Tolerance , in which Avatar Adi Da Samraj elucidates a particular aspect of (or point of view within) the Great Tradition.
"The Out-Growing of the Western fear (and its ambivalence, its materialistic revulsion, and its suppressiveness) relative to the higher (and, altogether, relative to the esoteric) process and Reality is the principal necessity for even all of mankind in this "late' (or "Westernized") time and in this "dark" (or "modern") epoch."
---Avatar Adi Da Samraj
10 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2001
About the author
Adi Da Samraj
225 books26 followersAdi Da Samraj (AKA Da Free John), born Franklin Albert Jones, was an American-born spiritual teacher, writer, and artist, widely recognized as the founder of the new religious movement Adidam. His teachings, writings, and artistic expressions were deeply rooted in a commitment to radical nonduality, which he referred to as “the Bright” — the inherent, indivisible reality that transcends the egoic self. Adi Da taught that true spiritual realization is not something to be sought or attained but is already fully present and must be directly realized through the transcendence of separateness and the activity of seeking itself.
He wrote extensively throughout his life, authoring more than 75 books on spirituality, philosophy, art, and global peace. Among his best-known works are The Knee of Listening, an autobiographical account of his early life and spiritual realizations; The Aletheon, a summation of his spiritual instruction; and Not-Two Is Peace, a work addressing the global human condition and advocating for a radically new form of cooperative culture. His writings are considered by followers to be revelatory and are presented not as mere philosophy, but as direct communications of the spiritual reality he claimed to have fully realized.
Raised in the United States, Adi Da studied at Columbia University and later at Stanford University, where he developed a strong interest in literature, philosophy, and theology. Despite achieving academic success, he found intellectual pursuits ultimately insufficient for the depth of truth he sought. This dissatisfaction led him to explore a wide range of spiritual paths, including Zen Buddhism, Vedanta, and various esoteric practices. After years of spiritual searching and intense personal experiences that he described as revelatory, he began to teach others, presenting a radically different approach to spiritual life that emphasized immediate, intuitive recognition of the divine reality.
Central to Adi Da’s teaching was the concept of devotional recognition-response — the spontaneous turning of attention toward what he described as the living presence of the divine. He rejected conventional religious forms and techniques as inherently limited and emphasized a transformative relationship to the spiritual reality he embodied. His community of devotees, known as Adidam, formed around this core relationship and sought to live in accordance with the principles he articulated.
Beyond his spiritual teachings, Adi Da was also an accomplished visual artist whose work spanned photography, digital media, and mixed media installations. He referred to his aesthetic approach as “Transcendental Realism,” seeking not to represent the world but to provide a perceptual portal into the non-dual reality. His art has been exhibited internationally and received attention in both spiritual and contemporary art contexts.
Adi Da spent his final years in Fiji on Naitauba Island, a remote setting he regarded as sacred and conducive to spiritual practice. There, he continued to write, create art, and guide his devotees. His legacy continues through the Adidam community, which maintains his teachings and artistic work, promoting his vision of a new culture rooted in spiritual realization, radical truthfulness, and the transcendence of ego.
His life and work remain a source of devotion, debate, and philosophical inquiry, reflecting a bold and unconventional path toward the ultimate questions of human existence.
He wrote extensively throughout his life, authoring more than 75 books on spirituality, philosophy, art, and global peace. Among his best-known works are The Knee of Listening, an autobiographical account of his early life and spiritual realizations; The Aletheon, a summation of his spiritual instruction; and Not-Two Is Peace, a work addressing the global human condition and advocating for a radically new form of cooperative culture. His writings are considered by followers to be revelatory and are presented not as mere philosophy, but as direct communications of the spiritual reality he claimed to have fully realized.
Raised in the United States, Adi Da studied at Columbia University and later at Stanford University, where he developed a strong interest in literature, philosophy, and theology. Despite achieving academic success, he found intellectual pursuits ultimately insufficient for the depth of truth he sought. This dissatisfaction led him to explore a wide range of spiritual paths, including Zen Buddhism, Vedanta, and various esoteric practices. After years of spiritual searching and intense personal experiences that he described as revelatory, he began to teach others, presenting a radically different approach to spiritual life that emphasized immediate, intuitive recognition of the divine reality.
Central to Adi Da’s teaching was the concept of devotional recognition-response — the spontaneous turning of attention toward what he described as the living presence of the divine. He rejected conventional religious forms and techniques as inherently limited and emphasized a transformative relationship to the spiritual reality he embodied. His community of devotees, known as Adidam, formed around this core relationship and sought to live in accordance with the principles he articulated.
Beyond his spiritual teachings, Adi Da was also an accomplished visual artist whose work spanned photography, digital media, and mixed media installations. He referred to his aesthetic approach as “Transcendental Realism,” seeking not to represent the world but to provide a perceptual portal into the non-dual reality. His art has been exhibited internationally and received attention in both spiritual and contemporary art contexts.
Adi Da spent his final years in Fiji on Naitauba Island, a remote setting he regarded as sacred and conducive to spiritual practice. There, he continued to write, create art, and guide his devotees. His legacy continues through the Adidam community, which maintains his teachings and artistic work, promoting his vision of a new culture rooted in spiritual realization, radical truthfulness, and the transcendence of ego.
His life and work remain a source of devotion, debate, and philosophical inquiry, reflecting a bold and unconventional path toward the ultimate questions of human existence.
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