The Whole Body Gospel: Yogic Gnosticism in the Work of Adi Da Samraj
This article explores Gnostic spirituality in a new religious movement by examining what I call “yogic Gnosticism” in the work of my father, spiritual teacher and philosopher, Adi Da Samraj (1939–2008). Although Adi Da’s teachings are most often associated with Indian traditions of thought and pract...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2024
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| In: |
Gnosis
Year: 2024, Volume: 9, Issue: 1, Pages: 35-63 |
| Further subjects: | B
Yogic
B Gnostic B Christianity B Adi Da B Gnosis |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article explores Gnostic spirituality in a new religious movement by examining what I call “yogic Gnosticism” in the work of my father, spiritual teacher and philosopher, Adi Da Samraj (1939–2008). Although Adi Da’s teachings are most often associated with Indian traditions of thought and practice, an often-overlooked element of his work is his reading of Christian scripture. Adi Da read the New Testament as a moral, devotional, and mystical text – one that simultaneously portrays historical events and esoteric, or hidden, archetypes of enlightenment. To define Adi Da’s work as “Gnostic” is to examine gnosis as a category of religious imagination that is, by definition, transgressive and experiential – drawing on the traditional symbols and myths of the Christian religion but privileging an individualism that is often at odds with an orthodox reading. To categorize his view as “yogic” is to see it in interplay with definitions of the subtle body and of enlightenment that closely parallel Hindu and Buddhist yogic traditions. The result is an innovative interpretation of the gospel of Jesus that simultaneously deconstructs orthodox readings of Christian scripture while affirming a deeply meaningful message of ancient religious truth. |
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| ISSN: | 2451-859X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Gnosis
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/2451859X-00901002 |