“Such religion is free. It is native religion, it is God-made religion. Those who enter in such a religious process may live with one another, create a structure or an institution for association with one another and the communication of the Teaching but their religion itself is free and immediate.
It is a process that is always intimate, that one can practice in every moment of existence, that one must practice in every moment of existence. It is not a practice to be engaged only sometimes in meditation or weekly church gatherings….. It is a kind of renegade Teaching. It is not smiled upon by religionists and worldly people.”
This remarkable text was taken from a book written by Adi Da called – The Fire Gospel- published in 1982. The particular talk is- “A Birthday Message from Jesus and Me”.
The concept of Free Religion has often been used by Adi Da, examples are “The Free Communion Church” and later “Free Daism”. I often wondered why He used this term “Free” so often, in particular related to Adidam (whatever form it was conceived of in the past). Now I get it, it’s the complete reversal of how religion is perceived – by me at least, perhaps everyone already has this astonishingly liberal view !
Religion is generally seen as an imposition from without, it requires something of you by an institution or organisation outside of self.
This is crucial point and a most liberating one. Quite astounding in its direct emancipation from what I call “catechism” (1) something I endured with at best fortitude, as a child attending catholic school- in short, rote, unbelievably boring ritual, and feelingless liturgy. Adi Da calls it “mummery”.
“Such religion is free. It is native religion, it is God-made religion.”
It must come from your own free response, not imposed on you from without !
“Those who enter in such a religious process may live with one another, create a structure or an institution for association with one another and the communication of the Teaching “
So the structure and institution is based on the practice of a religious process, it comes from that process-freely.
“but their religion itself is free and immediate.”
How cool is that, the almost universal complaint about “organized religion” ends here, because you the practitioner create and maintain this religion, freely. This inherent religious process (understood in this most expansive manner) precedes the structure of religion itself, in any form, nor can it be ever subservient to the institution itself. It must stand prior to any external form, though the form and institution is its free expression and natural form (again understood from this most radical point of view)
It’s a revolutionary point of view and one all the Great Adept Masters of the past have gestured at (in this talk Adi Da equates Jesus to this primary attempt to establish Free Religion), previous to the formation of “religion” in its far lesser or exoteric (2) mode, after the death of The Master.
There is no need for naive idealism though, it is far more gritty than that, in how it actually works out. Adidam is thus described in the best case scenario, there is already something of this quality there, at particular times it is very clear. As time goes on this will become more the case. It’s a wonderful vision. Should inspire the Free Heart in all, just in its mere contemplation.
Listen to the talk (or MP3 download) “A Birthday Message from Jesus and Me”
(1) catechism (; κατηχισμός from kata = “down” + echein = “to sound”, literally “to sound down” (into the ears), i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present