The Mummery Book: A Parable of the Divine True Love

by Adi Da Samraj

If Dylan Thomas and Buddha shared a soul, The Mummery Book is what I would expect from such a joining.—Robert Boldman author, The Alchemy of The Pilgrimage of Sacred Discovery

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2001

About the author

Adi 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.

Reviews

[Dimitrios Otis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mummery Book is a bona fide modernist literary experiment which encompasses the Biggest Questions and Themes. Not merely life and death, or love and war, but ultimacies of meaning and feeling and philosophy. Ultimately it is a Spiritual text, which should be a recommendation but I fear amounts to a condemnation! So I should be clear that this stands as a valid work of literature stylistically and in imaginative prose, poetic language, and creating a symbolic world. We can't really hold it against an author that his concerns are of the Profound.

Originally written in a short burst of creativity in 1969, but kept from publication by the author, the ms. was later expanded to its present and final form.

[Dimitrios Otis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 6-CD set is a complete recitation of the novel The Mummery Book (it was re-titled in the latest edition) by noted actor Kenneth Welsh. I've read the novel a couple of times over the years, and while appreciating it very much I hadn't broken through to any higher reading experience of its complex imagery and proprietary mythology. But this audio version--which let it be known is really a complete one-man recited performance of it--completely broke open the latent power and focused intricacy of the text. Welsh has gone all out in emoting the book, finding expression for its unique punctuation style and intensity.
Technically, the performance includes Welsh giving distinct--while still restrained within his overall narrative voice--characterization to the fictional personages, and subtle audio enhancements such as reverb in parts.
If you are interested in this particular novel, or cutting edge literature, or "spoken word" performances (Welsh has a strong theatrical training and background), then I would highly recommend trying to obtain this rare recording.