The Spectra Suites

by Adi Da Samraj

Between 1998 and 2006, Adi Da Samraj focused on camera-based imagery, creating a highly complex body of work (in both black-and-white and color) that now exceeds 60,000 images and a great many hours of videotape. The Spectra Suites , his latest book, is a consequence of his work from that great library.

In these suites Adi Da Samraj combines digitally generated imagery with images he created using still and video cameras. To achieve each finished work he then meticulously crafts every detail by digital means. Each of the 10 Spectra Suites is based on one or more of his fundamental images--many of which are a powerful visual and philosophical complexity.

These fundamental images are, for him, preliminary sketches. Each new image for the suites began as his response to a number of his own photographs collected on a nearby wall as a general representation of his subject. Rather than projecting them as a photorealist might, Adi Da Samraj used his photographs as a kind of "focus of recollection and presence" to bring the often immovable, disparate, complex, and multiple subjects of his art into the interior of his working studio.

Adi Da Samraj has said that his intention as an artist is to visually communicate the Truth of Reality Itself by "allowing Reality to manifest Itself." This is the first major full-color monograph on this spiritual master's art, and is published in conjunction with a showing of his work at the Venice Biennale, June-November, 2007.

140 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2007

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.