What, Where, When, How, Why, and Who To Remember To Be Happy(Childrens' Edition) by Ruchira Avatar Adi Da Samraj

by Adi Da Samraj

This book contains fundamental truth about life as a human being, told in very simple language for children. It leads readers through the contemplation of who we are, what we know, what death is, and what true happiness is, focusing on the three fundamental things to remember every day in order to be happy. Accompanied by extraordinarily vivid and imaginative illustrations.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion

Hardcover

First published February 10, 2000

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

[Magdalena Hurwitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book to my eight year old nephew. His mother told me she'd read it aloud to him at bedtime and kind of fall asleep, but he shook her awake and said he really wanted to hear it.

I read this book whenever philosophical explanations about life are too overwhelming to my ordinary way of thinking.

There are not many books for children - or adults for that matter - that present such a deep discussion of what happiness fundamentally is and feels like, or that acknowledge how bewildering life can be all the time and why, in such very simple and straightforward language. As adults, we all know abstractly that you can be happy without any reason whatsoever, but we often look to children to be that way for us and this does them a disservice. Philosophers, religious scholars, and practitioners of esoteric religions will recognize the gentle discussion in this book as an early introduction to the problem of "ego" as the obstacle to lasting happiness. What Avatar Adi Da has brilliantly added to that list are the problems of the "search" to be happy and the illusion of a "self" separate from the rest of existence.

At the end, the writer identifies himself as someone who has understood and practiced all the offered descriptions and exercises from the perspective of the very "feeling of the Mystery", in other words the disposition of how, as described earlier in the book, "before we name or think or know, we already ARE, and we already FEEL". In these two pages, He presents himself as "the Divine Heart-Master of all and All" - a declaration that may be disturbing to some readers without any background in or regarding spiritual self-realization, or spiritual ecstasy, but may be read and understood as a welcome affirmation and even confession, to those readers who want to hear the truth about life and love.

[Powder Temple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eu amo muito este livro, é uma comunicação direta e muito poderosa. Eu o leio para meu filho que gosta muito. Eu acredito que está é uma leitura indispensável, para crianças de 0 até 100 anos, para que possam, trabalhar, estudar, brincar, amar e ser feliz.
Um livro cheio de amor em cada pagina.

[Melanie H. · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book that makes no sense, especially for children. Horrible illustrations; creepy actually.