The teachings on this website belong to Vedanta and not to me personally. Vedanta is not a religion, belief system, philosophy or a school of thought; it is revealed truth and is to be realized and understood as such. So there is never an argument. 

Any bias that the reader may pick up is consistent with the underlying premise: reality is non-dual, suffering is bad and self knowledge is the only way to permanently remove it. As you may have noticed, I have somewhat negative views on the topic of Neo-Advaita, the ‘satsang’ culture. I feel that while it may be useful as an introduction to the IDEA of non-duality and momentarily inspirational, it is seriously deficient as a means of enlightenment owing to its lack of a rigorous and systematic teaching methodology and the fact that it is a breeding ground for many erroneous notions about enlightenment.

Guidelines for people who wish to write to us:

For years I have happily and diligently responded to communications on the topic of Self realization. Since the publication of my new book, How to Attain Enlightenment, which is in its third printing, and the success of the website, the volume of emails has increased considerably. Before you write to me, my wife Sundari or any of the endorsees, I ask you to do some preparation.  Please read How to Attain Enlightenment and as many of the satsangs as possible. You can start with the "New" satsangs at the bottom of the menu and work backwards through the archives. They are an excellent Vedanta FAQ. It is also recommended that you watch at least one video teaching DVD series. The Self Inquiry Toronto series on a USB stick is an excellent inspired introduction and is very cheap (see shop). If after reading these sources, you cannot resolve your doubt, please write. Take your time formulating your question.

Requests for Information

It is helpful to get biographical information, although it is not always necessary. Vedanta cannot be divorced from you and your life.  It is not an intellectual or academic pursuit.  It is natural to feel uncomfortable sharing ‘personal’ details with strangers.  But if you are reluctant to do so and we determine that we cannot proceed teaching without knowing certain facts about your life and lifestyle and we request said information we expect you to reply to our questions. Although it does not happen regularly, some individuals who write ignore our requests for reasons known only to them.  If the required information is not forthcoming after the second request, we will no longer teach you.  We totally respect your privacy and will not share this information with anyone, but by writing you agree to have the satsang posted on the website anonymously.  We carefully remove all personal details from the posted satsangs and if you do not want a particular satsang to be posted we will honor your request.  It should not be lost on you that this is a free service and it is your duty to honor the rules

As a result of the tremendous interest in traditional Vedanta as taught by me, I am unable to answer all the emails in a timely fashion any more. My wife, who is also a teacher, is available to answer emails on my behalf, so please feel free to write to her at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  As we are about to publish some new books, upgrade the website and have a busy teaching schedule, we are endorsing the people on the list below to answer questions as well. While they are self realized people of good character, keep in mind that they are new to teaching. I am sure they will all do an excellent job and I encourage you to write them, particularly those new to non-duality…and Vedanta specifically. If you write me and I feel that someone else can answer as well as I can, I will pass it on. This is not to discourage advanced inquirers from writing to me. Keep in mind that Vedanta is an impersonal teaching and that we do not give psychological or lifestyle advice, except in so far as it is requested and relates to the practice of Vedanta.

Please feel free to write to my wife Sundari email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Click on the names below to go their pages for Bio & E-Satsangs.

Isaiah Sanders: email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Isaiah lives in Arkansas and is totally dedicated to Vedanta. Isaiah has put together all his questions and James' reply to them, in a document titled  "Isaiah - From Seeker to Finder", which can be read in the e-satsang section, on his page in New Endorsements.

Ted Schmidt: email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Ted lives in Minnesota and is a professional school teacher. He has written a few articles which have been posted on Shiningworld, along with numerous e-satsangs.

Paul Hardman: email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This is our Rishi from Nebraska; Read the e-satsang exchange over the last year between Paul and Sundari in New Satsangs.

Tan Kalaycioglu: email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Tan lives in Germany and as he is fluent in English and German, he is offering his services in German or English.

Edwin: Commentaries on Vedanta by Edwin, Shiningworld's Brilliant New Editor.

Atagrasin [Kenneth Cruz]: from New Jersey USA, is a prolific writer and speaker. Feel free to contact Atagrasin. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Website:advaitanotradicional.lefora.com

***************

The publications on this site are free for personal use and distribution to friends. Inquiries from publishers are welcome. I am available to give seminars and satsangs. I do not ask for payment for teaching, only for incurred expenses. As I have an independent income, this is a non-profit site dedicated to the dissemination of non-dual teachings. To make a donation for the maintenance of this site or to further the dissemination of Vedanta worldwide, use the donate button at the bottom of this page.

Finally, in the spiritual world I am also known as 'Ram,' one of the many Sanskrit names of the Self. It means 'the one who revels in the hearts of all beings.' Hence many of the questions in the satsang section are addressed to me as Ram.”