Dear X……,
People have started complaining about your questions and attitude in the satsang again, which I take as Isvara suggesting that I make a few (hopefully) useful comments.
(1) Karma Yoga: — Unhapplness Shows
First, let me say that your dissatisfaction with the world and your karma definitely shows, which wouldn’t if you were following the karma yoga teaching. You will follow it if you understand it because it is a no-brainer. Why don’t people typically understand? Because they don’t know what it is even though this topic is exhaustively explained in all talks, books and on the website etc.
(2) Vedanta Doesn’t Work Without Kama Yoga
The “New to Vedanta” link on the home page of ShiningWorld.com that takes you to the beginning, intermediate and advanced courses, makes it clear that Vedanta (knowledge yoga) doesn’t work without karma yoga. Usually, I make suggestions but when a person is too distressed and/or depressed they often don’t pick them up and follow them.
Helpful New Rules
(3) Donate Regularly So I’m going to set two simple conditions that I am sure will get you properly motivated to roll up your sleeves and actually do some work on yourself. First, you need to donate 10 dollars each session or make a one year recurring donation of 25 dollars per month. If you actually knew what Vedanta can do for you, apart from relieving a bit of pain on Sunday night, you would understand how ridiculously low we set the bar. If you change your mind about Vedanta please cancel your donation.
(4) Read Tattva Bodh 30 Minutes Every Day I want you to spend thirty minutes every day reading Tattva Bodh, which establishes the ideas and the terminology for Self inquiry aka Vedanta and write down your doubts. Do not spend more than 30 minutes.
Report on Your Homework WeeklyYou must report to me via email what you have read, what you understand and what you don’t. I will read it to see if you are assimilating the good news. You will like yourself once you get with the program. It will restore your faith in humanity because at least one person actually cares about your spiritual growth. I won’t teach you if you don’t hand in your homework.
(4) Lurking is Fine if you donate. If you are getting a bit of Sunday night relief from unwanted thoughts and emotioins, who am I to deny that small pleasure? Following these rules will give you great pleasure and you will start to like yourself. Having said that, once the bulk of the questions on the night’s topic is exhausted, in lieu of a written report, I will keep the meeting open so you can ask questions based on your weekly reading. I will happily try to answer it. You need not remind me of your circumstances, which are plainly uncomfortable. I already sympathize.
(5) Punishment Finally, I won’t respond to your usual questions, which looks different from previous questions but is actually the same question. That I have had to give the same answer for the last two years doesn’t work for me anymore and shows that you haven’t been listening properly and that you are not working on yourself. You seem to hear what I’m saying when I am speaking but obviously nothing is going in because your depressing attitude continues year to year. Last week I tried to approach your question in a bit more detail but it didn’t work. So if you post the same basic question, which isn’t a question, I will make a point of scolding you in the satsang, which may be embarrassing. If you persist I will block you. This rule applies to argumentative people with grievances, which seem to exist in the spiritual world too, also.
(6) Duality is Good
Finally, if you think this is duality, it is. Duality has its own logic and people in duality need to learn the rules if they are going to succeed. Vedanta is a peculiar kind of duality that leads sincere people out of duality step by step and whisks them into non-duality where perfect satisfaction reigns. So buckle-up dear X…. and Vedanta will take you on nice trip.
Love,
James
