Daniel:There is one more thing that would be interesting to me: What do you think about the idea of bodilessjivasthat we cannot perceive with...
Satsang is a compound Sanskrit word that means “keeping the company of the Self.” The Self, Awareness, is the true nature of everyone and one keeps company with it by continually meditating on it in many ways. One of the most effective methods involves discussing non-dual teachings with someone whose knowledge of his or her identity as Awareness is doubt-free, to get clarity with reference to Self inquiry. The satsangs posted here are answers to the questions of many people around the world who are interested in enlightenment and committed to Vedanta as their preferred means of Self knowledge.
Now that Vedanta is well known in Western spiritual circles, it has become commonplace for unqualified “teachers” to identify with it. A qualified teacher is called a mahatma, someone immersed in the Vedic tradition who has been taught the methodology by someone who has been properly taught in an unbroken chain of teachers, through Shankaracharya, back to the Upanishads, the source texts themselves. My teacher, Swami Chinmaya, seen here with his teacher, Swami Tapovan Maharaj, satisfies this qualification. I have not strayed from the tradition since my introduction to it in 1968 and teach traditional Vedanta, although not in the traditional monastic format.
Chinmaya Teaching in a Traditional Setting
Paolina:I recently came acrossConversations with Godby Neale Donald Walsch. Although I have not read it, just started, and that has drawn me to another...
Dev:It is stated that consciousness is God. Prajnanam Brahma. God is something that many people believe exists. Some people do not believe that God...
Murry:Greetings, Sundari. I hope this email finds you rested. Only two questions today. Is there any other word in Sanskrit forIsvara,and here I am...
Friedrich:Hi, Sundari. I am glad that you dedicated your time to reply comprehensively. Thanks for doing the correction. Sorry for the bad writing. I...
Mikhail:Hello, Sundari. Thank you for that. That information is useful. It’s nice when science can explain the mysteries ofIsvara,it helps to quiet the mind...
Ganesh:Can you please tell me more about being verysattvicand the importance to have one’s own space to live? More like a secluded place? Without...
Ganesh:Your words of self-knowledge are always welcome to my heart, thank you! I analyzed my reaction to your latest email. I found when I...
Sandra:Dear Sundari, thank you for your explanation – some things are hard to swallow for myjiva,who wants to enjoy its path. But there is...
Tomas:My name is Tomas. I have a question that is nagging at me regarding awareness. I am listening to James speak and I need...
Kumar:1.Is it mandatory to be a vegetarian to follow the path of self-inquiry?? Sundari:No, it is not, unless it is part of your Indian...
Mary:Dear James, in Berkeley we started to discuss whether or not there are many clear descriptions about the nature of the self in theYoga...
Ariel:My dear teacher, this letter is written from the beginning of time. And I wrote eons ago to thank you for being there for...
Kevin:Hey, Ramji. So when I am confused about something I remember to tell myself “I am whole, non-dual awareness.” The key seems to be...
Vivek Ramakrishnan: Dialogues with James – Part 3 This represents the third part of my dialogues with James focusing on self-inquiry and understanding the...