Vedanta is a Dharma and Bhakti scripture (Shrimad Bhagavatam)
ZOOM on 12th January of 2024 at 7pm Madrid time
Dear friends
As I said in my talk last Sunday, Swami Abedhanandha, who was a great Mahatma and jnani, taught that dharma and worship of God trumps moksa. Peace of mind is the result because you will be living right and not rubbing up against Isvara, which is a very bad idea indeed. You will be living as your best self, which of course, means the jiva has a great life.
This Sunday Ramji will continue the discussion on the importance of Vedanta being a dharma and bhakti shastra (scripture) and unfold a teaching given by Swami Abedhananda from the Shrimadbhagavatam.
Shrimad means the illustrious and bhagavatam means the lord, Isvara. The devotees who follow this scripture, called Bhagavata Dharmam, believe that moksa only comes with being attached in every way possible to God. A person who is a nondual devotee of God, known as a Gopi, is the one who drinks, or who loves God by consuming God through the senses. There is no satya mithya discrimination necessary because it is bhakti that knows no otherness, is not subject to time, with complete attachment to God in all of life. This is a great way to live, nothing wrong with it!
Vedanta is not really a path because it is the truth that underpins all paths. But if we call it that, it is not the path of experience but the path of knowledge to remove ignorance of our true nature from the mind. Discrete experience happens in time because another word for mithya is time. Self-knowledge is not in time, because the Self is not in this world. Though we are never not experiencing nondual Consciousness, a mind turned towards the world under the hypnosis of duality chases (or runs from) discrete experience (objects), and suffers. But there is nothing wrong with experience per se, if you know that all experience is meant to deliver one thing. That Experience as Consciousness is the knower of discrete experience and the experiencer, of time and this world. It is the essence of Existence, shining as nondual Consciousness.
Because this is a nondual reality, everything comes down to one thing, Consciousness, and therefore, knowledge. However, jnana yoga and bhakti yoga are essentially the same thing, they cannot be separated. Therefore, an ‘alternative’ way to live a really good life as a person, and free of the person, is to live the devotional path of total surrender to God, of total attachment to all of life because all life is God, Consciousness.
Be sure you join us for this important talk!
Much love
Sundari and Ramji
1. 🔥 Join us on Monday, January 13th for a talk on “The Fire of Self Knowledge” 🔥
Time: 7:00 – 8 30 Pm UK time, 8:00 - 9 30 Pm Spain time.
Sign Up here: https://www.alternatives.org.uk/event/fire-self-knowledge
We are invited by Alternatives which is the UK’s longest running weekly mind body spirit events company and is internationally known as UK's landmark speaking platform for spiritual teachers. Leon Deith who organized it, said: “so far we have 25 sign ups and the more people who tune in, the easier it will be to arrange for Alternatives to host a Spring Satsang 2025 in London”
Here is a little introduction:
A patient unable to tolerate a particular treatment is subject to side effects. Spiritual teachings lacking clarity about Self-knowledge and Self experience cause problems. When a person suffers indigestion, eating more food only aggravates the problem. Running from one teaching or teacher to the next adds another layer of confusion to an identity-seeking mind. Someone with an unprepared mind will be unable to digest the radical counterintuitive non-dual teachings of Vedanta and suffer additional discomfort.
2. Video of the Week: The 5 Stages of Bhakti, Part 2
Here’s the timeline:
And here’s the full Seminar: Exploring Non-Dual Love and Worship -Trout Lake 2022
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3. A short Introduction to our Bali 2025 Seminar on Yoga and Nonduality via Zoom next week:
Date: January 16th 2025
Time: 5:00 Pm Bali Time, 10:00 am Spain Time
Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8346167587
Meeting ID: 834 616 7587
Passcode: 2023
To sign up for the Retreat, click here:
4. We have finalized our Spain event in March 2025:
For this seminar, James will unfold Inquiry into Existence (Panchadasi). Sundari will contribute to the text, as will Lucua from South Africa. Suus from Holland will be sharing teachings on chanting and Kate Finn from Ireland on Bhakti Yoga. We have added some afternoon and evening slots, plus lunch options. For more details and sign up, click here:
Also check out our events on Bali and the United States:
Here's the link to the Bali 2025 presentation:
5. Satsang of the Week:
6. Zoom Link for Sunday
Beginners as well as Advanced Students are welcomed for this Sunday:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8346167587
Meeting ID: 834 616 7587
Passcode: 2023
7. Sunday Zoom Recordings
All Zoom recordings can be found here:
8. Would you like to watch Ramji offline?
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Ramji and Sundari