James Swartz @shiningworld_js

What you experience has no impact on you. Freedom means simply knowing you are awareness. Then pain and pleasure are experienced, but they do not cause suffering. #vedanta #freedom #suffering

Q: If death is a belief and I don't have that belief, can I speak with my dead grandfather? A: Yes in your thoughts you can. He appears in the present as your own body, a product of his, and as time isn't real he lives on as your own awareness. #vedanta #immortality #nonduality

The Mandukya Upanishad explains that you are the awareness that knows the waking, dream, and deep sleep states. Existence/consciousness is present in all 3 states, as you. #vedanta #mandukyaupanishad #nonduality

Space is a material substance that is revealed when an object appears and makes the light in it visible. That's why consciousness is "space like." The mind, the subtle body, is a reflecting medium for experiencing consciousness. #vedanta #consciousness #subtlebody #RamjiQuotes

When I believe that thoughts, feelings, and experiences are saying something about me, I've got the wrong me! I take myself to be an ignorant, separate me, rather than a knowing me. #vedanta #ignorance #selfknowledge #RamjiQuotes

Vedanta proves that you are unborn, uncreated. That freedom is the power to transform your mind. Therefore it is an appropriate use of your power of freewill to choose to think differently. #vedanta #freewill #thinkdifferently #RamjiQuotes

Satsang with James Swartz, Recognizing and Eliminating the Dualistic Mindset, will be broadcast live from Oss, Netherlands between 27-29 October. For details subscribe to the Shining World newsletter on Substack. #vedanta #satsang #nonduality #RamjiQuotes

Bhakti yoga is converting emotion into devotion. When you understand the principle, that Bhakti, that devotional energy, starts to transform you from within. You are not even doing it. You can relax and let God take care of everything. #vedanta #bhaktiyoga #devotion #RamjiQuotes

Desire is painful. That is why when you have a fear or a desire, the first thing you want to do is get rid of it. The reason it is so painful is because the feeling of "I'm not OK" is a statement about yourself that it NOT TRUE! #vedanta #selfinquiry #nonduality #RamjiQuotes

Anandam is like a light that was never turned on and never stops shining. It is self luminous. Objects don't reveal themselves, they are revealed in the unborn, ever shining light of myself. #vedanta #ananda #awareness #RamjiQuotes

When you say the word "I," that is always only me, existence shining as awareness. That "I" is always present as the thing that lends existence to matter and makes a dead thing seem alive. #vedanta #consciousness #contemplation #RamjiQuotes

Did you create anything about yourself? Do you remember and forget? No! It seems like you do when you identify with the doer of action. But, creation is just happening all by itself, quite independent of your thoughts and desires. #vedanta #selfinquiry #meditation #RamjiQuotes

Silence is the Self. All you need to know as a Jiva is that anything that moves in the silence can only be not self. Vedanta is the means of knowledge for knowing the difference. #vedanta #silence #meditation #RamjiQuotes

Though it looks like objects are "out there," the logic of Vedanta shows that objects are only an appearance. You perceive objects with the mind, the mind is made of awareness, and awareness is only you. Therefore the objects are you! #vedanta #nonduality #awareness #RamjiQuotes

The process of assimilating Vedanta is a vertical integration. First you need to hear the knowledge. Then the hard part is discarding those beliefs and opinions that are not in harmony with truth. This is your daily practice. #vedanta #verticalintegration #nondual #RamjiQuotes

Do you cease to exist when you are thinking? Is there thought without awareness? The answer is no. The idea that you need to empty your mind, blank your mind, or stop your mind in order to experience yourself is nonsense! #vedanta #nomind #awareness #meditation #RamjiQuotes

Q: Can you use the word experience in place of karma? A: Yes. Discrete experiences are karma. Experience, however, is not karma. Experience itself is Awareness! #vedanta #awareness #karmayoga #RamjiQuotes

Nobody ever told you that you are aware, because it is obvious. If awareness exists, then existence exists, which means I exist. As what? As existence! You always want to live another day because existing is the greatest good. #vedanta #awareness #existence #RamjiQuotes

A simple, pure life stills the mind and turns it inward to the self. Your self is the most beautiful thing. As you experience it you fall more and more in love with it. The beautiful world is only a dim reflection of the beauty of the self. #vedanta #sundaram #bhakti #RamjiQuotes

One fine day there is a little "click," and the world stops, and it never starts again. And you know, without confirming or doing anything, you are awareness. There's no one looking over your shoulder. #vedanta #nonduality #awareness #RamjiQuotes