Aurora: Hi, Sundari (and James).

I am presently reading James’ book Mystic by Default and am flabbergasted. What a full life! ☺

Actually, I’m rereading parts before I have to get it back to the library because some of the phenomena are extraordinary.

My question is, would James be offended if I requested his birth date and time of birth, if possible? I have spoken or written to others who have “awakened” and see a genuine pattern relating to their “enlightenment.” I’d be so appreciative and would even tell James what I found. However, I’m sure at this stage of his life it isn’t very significant to him.

I’m passing on James’ site to others in my area who very much wanting to make the transition to the dimension that has been described as “the peace that passeth understanding.” James offers so much on this site, I’m sure it will be well received.

~ Respectfully, Aurora in Pennsylvania

Sundari: Hello, Aurora. We are happy to hear that you are enjoying Mystic, it is quite a read. James says he wrote it because he got tired of people asking him about his life story. It is just a story about the James-person though – and that is what he is trying to say by writing it. The story does not define who he is because he is free of the James-person; his true nature is awareness, just like you and everyone else’s really is. Freedom is liberation from identification with the person, the doer and their stuff – being in the case of Mystic, the storyteller and the story. The point of the story is not the story itself but that it leads to liberation from limitation.

Contrary to what you say about awakened ones, we are not awakened because as awareness we never slept. As the apparent person ignorant of their true nature, it seems like there is an awakening because what is revealed is that the person and their life are a dream, they are not real – “real” being defined by “that which is always present and never changes.” Only awareness fits that definition.

Enlightenment is also not a special status, dimension or experience. There is no such thing as an enlightened person, there are only beings who know their true nature to be the knower of the so-called enlightened one. We know that as awareness we are that by which everything is known – we are the knower of the light which makes light possible – because ignorance of our true nature has been removed by self-knowledge, Vedanta.

Enlightenment is not in any dimension because all dimensions exist in awareness, which is all there is. Everyone is always experiencing awareness all the time, or they would be six foot under. In fact, it is all that everyone ever experiences but ignorance of their true nature hides this fact from them. Your statements are dualistic in nature because they imply, firstly, that enlightenment is something that is extraordinary and unique to those few awakened ones, and secondly, it implies that awareness is something to be gained. How can you gain something you already have? And how could you know about anything if you were not already aware?

You can only have the ignorance that is preventing you from knowing this as fact removed. Unfortunately, most so-called enlightened or awakened beings have at best only indirect knowledge of awareness and can tell you about it but they do not know what it means to be enlightened and can’t teach it. And the majority of spiritual seekers are seekers because they believe that they can do something to attain enlightenment, that it is experiential. They do not know that they are what they seek.

Vedanta says that only self knowledge sets you free of ignorance – and self-knowledge is not based on any system of thought, belief, religion or philosophy – in other words, relative knowledge. Vedanta is the science of consciousness, an objective and scientific analysis of the true nature of reality – and your experience – based on the facts. Like any other science, it is not personal and it has a methodology which, if followed with great dedication and commitment, will provide irrefutable knowledge that is liberation, or moksa, if the student is qualified. Vedanta is simply the truth about you. Not your truth or my truth or anyone’s truth: The Truth. It is a proven, valid and independent means of knowledge that will remove ignorance if the mind is qualified and prepared.

This is why if you are interested at all in understanding your true nature as awareness we recommend that you read James’ book How to Attain Enlightenment which is where his real story is because it is the story of the self, which is the peace that passeth understanding because one does understand everything when you know what your true nature is.

As for astrology readings, they simply point to relative truth about the nature of the person and the world they live in. Freedom is not about dismissing the person but understanding them in the light of self-knowledge, not in the light of relative truth. Astrology is not THE truth, which is that your true nature is awareness and as such it has no birthday because you were never born and you never die.

However, it is quite interesting in terms of the apparent reality, so you are welcome to James’ details, which are: 02/02/1941, Butte, Montana, at 4:12 pm. ☺ Thank you for passing on the details of our website, it is a great source of high-level, pure Vedanta based solely on the teachings of Vedanta as they have been taught for centuries, down a lineage that is as old as time itself.

~ Blessings and love to you from James and me, Sundari

Aurora: Hi, Isabella… I’m making this short because my computer is behaving badly… and I may not get a note out… so this is to THANK YOU so very much… I’ll digest all the info below… and treasure it… I do realize that James is no longer the person discussed in the book… but he was soooooo funny at times!!!… in spite of his unusual lifestyle… it has been through him that I came to understand “glimpses”… and what they can mean… especially for one who LONGS for serenity… and “the peace that passeth understanding”… have experienced samadhi and others… but I want the permanent… stable “state”… for lack of a better word… have been there and was surprised… it is quite ordinary, if I can describe I that way… but it is different… I call them profane and sacred… sacred is preferred… as a stable, unchanging way of being… and thanks for the birth date… will check it out… I’m guessing he has a prominent Neptune… no one gets to “those states” without it… also, I’m so impressed with the healings he had… WOW! That’s what I need… but if I am not the doer… then what…??… LOL… will look forward to James’ book on enlightenment.

~ Much love to you both, Aurora

Sundari: You are welcome, Aurora. ☺ You are also welcome to write in with questions, although we can’t always get back to you immediately as we coach many people around the world. We do recommend that you first read How to Attain Enlightenment, the e-satsangs on our website along with watching as many videos as you can (free on YouTube) before you ask questions and if you are serious about self-inquiry. It is difficult to coach someone unless they understand the basics and have done some preparation.

James has just finished his latest book which will be out later this year as well.

His books are classics in that they speak in a language that is easily heard by the Western mind. You are lucky to have found him. ☺ He is a very rare breed – the real deal – and yes, he is very funny!

It is not that he is not the same person, it is that he is not identified with being a person. There is a big difference, and understanding what that means is called moksa, liberation. When self-realisation is actualised, the person does not disappear, they are simply known to not be your primary identity – i.e. one can discriminate between what is real (awareness) and what is only apparently real – the person or any object. There is no problem with being a person or with duality. Suffering is caused by confusing the apparently real (duality) with the real (non-duality).

~ Namaste, Sundari