By Sundari
Dear Sundari and James,
First of all, thank you very much for the work you’re doing.
I’ve been practicing and studying Ananda Marga for a few years before I found Advaita Vedanta through James Swartz Shiningworld YouTube channel. Ananda Marga was a very good foundation to prepare my mind for Advaita. I’ve been constantly reading spiritual literature for the last five years, but after reading the first four chapters of The Essence of Enlightenment I stopped my self-inquiry for two months to process what I’ve learned. I was struck by how obvious yet obscure this vital knowledge is. Thank you so much!
I wanted to ask if you can advise me any societies in London, UK where I can find like-minded people who follow the path of traditional Advaita?
Sundari: Thank you for your email, we are happy to hear that the teachings of Vedanta are working so well for you, there is nothing like them. They work to remove ignorance of your true nature, assuming qualifications and dedication to self-inquiry. There is so much available on Shiningworld, it is a gold mine of pure Vedanta. It sounds like you are aware of the importance of signing on to the logic of the teachings and taking self-inquiry step by step, good for you. Many inquirers skip the foundational teachings and get stuck down the line. Make sure that you read the satsang on our website in “New to Vedanta’, titled the Steps to Self-Inquiry. Above all, it is very important that you are properly taught Vedanta, as you cannot read your way to enlightenment without guidance.
I do not know of any other societies in London other than Swami Dayananda’s ashram, Arsha Vidya. The teacher there is a woman, Swamini Atmaprakashananda, a direct disciple of Swami Dayananda, and by all accounts, is very good. Classes, on such topics as Tattva Bodha and Mundaka Upanishad, take place on most evenings in and around London and are free. Gita Home Study Centres are also scattered about the country. If you like, I can put you in touch with a couple of dedicated inquirers who live in the UK as it helps to have Vedanta buddies.
Kathy: Another thing I wanted to ask is about your book Enlightened Lifestyles. Has it been released? I absolutely can’t wait to read it!
Sundari: I am busy finishing off the Enlightened Lifestyles book, it is nearing completion. The series is a trilogy, each section a complete book on its own. The first section covers the scripture, the second is on the main lifestyle issues (work, sex, relationships, etc) and the last section is on the body, and how to look after it in a dharmic way.
Kathy: One more reason why I was so happy to find you, is that you’re the first ones who didn’t tell me that if I’m eating meat then I’m a tamasic individual who is disqualified from the spiritual path. I tried vegetarian diet for two years (with tons of appropriate supplements) but it just didn’t work for me. I almost left my spiritual seeking because I though doing it without being a vegetarian/vegan would be hypocritical. You revived my hope! Thank you.
Sundari: On the topic of diet regarding self-inquiry, there are no requirements other than what is right for you. The spiritual attitudes of righteousness around eating or not eating animal products do not apply in Vedanta, which is simply the logic of existence. All life eats life, there is no avoiding this, the field of existence is set up that way. There is no right or wrong way, it is a question of what produces peace of mind, which is greatly impacted by our health.
If it goes against your personal values to eat animal products, that is your prerogative. It may or may not be healthy for you, but it certainly does not make you ‘more spiritual’, whatever that is. Moksa, freedom from limitation and suffering, is simply the ability to discriminate 100% of the time between satya (you/the Self, that which is always present and unchanging) and mithya (the conceptual you or person, that which is not always present and always changing).
Nothing in mithya affects satya. As with everything in mithya, what you eat is a question of dharma, which is a tricky subject. There is no one rule that works for all, other than non-injury in thought word and deed. If you think you are superior because you do not eat animal products and therefore avoid injury, you are stuck in duality, mithya. The real you, the Self, has no problem with what you eat because all life begins and ends in you, satya. You are unborn and undying, as is all life. The body is born and dies, and it must eat to live. If you are eating, something is dying to feed you. We are all part of the food chain as the body alive or dead is food for many creatures too.
Furthermore, if you think you are more virtuous as a vegan/vegetarian, you are saying that there is a special status you occupy, which is impossible because there is only one Self and we are all it. If in your choice of diet, you compromise your health, then perhaps you must reconsider what is dharmic for you as injuring your body will not produce peace of mind. Without peace of mind, self-inquiry is not possible.
Like you, many people (me included) definitely do suffer on a purely vegetarian or vegan diet because it relies so heavily on carbs, which are very high in sugars and anti-nutrients and lectins like gluten, among many others. That said, the way many farmed animals are treated is adharmic. It behooves everyone to eat animal products that are treated humanely, and also, very sparingly. Not only for their health but the health of the planet. A little animal protein goes a very long way; our diets should consist mostly of good fats, plants, nuts and some fruits.
Feel free to write to us, and if you want to write to James directly, his email address is: swartz.jb@gmail.com
Hari Om
Sundari
