Reality cannot be known by the mind. The greatest realization is not knowing. Rather than offering another philosophy, system, or set of answers, this teaching points to freedom through letting go of certainty and mental grasping. What remains is a lived understanding grounded in honesty, love, and being.
Suffering is a fact of life. Why wouldn’t you want to be free of it? In this podcast episode, James discusses Spiritual Freedom and what keeps us from wanting it, what keeps us from having it, and conditions that are conducive to its Realization.
We invite you to check out our new YouTube channel Wake Up To Reality with James Wood (August 2025) where we’ll be sharing new teaching videos and shorts. We look forward to creating a home base to share audio recordings, including archival talks from the 2000s, as well as new audio and video discussions and…
In this recording, we discuss two of the Mahavakyas, or “Great Sayings” of Advaita Vedanta: Tat Tvam Asi (“Thou Art That”) and Neti, Neti (“Not this, not that”) and how to use them for spiritual awakening. Although Neti, Neti is not traditionally considered to be one of the “Great Four” sayings, it is important enough…
Truth, Being, and Reality are terms that refer to the Absolute. Although each term represents a different way to access spiritual Consciousness through the practice of meditative inquiry, asking questions like “To whom does this arise,” “Who am I,” or “Who is having this experience” could be seen as the foundational practice, if only in…
The ego is defined by self-motivated desire, or compulsively asking “what’s in it for me?” Paradoxically, this habit often shows up more subtly as a desire for spiritual awakening, which tends to prevent its occurrence. Close observation of desire’s mechanism reveals the futility of self-seeking and allows a more peaceful relationship to life and the…
Everyone around you may be lying, but that doesn’t mean you have to lie. Liars may seem to have an advantage, but they never really do. People lie to gain some kind of temporary advantage in the world. It may seem to work, but it never does. Eventually the truth catches up to them. Eventually…
Things don’t always work out like we think they will. That can be disappointing. What’s the remedy? Be in the Now. What does that mean? It means becoming present. It means stepping back and noticing that things don’t always work out the way you want and that’s okay. It means watching your mind and noticing that you…
This video was made in response to my recent tweet about judgment and the nature of suffering. The way out of suffering is to notice that life passes, but the calm abiding awareness that notices it all does not.
He who binds to himself a joy Does the winged life destroy. But he who kisses the joy as it flies Lives in eternity’s sunrise. — “Eternity,” by William Blake Everything changes. What does not change is your awareness. The content changes, but your awareness does not. Like a clear Space that allows things to…
Drama wants to get you involved but in the end just gets you killed. Silence is beyond all that. All of this noise is just floating in a profound silence that, when you wake up to who you are, you find yourself identical with. And all the drama is seen for what it is —…
Moralization is saying that some things should be and others shouldn’t be. The things we think shouldn’t be we call “wrong” or “bad,” and the things we think should be we call “right” or “good.” The truth is that what is should be. Why? Because it is. Instead of thinking in terms of what should…
Why would you not? Suffering is a fact of life. Why wouldn’t you want to be free of it? In this podcast episode, Aly and I have a conversation about Spiritual Freedom and what keeps us from wanting it, what keeps us from having it, and conditions that are conducive to its Realization.
Our experience of life is often chaotic and turbulent. How do we maintain a sense of calmness in the face of constant change? In this contemplative audio, James discusses awakening and consciousness by using the ocean as a metaphor, with depths and waves symbolizing the deep and superficial aspects of life.
Thanks for your questions! It helps to know what topics you are interested in. In this podcast, Aly and I discuss two submitted questions and their answers, each dealing with specific issues related to awakening and consciousness. Here are the questions. Both have been edited for clarity: (Begins at 00:30) Nothingness is beyond everything. Sahaj…