Jagjot Singh

Hi, my name is Jagjot, and I write and speak about Non-duality (Advaita). Some people think of me as a spiritual teacher, but I’ve never considered myself a Guru, teacher, healer, or messenger. I simply share my experiences and lessons learned in the past few years. I don’t think I’ve ever taught anything to anybody.

I keep writing whatever comes to my mind, and there’s a YouTube channel where I talk about the same things. Well! Since you are here out of curiosity, let me tell you something about myself.

It was my father’s sudden death that became the catalyst for my leap from aspiration to Advaita. Like the Buddha once said, there isn’t any nirvana without samsara. You have to know the world to rise above it. I knew ambition, which is how I went beyond it.

Being the eldest son of a prominent bureaucrat, my only dream was to make it big in the corporate industry. I had to match my father’s stature. Armed with a degree in Computer Science and Engineering, I spent a decade and a half in the corporate world as a software developer in India’s political capital, Delhi.

I worked night and day to get noticed and earn more money. The pressure was high. Like many people in the industry, I took my physical and mental capabilities for granted. I ignored the well of misery pooling in me despite holding down a good job with good prospects.

I longed to fly but I had clipped my wings and locked myself up in a golden cage. I don’t blame the corporate industry for the way I shaped my life. The root of my misery was my own mind. I denied myself the pleasure of a lazy afternoon with my family. I forgot what it meant to watch a sunset.

The glorious summers and romantic winters of Delhi left me untouched. I didn’t notice rainbows during the monsoon or smell the dead leaves of my city’s beautiful autumn. I heard neither the chatter of starlings nor the laughter of my own children.

I felt empty, as if life had carved a deep dark hollow inside of me. I sat in a big cabin forever wishing I were on the lush green grass with my eyes closed. I promised myself rest and retreats, but where was the time?

My targets were as illusory as the treasures I believed they held. I could see that there was no end to this madness, but I was too scared to get out of the rut. And then, one day — with no warning — a fatal heart attack took my father.

My Struggle for Sanity

My father’s death triggered an intense fear of life and threw up questions I couldn’t find any answers for. Would I be able to look after my mother, younger brother, and my family without my father by my side?

My struggle emerged from the black hole of resistance, from an attempt to push back and take over the reins of this racehorse called life. Death dealt a blow so strong I could hardly spend a day without ruminating about life —particularly mine.

Where did my father go? Why was everything so difficult? Why me? I lost my job because of my inability to work as before, and a few months of thumb-twiddling at home pushed me into entrepreneurship. I was in the same frenzy yet again, working day and night to prove myself.

Now that my father was no more, I was even more insecure. And a couple of years later, I realized entrepreneurship wasn’t for me. I stopped meeting people and avoided my family. My thoughts tightened their noose around me.

I lost myself in my regrets and fears as my thinking mind completely took over my life. I was like a drowning man looking for driftwood. Then one day, I got up early in the morning and decided to take a stroll in the courtyard of my house. While I was busy gnawing on the past, something cut off my thoughts.

Complete Surrender to “What-Is”

A crystal clear awareness overcame my entire being. It shut my thinking mind and sheltered me with a love I had never known before. I looked at the sun with tears streaming down my eyes. It was absolute unconditional love.

Rooted in the bliss of that moment, I felt secure. I felt one with everything. And in that oneness, I grew in the wisdom that allowed me to see that my purpose and path were clearly laid out for me. I left everything behind — all my ideas of fame, success, and recognition — as nothing appealed more to me than knowing the truth of my existence.

The magnitude of that event pulled me to itself. I spent my time in solitude contemplating the nature of reality and immersed myself in the works of teachers like Ramana Maharshi, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and Ramesh Balsekar.

I resonated with their teachings because they validated my life experiences. Their words penetrated the depths of my being and helped my mind turn inwards. There were flip-flops and frustration and a feeling of utter helplessness, until my mind fully surrendered, almost like night gives in to daylight.

It became clear to me that I had to spread the message of love and peace. That was my reason for being. I launched my blog in 2019 and started writing about Non-Duality (Advaita). I knew spiritual seeking was a lonely affair.

So I uploaded many articles and videos that explain the teachings of the great masters in the light of my own personal experiences. I received emails from people around the world and realized that I could touch innumerable seekers on their spiritual journeys.

Their gratitude and appreciation has brought me a deep sense of contentment. I don’t earn as much as I used to but I stay indebted to the divinity that put me on this path where I know I can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

By helping others, I also heal some parts of myself. Whatever it was that touched me — call it awareness or consciousness or god or source — it helped me get out of my shell and into the loving arms of my family and friends. I am fully present today when I am with people.

No designation or bank balance in the world can match the unadulterated joy of engaging with my children without once reaching out for my phone. I find that when we give our complete attention to others, there is a synergy that produces something extraordinary.

We become more compassionate, sensitive, and empathetic — essential qualities that further our spiritual evolution. I regained my family’s trust. I made new friends. I hold no anger, hatred, or resentment towards anyone.

Beyond the Duality of Pain & Pleasure

I realized — with practice and understanding — that peace is the essence of our very being. We are neither the happiness nor the suffering, but the unaffected witness of everything that happens.

By cultivating peace of mind in daily living, we rest in the joy of our aliveness or “being” and free ourselves from the tyranny of the thinking mind.

We stop resisting; we accept. When we realize our true nature, we don’t see ourselves as limited biological machines trapped in the vastness of the universe but as infinite awareness that permeates and pervades everything.

It is only our ego or “me-centric” mind that obscures reality and prevents us from tapping into the source of unconditional love. We suffer because we identify with this limited mind-body complex, decaying and dying every moment, thinking that death is our final destination.

We are not what we think we are. We are infinitely more. My pull towards spirituality was meant to be. In the immensity of existence, there are forces beyond our control that dictate destinies in a manner that our limited minds cannot fathom.

Even the most painful experiences are guiding pointers from divinity. It’s a call from the infinite to go within and find out who you really are. Yes, I knew ambition. Because I would never have known fulfillment without it. As the Buddha said, there is no nirvana without samsara.

I have given up the illusion of control. I rest and relax effortlessly today in my boat, enjoying the moment’s beauty. I allow things to unfold, fully trusting that I shall be docked on the shore of this ocean called life when the time is just right. For now, I am here to enjoy the ride and assist others in doing the same.

Jagjot

If you have any questions or want to discuss/share something, please feel free to reach out.

Visit the store for other information on products. My books are available here. I’m not on any other social media platform except YouTube because I value a quieter and more reclusive life.

If you have benefited from the essays on this website, you can extend by joining Patreon, where you get exclusive content. Your contributions will go towards managing the website infrastructure to keep this project afloat.