How does one go from an intellectual understanding of the ‘Self’ to a living realization? Through the aid of Vedantic Meditation, Swami Sarvapriyananda shares methods that can be used to reach this ultimate spiritual goal. This discourse is inspired from a verse from the Brihadharanyaka Upanishad (Mantra 4.4.12) as taught in the book, Pancadasi by Vidyaranya: 
"If a man knows the Self as ‘I am this,’ then desiring what and for whose sake will he suffer in the wake of the body?" 

Mantra 4.4.12:
आत्मानं चेद्विजानीयादयमस्मीति पूरुषः ।
किमिच्छन्कस्य कामाय शरीरमनुसंज्वरेत् ॥ १२

Non-Dual Awakening | Swami Sarvapriyananda

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on June 13th, 2021. List of questions with timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
02:05 - How can realization occur in the mind, if the mind is actually false?
06:51 - If I am pure consciousness, why do unwanted situations appear to me?
15:43 - Is it true that the "ego" consciousness sets the wheel of karma in motion?
20:28 - How can we make the leap from the individual to the universal consciousness?
40:33 - How is bliss the same as existence and consciousness?
50:00 - If Brahman through Maya becomes God, why surrender to God?
57:15 - How can I turn intellectual realization into a living reality?
01:07:27 - Can science lead us to the ultimate truth?
01:19:07 - The path of Raja Yoga allows us to "turn off" the world and see the ultimate reality. Is this superior to the path of Jnana Yoga?

Ask Swami 06/13/2021

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Oct 24th, 2021. List of questions with timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
03:35 - If the Self is the only reality, who is the doer?
12:05 - How can it be said that Self is free, and yet all beings are in the Self?
27:24 - What is the role of psychedelics in mystical experience?
39:30 - Why is the path of Bhakti supposed to be dualistic?
51:05 - Why is fear of God discussed in religion?
57:27 - How can we deal with thoughts of dispassion towards the world?

Ask Swami 10/24/2021

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Nov 7th, 2021. List of questions with timestamps:
05:10 - What happens to the reflected consciousness after death, and after enlightenment? 
19:10 - What is my swadharma?
35:20 - What is the difference between the knower and the witness?
41:20 - Where does Sri Ramakrishna stand in the triad of Iswara, Jiva, and Jagat?
51:15 - Is enlightenment a gradual process or a “wow” moment?
01:02:40 - What is Shraddha? 
01:15:33 - Is there any overlap between psychotherapy and Vedanta?

Ask Swami 11/7/2021

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Dec 19th, 2021. List of questions with timestamps:
02:02 - What is the relationship between the reflected consciousness and pure consciousness?
18:30 - When we obtain knowledge of true consciousness, how is it that we continue to experience the current reality?
27:00 - Are the scriptures useless with regard to swadharma?
32:46 - How can we keep children involved with spiritual concepts?
37:11 - If the universe is continuously rising and falling, is the universe something different from the Atman?
44:14 - How can we resolve the conflict between our spiritual journey and responsibilities in daily life?
55:28 - Which is correct, Jiva is Shiva, or everything is a dream?
59:58 - Is all this philosophy just something that has been fed to us? 
01:06:00 - How can we define God for a young person?
01:14:26 - What is the relationship between a pure mind and a scattered mind?

Ask Swami 12/19/2021

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Feb 27th, 2022. List of questions with timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:40 - How can I worship God if I am one with God?
12:58 - I find it easy to say "I am Brahman", but how can I say "I am Jesus"?
19:32 - When we pray for peace, who are we praying to?
26:38 - My dream borrows material from my waking experience.  Where does my waking reality borrow material from?
36:03 - As our identities are ephemeral in dreams, aren't our identities also ephemeral in awareness?  How is Advaita as expressed by Nisargadatta different from Advaita taught in the Ramakrishna Order?
46:50 - After having our vices under control, what is the next step forward? After having cleansed the mind, what is the next step in mediation?
01:00:13 - What hope is there for an ordinary householder in achieving realization?

Ask Swami 2/27/2022

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on June 5th, 2022. List of questions with timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:32 - How is it that the self is in all beings from the chit (consciousness) perspective?
18:37 - Where is my consciousness when I am sleeping? Can I use sleep as a spiritual practice?
26:55 - Will a realized person retain their individuality after enlightenment?
40:38 - Why do we call this world false?
55:53 - What does Sri Ramakrishna mean by going into the black water (in reference to samadhi)?
01:00:30 - If we want to take up a life of renunciation, what practices should be followed?

Ask Swami 6/5/2022

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Jan 22nd, 2023. List of questions with timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
02:22 - Can Brahman be equally immanent and transcendent?
21:37 - Who is the doer of action?
33:15 - Swamiji, what is your daily routine?
34:34 - Can art lead us to the infinite?  What is the nature of abhyasa?  What is the nature of vairagya?
54:20 - If Buddhism believes in reincarnation, why not the Atman?
01:01:40 - What do you mean by an appearance in consciousness?  Is it permitted to think of consciousness with qualities?
01:06:36 - How can we be sure that this waking world does not occur in our mind like a dream?
01:12:50 - Does moksha happen at once, or does it happen over time?
01:17:10 - Why are there so many different perspectives on moksha?
01:19:14 - Can there be spontaneous enlightenment without spiritual practice?
01:23:24 - How can reality be truly One?
01:34:01 - When a spiritual seeker becomes stuck, is a guru necessary?

Ask Swami 1/22/2023

Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches Chapter 5 (Mahavakya Viveka) of the Panchadasi, a fourteenth century manual on Advaita Vedanta written by Vidyaranya. This lecture is Part 2 of an online retreat from Aug 2020.

Mahavakya Viveka - Panchadasi (Part 2) | Swami Sarvapriyananda

Swami Sarvapriyananda speaks on Vedantic Meditation as part of a retreat held in Monroe, NY in 2018.

Vedantic Meditation: Retreat (Part 1) | Swami Sarvapriyananda

Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches Chapter 5 (Mahavakya Viveka) of the Panchadasi, a fourteenth century manual on Advaita Vedanta written by Vidyaranya. This lecture is Part 3 of an online retreat from Aug 2020.

Mahavakya Viveka - Panchadasi (Part 3) | Swami Sarvapriyananda

Talks on Vedanta given by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York (founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1894).
 
Vedanta is one of the world’s most ancient religious philosophies and one of its broadest. Based on the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of India, Vedanta affirms the oneness of existence, the divinity of the soul, and the harmony of religions. 

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Ask Swami 6/5/2022

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