Ask Swami with Swami Sarvapriyananda | September 29th, 2024

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Sep 29th, 2024. List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
02:04 - Can atheists achieve enlightenment?
09:17 - If the body is inert (jada), how is it able to generate thoughts?
19:03 - If our real nature is prakash (light) does prakash need to be self-aware?
33:57 - Does removal of ignorance require free will?
46:36 - If Brahman is fulfilled, why does it need to appear as Jiva, Jagat, Isvara?
58:19 - What proof is there of awareness in deep sleep?  If deep sleep is the awareness of absence, what is death?
01:10:50 - What should I do if the power of discernment in Vedantic practice is diminished?
01:14:00 - Is breathing Atman?  Can the soul depart if it is Brahman?
01:19:41 - My heart is troubled by the suffering around me.  How can I hold on to Advaita?

ABOUT VEDANTA
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.

ABOUT US
Vedanta Society of New York is affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order of India. In fact, this is the Order's first Center started by Swami Vivekananda, in 1894. It was a historic event, for the seed of the world-wide Ramakrishna Movement was sown here in New York over a century ago. Swami Sarvapriyananda is the present Resident Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York.

[VedantaNY]

List of questions with timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
02:04 - Can atheists achieve enlightenment?
09:17 - If the body is inert (jada), how is it able to generate thoughts?
19:03 - If our real nature is prakash (light) does prakash need to be self-aware?
33:57 - Does removal of ignorance require free will?
46:36 - If Brahman is fulfilled, why does it need to appear as Jiva, Jagat, Isvara?
58:19 - What proof is there of awareness in deep sleep? If deep sleep is the awareness of absence, what is death?
01:10:50 - What should I do if the power of discernment in Vedantic practice is diminished?
01:14:00 - Is breathing Atman? Can the soul depart if it is Brahman?
01:19:41 - My heart is troubled by the suffering around me. How can I hold on to Advaita?

[mishanmondal]

Accepting the fact that the world will never be perfect is one way to avoid being impacted by the events of the present. When I was not here, the world was like this, and when I am not here, it is going to remain like this. You can't make everyone even moral, let alone spiritual. There will always be those who will cause trouble for the world. Just do your part and leave the rest on God. This is what Ramakrishna Mission does. My pranam to Swami ji. May Thakur, Maa, and Swami ji bless us.🙏🙏🙏

[tanukagupta]

শুভ মহালয়া- শুভ দেবীপক্ষ🍁🍁🍁🍁
প্রণাম নেবেন মহারাজ 🌹🙏🙏🙏🌹

[torussaga]

Words at 32 minute time are true - it helps and works. Presence not bound.

[cowzah]

Many many thanks Swamiji to keep engaging with these questions so comprehensively to bring us closer to vedantic understanding. It is always very helpful and invigorating to listen to you.

[defaultchannel]

Swamiji you are genius, you answer every question so clearly that no doubts follow & we reach to the point which you are pointing out, 🙏🏻Thank you swamiji, lam so greatful to you, & your wisdom you are sharing to us.

[AdarshPathak]

Whatever this mind says, will only be limited in front of you and beings like you Swamiji.

Just one thing I will dare say, thank you for keeping Adi Shankaracharya and Swami Vivekananda alive through these lectures, and others, through other margas 🙏

[hrxmotive]

Feeling extra blessed.. .Almost every question seemed like my question... Receiving great insights with each talk! <3 Thank you Swamiji..

[boeingpameesha]

जय हो श्री स्वामी विवेकानन्द, जय हो श्री सच्चिदानन्द, जय श्री रामकृष्ण परमहंस नमोस्तुते।🙏🏼

[moksha]

Thank you. I have been stickig with Vedanta for almost 15 years now and final contemplation is bearing fruits. I can see I am always free and mithyatvam of the world is clear. Vedanta works, no doubt about it. And let me tell you: there is a big shift in identity happening, amazing, not that easy for mind to accept to see all as inert apperance. I am free. Thank you.

[rajeshpattar]

Pranaam Swamiji...
Vande Vivekananda

[swapankumarsarkar]

Pranam Thakur pranam maa pranam swamiji

[anagha.aniruddha]

हरी: ऊॅं तत्सत्|
श्रीरामकृष्णार्पणमस्तु 🙏🏻

Namaskar Swami Sarvapriyanandaji Maharaj 🙏🏻

Thank you Vedanta society of New York for sharing this Ask Swami session 🌹

The last answer is incomplete.
Please share it completely. 🙏

[terencedavid]

Pranams Sawamiji 🙏🏽 I'm eternally grateful for all the knowledge and wisdom that you share with us mortals on the ancient wisdom traditions of Advaita Vedanta🙏🏽
Just a minor correction with regard to the name of the biologist you mentioned, his name is Dr Robert Sapolsky is not Richard.
Also, the Greek word "pneuma" pronounced numa with a silent p was/is translated as air or breath.
This was then translated into the Latin noun "spiritus" meaning "the breath", from the Latin verb "spirare" meaning "to breathe".
The English word "spirit" is a derivation from Latin, giving us words like respiration which is a re- breathing and expiration which is an out-breathing.
The immortal Soul was originally a Greek concept, later adopted by Christian theologians and is used synonymously in Christianty.
As a final thought, I'd like to mention the fact that in the Judeo-Christian Bible, God's first words were .. "Let there be Light". This l understand to be the Light of pure Consciousness equivalent with the Vedantic Atman/Brahman...That pure Light of Consciousnes which illumines all things, the Light by which all things are lit up.
Thank u Swamiji. 🙏🏽

[Arish-]

Excellent Question and answer session 😊

[amitbiswas]

উৎকৃষ্ট প্রশ্নসমূহ এবং উৎকৃষ্ট সমাধান সূত্র। 🙏

[TradingTitans]

Sir, 2014 se aj apka video dekha hu.
Jay Mata rani

[kengemmer]

Not I! Not I! Thou my Lord! Thou my Lord!

[michaelmcclure]

That's why Gaudapada says there is neither destiny, nor free will.. because he's talking from the pov of the Self. From the jivas pov there is debate about destiny and free will, because it only pertains to the individual.

[riokobeforever]

Meditation on Om or on a great Holy Person like Sri Ramakrishna or Vivekaananda or Saradha Maatha Or Jesus🙏 removes all Doubt.. The unconditional uncontrollable wanting of liberation is necessary