|| The Atman || by Swami Sarvapriyananda

Swami Sarvapriyananda speaks on the nature of the self as taught in the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 2 Verse 11-25).

Bhagavad Gita lectures from Swami Sarvapriyanda are now available through the above Soundcloud, iTunes, and Google Podcast links.

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.

[garypuckettmuse]

One of the best public speakers in the world today. So fluid, so focused, so deeply knowledgable. Then there is his wonderful diction and beautiful vocabulary which is just elevated enough over everyday talk to honor the importance of his topics and the intelligence of his audience. To all that he adds a charm and wit and highly sensitive awareness of his listeners so that he is, with every lecture he prepares, refining his presentations not only to communicate even better but he is doing what a real teacher does which is bringing students along in a way that looks and feels very organic and natural and unstrained.


Many people love to listen to themselves talk today and there is endless opportunity for everyone to have a voice. Unfortunately it is so often the case that the hubristic tendencies (particularly of Americans with microphones) results in a common of lack of preparation by speakers, even if they are knowledgable. This results in frustration from the audience members really wanting to be enlightened on a topic and a false satisfaction among lazy listeners that it was "easy", not too demanding and they leave feeling quite smart when it was just that the material was lacking insight or inspiration.


Sorry to go on but I just want Swamiji to know how appreciated he is for his particular genius as a communicator in addition to his deep intellectual capacities and clear convictions about the path of Advaita Vedanta.


I feel so honored to be able to listen to him.

[skrrskrr]

If I try to explain this to my family I will be ridiculed and made to feel dumb. Advaita Vedanta seems like the only logical way for me to think or pursue my spiritual goals. I don’t want to go anywhere else.

[meeranow]

If I'm not at work, or sleeping, I'm glued to his talks.

[somdattagupta]

After the passing of my beloved father, these words are the only means of healing I have found so far

[mabraham]

Swamiji has offered me answers to many of my questions and set me on the right path in my spiritual search. I came to Upanishads and Swami through reading the "Tao of Physics". I found this great treasure. Other works of wisdom literature make much more sense in the light of Vedanta. I hope one day I get meet swami in person. He is an amazing teacher.

[canaancrowell]

My brothers and sisters... a couple months ago i was making great progress with my prayer, meditation and over all realization... I had a routine that fit me well and I lost my job... which in turn lead me to start lacking on my prayer and meditation and so on until it was no more, I was living an unholy or non joyful life If you will... but I have once again gotten another chance to improve my life by the Grace of Sri Krishna, I got my job back and I wish to get back into my routine of prayer and Bhakti... I feel I have lost my way. But by his love have found it again

[meeranow]

Having watched 100s of his speeches, After 2 years, I bumped into this video again, this gave me an opportunity, to review my spiritual at Peace, bliss .

[taradrolma]

Thank you NY Vedanta Society for making these talks available to all of us.

[amur_]

Some points I noted down:

The Atman is our real self. The Atman is beyond death. By realizing this one transcends death. There is no other way to transcend death. You realize that immortal reality is my reality, then you transcend death. There was never a time when you were not there and there will never be a time when you will not exist ~ Krishna. The Atman is eternal. The Atman is devoid of absence before the birth and devoid of absence after death. There is the gross body, sthoola sharire, the subtle body, sookshma sharire and the causal body, Karana sharire, the Atman is beyond all 3. At death, the gross body dies but the subtle body continues. There is a dogma in science that the mind and consciousness are produced by the body and brain and that after death the person is also dead. This is called materialist reduction-ism and there is no proof for that. The gross body and subtle body are connected, but what happens after that is unknown to science. The sookshma and Karana sharire transmigrate(go from one body to another). This is bad news as then we are stuck in the cycle of rebirth, the limited existence continuously subject to suffering.

An intrinsic property is something that belongs to that entity and intrinsic property last as long as the entity exists. The fire has the power of burning. Milk is white. An accidental property is something that is gained and lost, borrowed. If a property is gained or lost, we know that it is accidental. If a property is not lost, then we know it's permanent or intrinsic. If you treat existence as a property (philosophically, existence is not a property), if there is an entity which has existence as an accidental property, then it will be born and destroyed. If an entity has existence as an intrinsic property then it always is, it is eternal. Since Atman is eternal, existence is an intrinsic property of Atman and this is called Sat (Pure Being). Therefore, you, the Atman, never stop existing and that which is not you never comes into existence. Atma Satyam Jagat Mithya. But how can we experience something which does not exist, it actually borrows existence from you. It appears to have an existence, this is an illusion. What is real is I am awareness, I am pure being and the whatever I experience in awareness, whatever I see to be an object of awareness is nothing really apart from me the pure being, it appears in me as if I experience it as it's another but its nothing other than me. Those who realize this have realized the truth.

So Atman is eternal and the only thing that exists, rest everything is non-existing borrowing existence from you. So either you are all of it or none of it, both lead to realization. Bondage is when you think I am only this (body) and everything else is separate from me.

This indestructible absolute eternal reality is all-pervasive. When your dreaming, all the people the very time and space were pervaded by me the dreamer. The same is true for consciousness and it's objects. Awareness does not change, all changes are noted in awareness. Now, this indestructible awareness is Atam which has existence as an intrinsic property. Then everything apart from you borrows existence from you just like everything in your dream borrows existence from you. You are Sat-Chit, pure awareness pervading everything that you experience. A question can come up, I am here and not there then how can I be all-pervading. The answer to that isn't here and there also in your awareness. If a person in your dream came up to you and said you are everything here, you wouldn't agree. But after getting up you would realize they were right. Atman is all-pervading. Then one might ask, where is it, where is your precious Atman. The answer to this question, Krishna says it's not an object to the instruments of knowledge. We deploy instruments of knowledge(senses) to know the world. But the Atman is not an object to these instruments, the senses cannot objectify Atman. The mind is used to conceptualising but the Atman is not an object of the mind too. Beyond mind beyond senses. But then to say something exist it must become an object of knowledge otherwise you can imagine anything(like happy potter exists). Atman is not the object of the senses or the mind rather it is the subject, it lights ups all the instruments to enable the use of them. If there was the photo taken, then there must be a photographer and though you can't see him/her, you know of their existence. Similarly, to use the 5 senses, to use the mind, even to doubt there is consciousness, you have to be conscious. Who is the one doubting, what is the one doubting? If you say everything is a dream, then there must be one thing that is not a dream, that is the dreamer. To experience these there must be an experiencer.

Atman is Akarta Abhogta. Without the body and mind, consciousness is neither a doer nor an experiencer. But with body and mind, you cannot but act. Do what is to be done. Then you're free of the bondage of karma.
Atman is eternal, I am the reality of this universe everything apart from me is an appearance, this Atman pervades the entire world of appearance, it is not an object of the knowledge, you are neither the doer nor the experiencer, you, the Atman, are free of karma, you have to recognize that.

[Bhargava]

Thanks to swamiji and technology for bringing such complex concepts into our palms, which otherwise would take years to understand.

[padmajayaraman]

Sarvapriyanandaji is profound in his knowledge, articulate in his words, engaging speaker and a committed teacher - a great Acharya to learn from. Such a blessing to listen to him.

[raghosh]

I see the re-incarnation of Swami Vivekananda in you :). Such a prolific speaker, explaining such profound philosophies with amazing alacrity. It has become a daily obsession listening to you.

[calisthenicsindia]

A humble Sanskrit poem written by this student for the great guru Sarvapriyananda Swami😊
गुरो तव पदांबुजे अमहदणुत्वसङ्केतिते
सदादिवचनैरनुते प्रमितिहेतुवृन्दोज्झिते ।

चिदात्मनि रमे सदा यदितरन्न वै वर्तते।।

Hey Master I enjoy at ur lotus feet ( pada also meaning abode ie.atma) which is not denoted by words such as big and small,
Yet that which is glorified with words sat (existence)etc And which is beyond the instruments of knowledge,
And that for which explanations seem self contradictory yet the substratum for purest clarity,
From which nothing else holds truth or from which nothing else that is different exists.
(Guru is the dispeller of darkness which is similar to us atma is the essence of the shloka ) yet duality seems to be there 😊

[chaitalimantri]

One of the Best Lectures!! Highly Enlightening the best of all his lectures.. Bow down with Lots of Humble Love Gratitude

[bajajones]

listened again ten months later. even better. I have such gratitude for these teachings.

[leilamehr]

One of the most beautiful effective talk, Thank you deeply Swamiji

[christophergoode]

What a divine blessing these lectures are.

[MoonLight-buhz]

Wonderful lecture 🙏🏼
Here is the poem Swami ji mentioned.

Brahma
BY RALPH WALDO EMERSON
If the red slayer think he slays,
Or if the slain think he is slain,
They know not well the subtle ways
I keep, and pass, and turn again.

Far or forgot to me is near;
Shadow and sunlight are the same;
The vanished gods to me appear;
And one to me are shame and fame.

They reckon ill who leave me out;
When me they fly, I am the wings;
I am the doubter and the doubt,
I am the hymn the Brahmin sings.

The strong gods pine for my abode,
And pine in vain the sacred Seven;
But thou, meek lover of the good!
Find me, and turn thy back on heaven.






More About this Poem
MORE POEMS BY RALPH WALDO EMERSON

[philippugsley]

Some teachers talk in riddles, I love the certainly and simplicity of this. Thank you Swami.

[victoriahangula]

This lecture is a real awakening of the self. Thank you 💗😇🙏