AskSwami Q&A - Swami Sarvapriyananda

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda as part of a spiritual retreat at the Vedanta Society of New York on Feb 25th, 2018. List of Questions with Timestamps: Q.1-0:40 – What might be the difference between the eyes opened and closed while trying to do meditation? Q.2 – 3:25 – With closed eyes I can see the inner light but with opened eyes it’s not the case. What is it that notices the difference while trying doing meditation with closed eyes and opened eyes? Q.3- 6:35 – Does pure consciousness have intention or it is my own realization of pure consciousness that creates circumstances? Q.4- 8:58 – Being the creator of my own dreams why can’t see it from other’s perspective? Q.5- 16:35 – In my dreams do I get the result of my actions or something else? Q.6-28:02 – How do I get up and say that I slept peacefully and didn’t know anything? Here the active mind trying to recall the inactive mind, how did that happen? Q.7-33:54 – Who is looking out to the body, what is the ground of existence of it and how the digestion, breathing & other physiological activities are done in deep sleep? Q.8-37:08 – Does an enlightened person have any choice to go to the highest of “Brahmaloka” after “Mahasamadhi”? Q.9-45:04 – I have recently come across the concept of sentient robots. How can one harmonize it with Advaita Vedanta Philosophy? Q.10-50:26 – Among the two paths of spirituality namely Bhakti (Devotion) and Jnana (Knowledge), which one is the right? Q.11- 55:51 – If I am one with God (according to Advaita Vedanta concept) what is the necessity of worshiping as the worshiper and worshipped are the same? ► Support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://bit.ly/SupportVedantaNY Web: http://vedantany.org Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes Google Play: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-google-play 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.

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda as part of a spiritual retreat at the Vedanta Society of New York on Dec 31st, 2017. List of Questions with Timestamps: 00:50 - We say Brahman is the only reality and the world is Maya (illusion). Then what causes the world to appear? 14:27 - What does 'Bindu Naad Kalaa' mean? 16:40 -- What is the difference between 'Jeeva' (sentient beings) and 'Jada' (insentient things)? If both are manifestation of Brahman, then what Karma makes one thing 'Jeeva' and the other 'Jada'? 26:50 - In Bhakti traditions, God is understood to have love and compassion. What is the relation of God of Advaita with the God of Bhakti traditions? 35:10 - Why is Advaitic meditation (Nidhidhyasana) sometimes considered better than Yogic meditation (meditation of Patanjali Yoga Sutras)? 52:10 - How does one make the mind one-pointed? ► Support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://bit.ly/SupportVedantaNY Web: http://vedantany.org Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes Google Play: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-google-play 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.

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda as part of a spiritual retreat at the Vedanta Society of New York on Nov 19, 2017. List of questions answered in this session of AskSwami: 0:09 -- Difference between the mind of a yogi and the mind of a worldly person. 9:14 -- Do our senses tell us what is real? 18:17 -- What entity becomes liberated? 24:00 -- Karma, redemption, suffering, and beyond. 34:17 -- What is the purpose of life? Why the game of life? 40:06 -- Can karma affect an enlightened person? 47:20 -- Who is witnessing the mind? 54:19 -- Who is deluded by maya? 58:57 -- When is a person ready for spiritual life? 1:09:04 -- Is there suffering outside of the mind? 1:14:10 -- Can art lead us to reality?" ► To support Vedanta Society of New York: http://bit.ly/SupportVedantaNY Web: http://vedantany.org Twitter: http://Twitter.com/VedantaNY Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes Google Play: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-google-play 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.

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda as part of a spiritual retreat at the Vedanta Society of New York on Sept 24th, 2017. List of Questions with Timestamps: 1:00 -- When we are reborn, do we get the same piece of consciousness as we have in this birth? 3:20 -- If whatever we do is Karma then does whatever we think also our Karma? 7:10 -- If same Brahman is residing in me and others, how is my Karma my own, why don't I share somebody else's Karma or vice versa? 11:20 -- What is the point of Karma when the results of the action is delayed and we don't even remember the actions for which we are suffering? How are we supposed to learn the lesson? How do you prove the existence of afterlives, or is it mere a faith or belief. 23:55 -- If so much of what happens to us is due to our Karma in past lives and our tendencies that we have inherited, what is the need of living within the framework of morality? 31:20 -- Where does evil come from? 38:12 -- If the whole world is Brahman, then it suggests the evil is also Brahman. Then how to distinguish between good and evil? If God exists then why is evil more than good in the world? 48:40 -- Tell us more about death and destruction of universe. 1:01:00 -- Why are you stressing more on the teachings of non-dualism of Shankara and neglecting Ramanujacharya's and Madhavacharya's teaching. There are more references of Madhavacharya than Shankara in even Gospels of Ramakrishna. ► Support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://bit.ly/SupportVedantaNY Web: http://vedantany.org Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes Google Play: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-google-play 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.

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda as part of a spiritual retreat at the Vedanta Society of New York on June 25th, 2017. List of Questions with Timestamps: 0:50 -- (a) How does one select a path to follow? (b) How to recognize a Guru? 2:20 -- What is my duty in life? 22:52 -- Is Ramakrishna a 'Shankara Advaitin'? 27:30 -- In Vedanta, all that we experience are objects for consciousness. Even the sense of 'I' is an object, but it disappears in deep sleep. So, "I", who am not there in deep sleep, claim that 'I slept' - when I wake up. How do you reconcile this? 35:07 -- Performing duties of life drains my energy and yet I don't feel that I am growing, spiritually. How to make spiritual progress, even while performing my duties? 43:12 -- In text-based meditation technique, I'm faced with external disturbances - such as - ticking of clock, chirping of bird, etc. and the internal & external get mixed up. What is the way out? 51:00 -- I am often faced with people who misunderstand me because I am a spiritual seeker & indulge in spiritual practices. What should I do? 54:50 -- How does Consciousness arise in form from Shunya in Buddhist view? 1:10:00 -- I experience compassion for some people, and no compassion for others. So, should I wait for grace, or should I keep working at it? 1:40:00 -- My problem in mediation is: How do I move from my infatuation with Prana (Vedanta), to the non-moving state (Buddhism)? ► Support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://bit.ly/SupportVedantaNY Web: http://vedantany.org Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes Google Play: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-google-play 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.

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda as part of a spiritual retreat at the Vedanta Society of New York on May 21st, 2017. List of Questions with Timestamps: 17:20 -- How do I prioritize my time & energy to make spiritual progress, as much as I excel at my work? 35:45 -- (a) Is there any reality in the dream state? (b) My method of meditation keeps on changing because of so many methods I get to learn about; what should I do? 45:55 -- What is the existence of the universe, and how is it related to the spiritual world? 49:55 -- How to provide sufficiently strong arguments to mind, to counter distractions, provocations - such as greed, lust, etc. in order to attain perfect chastity in thought, word & deed? 58:15 -- With advent of artificial intelligence, there have been changes in the job market where youngsters are finding it more and more difficult. What will life look like 50 years from now? ► Support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://bit.ly/SupportVedantaNY Web: http://vedantany.org Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes Google Play: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-google-play 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.

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda as part of a spiritual retreat at the Vedanta Society of New York on April 23rd, 2017. List of Questions with Timestamps: 3:05 - Does spirituality constrain us from the search of infinity in the age of science? 4:05 - According to Vedanta, Brahman is all pervading including matter. Would that make vedantins materialistic? 6:30 - In Vedanta, are we ignoring the problems of society for the sake of spirituality? 12:35 - Does suffering exist due to our inner or external life? 14:00 - Which analogy (snake and rope or clay and pot) is most suitable to describe the non- dual reality of vedanta? 28:00 - Why are spiritual theories generally not as reasonable and convincing as science? 48:30 - If I am Brahman (God), then who do I pray to? 56:40 - Can you please explain the basis of non-dual knowledge? 1:03:20 - Who is most fortunate according to Shankracharya? 1:07:05 - What should I focus on during meditation? ► Support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://bit.ly/SupportVedantaNY Web: http://vedantany.org Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes Google Play: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-google-play 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.

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda as part of a spiritual retreat at the Vedanta Society of New York on March 26th, 2017. List of Questions with Timestamps: 0:29 - How to overcome the problem of death/grief. 13:03 - We do not seem to have control over the thoughts that come. up in the mind. Are we still held accountable for them especially negative thoughts? Can we control them? 21:07 - Do spiritual practices (meditation, mantra, japa, prayer etc.) give us a window of opportunity to choose our reaction to thoughts instead of reacting automatically/instinctively? 24:11 - Is spiritual progress/knowledge lost if one doesn't attain liberation in this life? 32:43 - Is it possible to communicate with departed souls? 40:47 - What Vedantic texts should a spiritual seeker sequentially study? 46:55 - How does one know if one is making progress in meditation? Are there any landmarks? 51:23 - Can/will we lose our way on the spiritual path/spiritual life? Will we get the opportunity to continue from where we left off in the next life? 56:59 - Is death experience an extended deep sleep experience? Is consciousness situated behind our eyes in the form of "drishta"? If our consciousness is not body/eyes, not mind, not memories etc., then the only element left is darkness. Therefore, is our consciousness nothing but darkness? 1:08:42 - What is the nature of "I"? What exactly does it refer to? ► Support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://bit.ly/SupportVedantaNY Web: http://vedantany.org Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes Google Play: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-google-play 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.

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda as part of a spiritual retreat at the Vedanta Society of New York on February 19th, 2017. List of Questions with Timestamps: 1:25 - Why there is so much suffering in the world? 3:00 - If there is no external God as such, and so with, then whom to pray to & seek protection from adversities & danger? 18:20 - The Upanishad says that Self-realization is a path to transcend sorrow. Is the path of surrender or "Bhakti" also a valid path? 27:00 - (a) How do I overcome the veiling power of Maya - which prevents me from realizing what I already am - Satchidananda Brahman. 34:45 - (b) Is it possible to use Psychotherapy as a way to know oneself? Can a Psychotherapist help us get rid of attraction and aversion? 42:15 - (a) What is the real meaning of the 1st stanza of the DakshinaMurti Stotram by Acharya Shankara. 42:40 - (b) Are we Jiva/living creatures in Brahman's dream? 52:50 - Is the result of Self Realization/Illumination "spiritual retreat"? What do you get out of the Realization? ► Support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://bit.ly/SupportVedantaNY Web: http://vedantany.org Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes Google Play: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-google-play 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.