Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Nov 24th, 2024. List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

02:44 – How can Shri Ramakrishna’s statement “only God is your own” be reconciled with Holy Mother’s “everybody is your own”?

17:51 – Does stopping all thoughts reveal pure witness consciousness and lead to realization?

32:18 – Is the gap between two thoughts where pure consciousness shines, and can it only be noticed afterward?

38:43 – How to address fear of meditating after experiencing non-duality and loss of individuality?

49.36 – Why didn’t you adopt Kashmir Shaivism despite its elaboration compared to Advaita Vedanta?

57.36 – What did Swami Vivekananda mean by “Eternal progression is eternal bondage”?

01:04:28 – How to reconcile Buddhist teachings on emptiness with Vedanta’s views on self and no-self?

01:19:48 – Is pure consciousness the same as God, and why are there so many names for God?

01:26:02 – Why doesn’t the Headless Way result in infinite love and bliss as described in non-duality?

01:34:24 – What is the relevance of spiritual teachings in a future dominated by super-intelligent AI?

01:47:18 – How to practice forgiveness effectively and overcome anger?

► To support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://www.vedantany.org/donate

Vedanta NY Archives: https://www.youtube.com/c/VedantaNewYorkArchives

Web: http://vedantany.org

Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY

iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5IrDmqXhiGwwyQcIUjRhtB

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VedantaNY

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Nov 24th, 2024. List of questions with timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:53 - How can I reconcile devotion and non-dual knowledge? 23:27 - If I realize I am pure consciousness, do I also have a vision of God with form? 31:21 - What is Mahat (universal intelligence) in the Samkhya philosophy? 34:24 - Is it possible to practice Bhakti without God or deities? 36:28 - Can you talk about your experience with the monk who said "we are missing it a thousand times every moment"? 54:03 - Can consciousness remain by itself without appearing as objects? 59:13 - Why should I strive for enlightenment? 01:09:00 - How can I keep up study of Advaita without losing interest? 01:14:33 - Is the experience of nothingness in deep sleep the same as the experience after death, or for enlightened souls? 01:18:15 - Does everyone have to go through experience/enjoyment in the world before enlightenment? ► To support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://www.vedantany.org/donate Vedanta NY Archives: https://www.youtube.com/c/VedantaNewYorkArchives Web: http://vedantany.org Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5IrDmqXhiGwwyQcIUjRhtB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VedantaNY 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 led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Oct 20th, 2024. List of questions with timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 02:15 - What is the importance of earnestness and renunciation to progress in spiritual life. 13:37 - Do we need a Guru, and what is the relationship betwen the Gurua dn teh Advaitic Self? 19:31 - Is consciousness the controller of actions or is it just a witness? 31:09 - How do we go from reflected consciousness to ‘I am Brahman’? 41:17 - How can I cultivate a desire to meditate and to form a genuine enjoyment of the practice? 01:04:21 - How can I overcome doubts in spiritual life? 01:09:45 - How can dream state be considered equivalent to the waking state? ► To support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://www.vedantany.org/donate Vedanta NY Archives: https://www.youtube.com/c/VedantaNewYorkArchives Web: http://vedantany.org Soundcloud: http://Soundcloud.com/VedantaNY iTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunes Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5IrDmqXhiGwwyQcIUjRhtB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VedantaNY 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.