Vedanta Talks - Swami Sarvapriyananda

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on June 15th, 2025.List of questions with timestamps:00:00 - Intro00:48 - What is the difference between the soul and awareness?10:39 - How do we break the link between the real and reflected consciousness? 27:44 - How is knowledge different from experience?36:02 - Is enlightenment obtained during meditation or while interacting with the world?49:38 - Is artificial super-intelligence a feasibility?  Could this lead to the end of humanity?59:27 - Can we design a generalized template for Karma?  How can I explain it to my grandchildren?01:05:55 - Doesn't the "consciousness wave" referred to in Buddhism imply duality?01:09:27 - What is the difference between realization that the dream is unreal within the dream (lucid dreaming) vs. in the waking world?

Delve into the fascinating interplay between Vedanta philosophy and American thinkers like Emerson and Oppenheimer. Discover how concepts like karma and reincarnation permeated literature, shaping the cultural landscape. Reflect on virtues such as generosity, compassion, and self-control amidst life's transience. Explore the connections between science and spirituality, especially in the context of the Bhagavad Gita and modern AI. Finally, ponder the age-old questions of consciousness and how they resonate with today’s technological advancements.

Swami Sarvapriyananda reads and discusses the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is an English translation of the Bengali spiritual text Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita by Swami Nikhilananda. The text records conversations of Ramakrishna with his disciples, devotees and visitors, recorded by Mahendranath Gupta, who wrote the book under the pseudonym of "M."This session was recorded on Oct 5, 2021.

Part 4 of the Retreat on Adi Shankaracharya's Vivekacūḍāmaṇi taught by Swami Sarvapriyananda. This retreat was held at Vivekananda Retreat Ridgely in April, 2025: https://ridgely.org

Part 3 of the Retreat on Adi Shankaracharya's Vivekacūḍāmaṇi taught by Swami Sarvapriyananda. This retreat was held at Vivekananda Retreat Ridgely in April, 2025: https://ridgely.org

Part 2 of the Retreat on Adi Shankaracharya's Vivekacūḍāmaṇi taught by Swami Sarvapriyananda. This retreat was held at Vivekananda Retreat Ridgely in April, 2025: https://ridgely.org

Part 1 of the Retreat on Adi Shankaracharya's Vivekacūḍāmaṇi taught by Swami Sarvapriyananda. This retreat was held at Vivekananda Retreat Ridgely in April, 2025: https://ridgely.org

Swami Sarvapriyananda reads and discusses the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is an English translation of the Bengali spiritual text Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita by Swami Nikhilananda. The text records conversations of Ramakrishna with his disciples, devotees and visitors, recorded by Mahendranath Gupta, who wrote the book under the pseudonym of "M."

Swami Sarvapriyananda reads and discusses the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is an English translation of the Bengali spiritual text Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita by Swami Nikhilananda. The text records conversations of Ramakrishna with his disciples, devotees and visitors, recorded by Mahendranath Gupta, who wrote the book under the pseudonym of "M."

Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches verses 29-34 from the Thirteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. This series of talks unfolds the highest truths of Vedanta through the study of "The Song of God".🔆 Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 Verse 29:प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वश: |य: पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति ||29||prakṛityaiva cha karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśhaḥyaḥ paśhyati tathātmānam akartāraṁ sa paśhyati ||29||🔴 He is the real seer who perceives that Prakrti (i.e., one's body-mind born of Prakrti) alone is doing all works and that the Atman, the true spiritual self, is the actionless witness.🔆 Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 Verse 30:यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति |तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ||30||yadā bhūta-pṛithag-bhāvam eka-stham anupaśhyatitata eva cha vistāraṁ brahma sampadyate tadā ||30||🔴 When one perceives the manifold objects as centred in the One and as evolved from It as well -- then he attains Brahman.🔆 Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 Verse 31:अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्यय: |शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ||31||anāditvān nirguṇatvāt paramātmāyam avyayaḥśharīra-stho ’pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate ||31||🔴 That highest Self, being the immutable and unoriginated Spirit beyond Nature, is free from all action and stain, though dwelling in the body.🔆 Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 Verse 32:यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते |सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते ||32||yathā sarva-gataṁ saukṣhmyād ākāśhaṁ nopalipyatesarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate ||32||🔴 Just as the all-pervading Akasa, because of its subtlety, is not stained by anything, so this Atman, though abiding in all bodies, is never affected by any impurity.🔆 Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 Verse 33:यथा प्रकाशयत्येक: कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रवि: |क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत ||33||yathā prakāśhayaty ekaḥ kṛitsnaṁ lokam imaṁ raviḥkṣhetraṁ kṣhetrī tathā kṛitsnaṁ prakāśhayati bhārata ||33||🔴 Just as the single sun illumines the whole universe, so the (One) Indwelling Spirit enlivens all bodies (with self-consciousness)🔆 Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 Verse 34:क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा |भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम् ||34||kṣhetra-kṣhetrajñayor evam antaraṁ jñāna-chakṣhuṣhābhūta-prakṛiti-mokṣhaṁ cha ye vidur yānti te param ||34||🔴 Whoever perceives by spiritual insight the distinction between Ksetra (Nature) and Ksetrajna (Spirit) as also the freedom of the Spirit from the hold of Nature, they reach the Supreme.