Vedanta Talks - Swami Sarvapriyananda – Details, episodes & analysis

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?

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

This lecture from Sarvapriyananda explores various paths to attaining inner peace. It discusses the yogic approach of stilling the mind through meditation, the devotional path of surrendering to God's will, and the philosophical approach of Vedanta that recognizes one's true nature as unattached awareness. He emphasizes that true peace comes from understanding one's essential nature as pure consciousness, unaffected by the changing circumstances of life. He explains several philosophical reasons why our true self is inherently unattached (asanga) to worldly experiences, drawing on concepts from Advaita Vedanta. The overall message is that recognizing our innate, unchanging nature as awareness leads to lasting peace.

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