America's First Guru - A Panel Discussion of the Film on Swami Vivekananda

NEW YORK, June 17, 2024 - Asia Society New York hosts the screening and panel discussion of the film “America’s First Guru,” a PBS special documentary about the legendary Indian monk Swami Vivekananda's experiences and impact in America. The panel speakers include filmmaker Raja Choudhury and Swami Sarvapriyananda, minister of the Vedanta Society of New York. Dr. Mukesh Prasad of the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute at Harvard University and Diya Radhakrishna, Arts and Culture program officer at Asia Society, moderate the conversation.
This video is being cross-posted here with kind permission from Asia Society - / @asiasociety .
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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.

[@basabibasu8516]

I am happy to see this video I was there and talked to Raja Choudhuri on that occasion at Vedanta society of Newyork,

[@vanagg9524]

Such a pleasant surprise to see Swamiji and Raja Choudhary on the same platform - both have been my teachers ( unbeknownst to them, ofc), on Advait Vedanta and Tantra 😊❤️

[@Reach2Sanno]

Great . I would just be careful while using the word “ teacher “ in such deep mystical matters as Tantra - advisable to investigate if there are indeed some solid, bona-fide credentials achieved qualifying a person to be a teacher on this path .

[@ssingri]

Second that

[@Kipson49]

Love the way, Swamiji maintains such poise and grace during this somewhat boisterous session.

[@JaiSriRam801]

HariHara🙏Jai Sri Ram🙏🥰🕉️ Proud and Blessed to be Hindu🥰🕉️

[@rajpokhun2727]

Jai Sri Thakur Jai Sri Sri Maa Jai Swamiji Maharaj ❤

[@tzadik36]

Pronaams, Maharaj-ji!🙏🏻 Namashkaars to all!🙏🏻

[@mokshajetley9244]

Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Ma Sarda Jai Swami Vivekananda

[@sumitbanerjee9274]

Great Discussion

[@bholaram1890]

Om Namah Shivaya 🔱

[@ushakadambaran3968]

How can anyone refer to pujya Maharaj as a "u tube Swami" I wonder. We place him right next to Swamiji , Vivekananda. He is such learned and wise . See how he is placed at a much higher level above even the eminent personalities on the diache. Koti pranams at the Lotus feet Maharaj.

[@sumitdutta7043]

Right next to Swami Vivekananda 😂 I respect him, his knowledge and oratory skills but placing him right next to SV shows too much emotionalism. Perhaps you should read about other great nonks of the order too like 1st gen and 2nd gen monks and complete works of SV too before making such emotional statement. Even Swami Sarvapriyananda don't mind the way the director is reacting to it. Btw the monks and the matajis of the orders themselves refer to him as KZbin Swami. Since he is the most popular Swami of the order in KZbin. If you thinking that popularity is equivalent to knowledge then you need to reconsider you opinion many knowledgeable Swamis are there in the order working silently, of course oratory skills of Swami Sarvapriyananda is uncomparable among the current monks. But knowledge and actual realisation 😊 can't comment.

[@mtuli9679]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@woodspriteful]

Thank you~

[@tvm73836]

Message to the file director: Please don’t touch Swamiji. While he is most approachable and seems like one of us he is an enlightened being whom we hold in high regard. Maintaining physical distance from him helps us keep our egos in check and reminds us every day that we have a long way to go in our spiritual journey.

[@christianuniversalist]

@tvm73836 We call that idolatry.

[@tvm73836]

@@christianuniversalist royal "we"?

[@abhisheksom9386]

That may be your idea. I want more movies about him, so everyone knows n learns from what he was.

[@amritasalm8115]

This discussion is much more interesting than the movie had many inaccuracies. It should have been reviewed by the Ramakrishna Order or Advaita Ashrama publisher or any one of the scholars who have written about Vivekananda or the women disciples. Ruth Harris has a very different understanding of Swami Vivekananda than other scholars and Vedanta practitioners.

[@sumitbanerjee9274]

Great program

[@sumitbanerjee9274]

Great Discussion

[@annakarl9989]

🤗💕🤗💞🤗💖🤗🕊️🌹 🕉️Thank you BHARAT☸️

[@somasampa]

Pronam Maharaj 🙏 How can we watch the film in India?

[@z3rocodes]

Can anyone link to a timestamp that discusses Vivekanandas association with Freemasonry and his consumption of meat in his later life?

[@kenjones102]

I heard that he smoked and drank 15 cups of tea per day. No Matter. I love him to this day.

[@user-qt9xd5xe7g]

He advocated eating meat, fish i.e. Animal Protein to strengthen body. You can find reference in Swamy Sishya Sambad , written by his disciple Saratchandra Chakraborty AKA 'Bangal'.

[@Leela_ya_Maaya]

Not for all, according to nature. What helps to progress,not to enjoy. Goal is to go beyond.

[@sumitdutta7043]

Freemasonry 😂 He supported non-veg eating for energy.

[@tzadik36]

In both Bengal and "Bangladish" one can find distributaries of the Ganges-Brahmaputra every mile or two, and fish is routinely eaten, even by the Brahmins. Tobacco was introduced by the British who acquired it from the New World. Even Thakur smoked a hookah.

[@thetransferaccount4586]

rest of the speakers were just noise infront of swami

[@rajadasworld]

Why would you say such horrible things about people who are bringing Swamiji to the world?

[@sumitdutta7043]

Yeah why saying such nonsense.

[@animesh7296]

Vivekananda ka naam to sahi se ucharan kar leti..host beta