Ask Swami with Swami Sarvapriyananda | Dec 3rd, 2023

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Dec 3rd, 2023. List of questions with timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - How can a devotee of God say I am That?
18:34 - Can we say that God as consciousness is within us?
21:07 - Are Bhakti and Janna two sides of the same coin? Is one higher than the other?
32:21 - Can Nididhyasana be considered as a series of small awakenings?
37:44 - Is Advaita profoundly different from Western views?
46:02 - Is the ultimate goal of Nididhyasana to realize or to stabilize?
50:19 - If Atman and Brahman are one, why do they appear to be different?
54:58 - Why are there differences in religions when they have all come from enlightened beings?
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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.

[@VedantaNY]

List of questions with timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:45 - How can a devotee of God say I am That? 18:34 - Can we say that God as consciousness is within us? 21:07 - Are Bhakti and Janna two sides of the same coin? Is one higher than the other? 32:21 - Can Nididhyasana be considered as a series of small awakenings? 37:44 - Is Advaita profoundly different from Western views? 46:02 - Is the ultimate goal of Nididhyasana to realize or to stabilize? 50:19 - If Atman and Brahman are one, why do they appear to be different? 54:58 - Why are there differences in religions when they have all come from enlightened beings?

[@gireeshneroth7127]

So called god is a misnomer.

[@thunderbolt_01]

Please upload the questions on 21:07 and 32:21 separately

[@krishnadey6840]

Sobar prio sarvapriya nanda swami ji ke pronam janai

[@kaivamannam5636]

its been so long since we had an Ask Swami ❤️❤️🙏🏽🙏🏽🕉️🕉️

[@snehap2235]

She on whose lap I imagine to lay When my heart felt pain that words could not convey She whose arms were open to all Into them all saints and sinners would crawl She to whom in my darkest time I pray Glory to her, and Glory to this day For it is on this sacred day, her birthday That all were blessed with a mother, who was to forever stay Dec 22 - Birthday of our beloved Sri Sarada Devi

[@annagosling3754]

I truly appreciate Swamiji's graciousness and his thorough addressing of people's questions❤🙏🕯

[@thetransferaccount4586]

a good set of questions and great set of answers given by swami.. very nice

[@daodejing81]

I love listening to this Swami. He is insightful and perceptive. I left Christianity in 1980,at 20. Nelville, a Christian, did say, you are Jesus. I thoroughly understand the meaning. Here we use Jesus as an archetype. I would say that anyone who is awake is a Christ, a Buddha, a Krishna. Such a one is one with God, one with Brahman, for there is but one Consciousness. So, to me, this is perfectly sensible language.

[@meerabhide4888]

हरिःऊँ,प्रणाम,.पू.स्वामीजी

[@tjmanou6422]

absolutely amazing. thank you very much

[@johnoleary6939]

The Only Living Boy in New York

[@rsr9200]

Interestingly, this Ask Swami session has a number a questions about what God is. As expected, Swami Sarvapriyanandaji provides insightful answers to them. Also, while he has perfected the art of tact, I am admittedly as are far removed from that virtue as one can be. That said, I submit that narratives about God across all religious traditions belong to one of two categories: 1) reason-defying or irrational narratives; and 2) reasonable or rational narratives. Both kinds of narratives postulate that God is limitless, i.e., omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, eternal, etc. Thereafter, they seem to diverge radically. The reason-defying or irrational narrative holds that God is eternally separated from us in space and time. This implies that God ceases to be God where we begin. This further implies that we possess the power to limit omnipresent and omnipotent God’s extent and power. Thus, either God is not limitless as postulated or we have to abandon rationality and believe otherwise. As an Advaitin, I will admit that some Advaita Vedanta narratives which postulate that limitless Ishvara cannot exist without maya fall in this irrational category as well. The reasonable or rational narrative, such as that of the classical Advaita Vedanta of Sri Shankara, states that limitless God is never separate or different from us and yet is free to appear as if separated or different from us. Thus, the limitlessness of God encompasses all logical possibilities vis-a-vis our relation with God. In this narrative, Ishvara exists without maya but is free to appear with maya. Further, Ishvara without maya is what we are while Ishvara appearing with maya is the creator of what we appear to be as well as that of our universe. Also, it seems to me that the term bhakti (devotion) is often used to suggest the practice of worship within the irrational narrative of God. However, I maintain that the rational narrative of God accommodates bhakti as well and I count myself as a bhakta in that Advaita Vedanta tradition. Of course, as I understand it, Vedic scriptures do not dictate one form of bhakti or one narrative of God to the exclusion of others. Therefore, I acknowledge and accept the privilege of each individual to choose the narrative and worship practice that best addresses their needs.

[@jyothipandit2755]

😅

[@swapankumarsarkar2722]

Pranam thakur pranam maa pranam Swamiji

[@Vision_Of_Realities]

Jai Sri Ramakrishna 🌺🙏

[@mokshajetley9244]

Pranaam Swami Saravpriyananda ji

[@tzadik36]

Pronaams!🙏 Namasbkaars to all!🙏

[@baladeva777]

Continually grateful for the variety of talks to light the way and assist the path. Thank you All 💐

[@bhagwanmishra7243]

भक्ति माता है ज्ञान और वैराग्य उसके दो पुत्र हैं हैं।

[@Thenarayanaclips]

Thank you so much, Gurudev. This helps a lot!

[@user-gz9kv5pd9s]

Pranams swamiji Very satisfying and enriching Q and A

[@Ushamurthy8831]

Swamiji 🙏

[@allnone4277]

🙏🙏🙏❤️

[@jayshah8602]

Pranam Swamiji! 🙏🏻

[@MS-ov9sv]

❤❤❤

[@vishuddheya4085]

❤ pranam Maharaj ji

[@bharatirawte943]

Pranam Swamiji

[@swamivedantanandapuri1322]

Pranaam🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@jayashreedutta4980]

Pranam Maharaj

[@Leela_ya_Maaya]

🙏

[@adv.madhusudananmp9045]

Pranams Swamiji ❤

[@mtuli9679]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@pramodrai3199]

Pranam Swami Jee 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@tookie36]

Thank you ❤🎉

[@BinduViswanaath19]

🙏🙏🙏

[@kunalkadam1052]

thank you, sir.

[@mokshajetley9244]

Jai Ma Sarda

[@mitalibhattacharya823]

প্রণাম…...

[@bhaghiappaiya9822]

Thank you swamiji

[@ruthbelda3887]

Thank you, thank you, for your comments on Jnana and Bhakti. I so needed to hear it.

[@bhuvaneswarinatarajan2583]

Thank you very much Swamiji🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@k3500]

💙

[@sonujain1086]

🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@ganapathynidatharajarao]

I and the father are one

[@daodejing81]

I and the Father I and the Mother I and the Son I and you

[@nivaroy6544]

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@mokshajetley9244]

Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna

[@ankappatd3168]

Just today morning I had doubt about why there are different ways of devotion. Then I got answer while meditating that, for ordinary places we have hundreds of paths, then for this omnipotent God there will be thousands of paths. Whichever mentioned in Bhagavad-Gita and which is suitable for us we can follow. The same thing has been said while answering the last question. 🙏

[@sarthakuchiha607]

Just yesterday I was checking if there was a new Q and A, and now here it is 💛 been waiting for so long

[@kingnitram]

He is just so good 😅😅😅 ❤❤❤❤

[@santoshmohanty9148]

09/01/2024. Tuesday.🕉️🇮🇳📚🚩Dr.Santosh Kumar Mohanty Pray YOU SWAMIJEE 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@gsugunagiri2233]

It, s very meaningful and nice

[@bkgupta6356]

Vivekananda had said in his books that after attaining liberation mukti if one wants one can attain whichever body form suitably to work and leave that from whenever wishes so.

[@ArindamBose-ml3bs]

Primal maharaj

[@asokeroy8409]

Superb clarifications of all doubts and queries relating to 'Brahma' and 'God'. Revered Swamiji, My prostrated obeisance to thy lotus feet.

[@janetownley]

* Brahman

[@tanukagupta8416]

অপেক্ষায় ছিলাম, লাইভ শুনতে পারিনি বলে🙏 অনেক ধন্যবাদ 🌹 প্রণাম নেবেন মহারাজ 🌷🙏🙏🙏🌷

[@thecomment9489]

Very excellent Q&As of asking spiritual queries. About the very first question about 'thou art that' I have something to add to. The lady asks that a Christian doesn't say he is Jesus Christ but we Vedantins say 'Aham Brahmasmi' translated as thou art that. Lets understand this with some contemporary example to make it understand better. Suppose someone has just enrolled into a language class lets say Chinese language and has just started learning Chinese. Now can that new learner say that he's the Shakspear of the Chinese language? No he can't. To become the prolific writer in Chinese language one has to study the language, immerse in it, learn it's nuances, write short stories in that language and then long stories and so on and on and only after that the new learner can claim he is the PhD holder in Chinese language. Imposing it on our Aham Brahmasmi question the point is Jesus was preaching among the most spiritually devoid people of his times. Jesus learned spiritual practices in India and then went back to Judea to preach among the most barbarian people of that time. On the other hand when the Upanishad era rishi says Aham Brahmasmi he has meditated for years and years and realised certain truths in his consciousness and when he asks his guru the guru replies, "the truths you have realised in your consciousness that you are". That is why a Christian shouldn't say he is Jesus unless he has also attained higher consciousness. Without realising those truths it only feeds the ego. I hope the above example help clarify that question.

[@devanshudesperado]

To say " i am God" does indeed sound arrogant. It doesn't feel right to say it, it feels like blasphemy. But, in fact, what is blasphemy is not to say i am god, what is blasphemous is to say " i am a person", because in saying i am a person what we are saying is i am a being with my own independent existence. We are saying my being must be separate from God's being. And if my being is separate from God's being then God's being must be LIMITED. In other words, to say "i am a person" is to deny the presence of god, that is blasphemy. It is to set oneself up as a being apart from Infinite being, it is to set oneself as a finite being. And if each one of us are finte beings then there cannot be an infinite being, we are denying the possibility of infinite being, we are denying God's presence.

[@JD-ny3vz]

Yess

[@Shermanlive]

Beautifully put ❤

[@nakshatraneogi8427]

He is Vivekananda reborn

[@sekhardasguptachaudhuri6711]

24:39 24:43 There is such sayings of Thakur recorded in kathamrita about Narendranath.Vide a day in Cossipore

[@gopinathvaradarajan6743]

Due to Sareeram (body & brain physical ) changes, as a result mind, emotion (non-physical) changes. Both not the I, beyond of which the I observes. Experience this clear separation is Mukthi.

[@calisthenicsindia8498]

45.30 . 🙏🏻 Sarwapriyananda padam prapadyee

[@sukumardutta9260]

The Vedas say that the living entity the soul is eternal but due to past activities and material desires it perpetually accepts different material bodies As.long as material desires nature acting under Gods direction will award one material body after another

[@Irelandrains]

Nice video...The colour of the curtain should be of some pastel shade....it would complement the environment in a better way

[@imaginaryuniverse632]

I would say it's indisputable that regardless of what many believers of religion say the scriptures of every major religion tell explicitly that consciousness is the foundation of nature. Rev. 1-5 I am the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead. The dead would be a person who believes that who they appear to be is a part of their being. The true self is the faithful witness who is the one who is aware of all things and all things which appear to be are but everchanging appearances within awareness which is exactly the same everywhere always. 🙏⚕️🙏

[@KriB510]

Interesting interpretation of that particular scripture. Not that I necessarily disagree with your statement overall, but the scripture also continues to say, “… and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” amen

[@UNIVERSE-z1o]

Swamiji, what is your identity ?

[@devotoderamakrishna]

I have all the respect for Swami Sarvapriyananda and gratitude for the concrete benefit in my life that his lectures between 2017 and 2020 made in my life. However, honestly, from the moment that reading Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita began to be a daily part of my life, all the enchantment with Swami Sarvapriyananda's lectures was lost. Because I can't feel in his (brilliant) mentality the love present in Thakur's teaching. And in the love that Sri Ramakrishna conveys is the Truth. It's not just "joy", it's Truth.

[@pranabmukherjee938]

I am in somewhat similar state. Undoubtably Sarvapriyananda ji guided me to have a scientific temperament in understanding different paradigms of understanding god and clear segregation of those 4 paths . Non dual vedanta is the most reasonable explanation to god and this world, so far I came across and thanks to Swamiji to make that accessible to thousands like me. But then, I started following Bhakti path and recently listening lots of Swami Premananda Maharaj of Radha upasana. Which is on love and prem of Krishna and Radha. When I look deeper what’s it takes to reach there it appears the path of knowledge is almost impossible to take anyone to that realisation of ‘ Aham Brahamashmi’, but it the surrender to god and his/her mercy can. And since then Swamijis lecture appears very dry, intellectual exercise. But as I said all these possible because of the initial understanding I developed from Swamijis lectures

[@oln3678]

Like when Papaji came to Ramana and said he "lost" his visions of Krishna. Ramana told him they served the purpose to get him to this point.

[@devotoderamakrishna]

@@pranabmukherjee938 The thing is, I no longer consider the alternative of absolute monism to be the most rational idea. It increasingly seems to me that there is an "absolute aspect" to the Supreme Being, but that the Supreme Being is indeed as Sri Ramakrishna teaches: "With form, without form, and beyond that. For only God knows who He is in totality. " However, even though today I consider the proposition of advaita to be philosophical idealism, I do not in any way disregard the value of Swami Sarvapriyananda and so many other brilliant teachers of this path. I am sure that Swamiji is a true renunciate, very sincere, and I am grateful to him for his teaching. However, upon "listening" to Thakur, the time for lectures on absolute monism was over for me.

[@devotoderamakrishna]

@@oln3678 In my case, the advaita approach led me to search for Sri Ramakrishna. And then advaita no longer had a place. So, in my case, it was to reach Sri Ramakrishna that the explanation of monism came in handy.

[@josef2012]

So,you're saying there's many paths to the same goal?? 😄💗

[@bkgupta6356]

विप्र धेनु सुर संत हित लीन्ह मनुज अवतार। निज इच्छा निर्मित तनु माया गुन गो पार। तुलसी दास। रामचरित मानस। सुर = देवता सज्जन लोग। गो= इन्द्रियां। माया प्रकृति के तीन गुण सत्व रजस तमस और इन्द्रियों के परे प्रभु।

[@thunderbolt_01]

Please crop and upload the question asked on 21:07 separately on the channel, as early as possible❤🙏😢

[@cinemaverse...]

Also 50:19

[@pinushooterphotography]

🙏pranam Maharaj. Thank you for opening my eyes. But I have a question- Can Consciousness experience itself at its own level? Because You taught us only objects can be experienced by Consciousness and for that too sense organs must present the object to the mind. Then mind presents it to Consciousness and then experience happens . But if Consciousness is not an object how can we experience it directly? Even if we experience isn't that at the level of mind ? Please clear my doubts and enlighten me. 🙏 Dr Pinaki Baidya, Jalpaiguri, India.

[@danuvab]

Maharaj You always talked about I am the one, I am bhrahman. But what is it feel like when we realise that I am brahman. What is feel like when we identified ourselves with that unchanging one!! Please tell that in one video what is it feel like when one got the bhrahman knowledge.. I am eager to know that feeling...

[@Thinkgood19]

If I am the observer....then who governs or decides these changes?

[@gopinathvaradarajan6743]

Vase of Flowers, I'm seeing Vase of flowers, Flowers are anything apart from seeing, seeing is nothing apart from Consciousness. This is Advaitha.

[@rajendraprasadrastogi7091]

स्वामी जी प्रणाम❤🎉

[@bkgupta6356]

Can we make body form of our own choice and requirement after attaining realisation as brahman like all enlightened Gods Shiv Vishnu Brahma Devi Hanuman can do

[@Leela_ya_Maaya]

Nope, I guess enlightment means switch of game no more play.

[@harim889]

I have a question for which I am looking for an answer from Advaita Vedanta. Does the subtle body without the gross body has to mandatorily attain gross body to spend and extinguish its karma or can it do that without the gross body? Can anyone please answer my question? Thanks

[@user-ie4jn1lf6e]

Georgia is a country

[@eshanthasamarasekera5007]

Lord Buddha teaches consciousness is formed of "energy" with help of the "six aggregates" within a Life as a phenomena and as a result of cause & effect to reproduce, energy. "Samsaara " All life energies end up to be nothingness.

[@SN-oy2ou]

Read John 14:12 the first question on Christianity will be answered. See what Jesus has to say about YOU and what YOU can do Viz A Vie God.

[@rumapal8747]

Isn’t it Ma Sarada’s birthday today?

[@sumitdutta7043]

I think not as per Indian/Bengali Calender

[@pm4306]

sorry swamiji.....your Indian examples cause me more confusion

[@devotoderamakrishna]

Sri Ramakrishna teaches devotion to God. He tells us, that if we seek Him with a fervent heart, we will know God, and God will talk to us. So, if we dive deep into the ocean, we will find Holy Vrindavan, and there we will see the Lord of love. And then, by virtue of this, we will obtain maximum knowledge. Behold, Sri Ramakrishna's "paradigm" is love and devotion to God. So why not teach this? Thakur was very clear: the spirituality of this age is not centered on knowledge or action. It is having love and devotion to God as its center. If then the Order and Mission is named after Ramakrishna, what is the dilemma about which "paradigm" to teach?

[@tm92211]

Multiple paths help people at different stages of their lives get closer to the divine, irrespective of how you may define the latter. To cite a personal example, I being a member of what we call gen Z and a resident Indian initially had found the concept of God utopian and the predominant, devotional practices unappealing. Here, unless one looks a bit deeper, one can easily be deluded by the malpractices flourishing in the name of religion rather than explore what Hinduism actually has to offer. It was only after reading some of Vivekananda's works and listening to Swami Sarvapriyananda's talks (drg drsya viveka was an early immersive experience) that I began taking interest in jnana yoga and, over the years, have also had the benefit of developing a taste for devotion, especially after reading the original version of the Gospel. None of this would have been possible without the easily available material on jnana yoga provided by this very order. A beautiful and significant feature of the order is that it doesn't propagate any one path, but focuses on most of them and on the harmony of all paths, something that is the dire need of the fragmented world we live in today.

[@sumitdutta7043]

Bhakti with a firm ground of Adwaita is the requirement otherwise fanatics will be formed. You find this as dilemma, the mission is working fine. You are only watching Swami Sarvapriyananda you don't know what he do in his private time, he might be great bhakta as well, also there are other Swamis of the order as well which spread bhakti too.

[@devotoderamakrishna]

@@tm92211 The thing is that Thakur does not say that rituals and devotional practices are bhakti yoga. He calls them Karma Yoga. Bhakti Yoga for Thakur is deep love for God.

[@devotoderamakrishna]

@@tm92211 Sri Ramakrishna does not propose alienation, but rather a practical plan for transforming the heart. Sri Ramakrishna defends belief in God not as sentimentality but as a logical alternative.

[@devotoderamakrishna]

@@tm92211 I think the Ramakrishna Order and Mission are a great good for the world, and I give all my respect to its monks. However, I think there must be a way in the world for Sri Ramakrishna's real message to be conveyed simply as it is. For I believe in Sri Ramakrishna as an avatar, who came to the world to give a necessary message. And its message is love and devotion to God as the path for this time. Not as "a way", but as the truly proper way. A person's temperament may be more analytical, more active, more contemplative or more emotional, but the pursuit of all these types must be for love and devotion to God.

[@Ananias329]

Swami, I dearly respect you but you don't understand Christianity that is of Jesus and His Saints. Message in OUR preaching has always been that each of you is the Son but none can ever be Jesus.

[@sumitdutta7043]

Yes majority of the Christianity works like that, except some heretics which were killed.

[@daodejing81]

Nelville always said, you are Jesus. I agree. It's Jesus as archetype. All who are awake are Jesus, Christ, Buddha, Krishna, God, Brahman ... because there is but one Consciousness.

[@daodejing81]

​@@sumitdutta7043The heretics are those who project it on to others. The word, heresy, etymological means choose, choice.

[@JohnSmith-sl6eg]

Woo-Woo propagation starts 😂

[@sayankundu1492]

Science itself is a materialistic propaganda...

[@sumitdutta7043]

you are more interested in this propagation, it seems, share your pain somewhere else.

[@JohnSmith-sl6eg]

@@sumitdutta7043 I will share about woo-woo where it is being done like here by Swamiji 😁 Talking without proof

[@sumitdutta7043]

@@JohnSmith-sl6eg Start the Drik-Drishya_Vivek Series on youtube by the same Swami. 12 videos. Then watch any random video of Swami.

[@shivranjansingh9774]

A 'Diamond' doesn't need propagation, it shines by itself.

[@varshavora7390]

🙏🙏🙏

[@santoshmohanty9148]

09/01/2024. Tuesday.🕉️🇮🇳📚🚩Dr.Santosh Kumar Mohanty Pray YOU SWAMIJEE 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@widipermono854]

🙏🙏🙏