Ask Swami 5/5/2019

Vedanta Talks - Swami Sarvapriyananda

Vedanta Society of New York

Religion & Spirituality, Hinduism

4.8 • 681 Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2019

⏱️ 97 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Q&A session lead by Swami Sarvapriyananda as part of a spiritual retreat at the Vedanta Society of New York on May 5th, 2019. List of Questions with Timestamps: 0:36 - Difference between the ego and the witness. Is consciousness a creation of the brain. 24:34 - Difference between the views that the universe never existed vs the universe is brahman. If we are one consciousness, why do we react differently in different circumstances. 39:18 - If I do not “exist”, how do I approach the demands of the world. 47:18 - How is it possible to attain God while living in the world? How do I choose a guru? Is enlightenment possible without mantra diksha? 56:47 - Distinguishing between vairagya (dispassion) and tamas (darkness). How to practice non-injury but still protect ourself? 1:08:20 - Are your tendencies from past life part of a bigger purpose in the universe? 1:19:40 - What is Advaita Vedanta’s standpoint on karmic liability that leads to rebirth? 1:27:05 - Difference between Jnanindriyan and Buddhindriyan. 1:32:00 - Do Sat, Chit, and Ananda refer to the same thing?

Transcript

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0:00.0	The
0:07.0	The So we have several questions on consciousness.
0:36.6	First one is from Jonathan M. So we have several questions on consciousness.
0:41.3	First one is from Jonathan M. Is it true that the difference between ego and witness
0:45.3	is that the ego is self as saki,
0:48.3	plus the error of identifying as an individual,
0:52.3	experiencing a separate phenomenal world, samsara, whereas
0:58.0	Sakshi is self without any such error of individuality and perceiving Samara as a mere
1:05.0	appearance of self. And from Ashok D, is consciousness a creation of the brain?
1:12.6	If not, what proof can be given in support of this?
1:16.6	All right.
1:19.6	Let me take up the second one first, but that's a more general question.
1:25.6	Is consciousness a creation or a product of the brain?
1:29.3	If not, what proof can we given in support of the,
1:32.3	that if you're claiming that consciousness is not in fact a product of the brain?
1:40.3	So let me take that up.
1:41.3	Let me first give you the direct answer from a Vedantic perspective.
1:45.0	And then we will take up a more general discussion.
1:48.0	Directly if you ask a non-dualist and ad dweid in this question, the answer will be very simple and direct.
1:54.0	The answer is look to your own experience.
1:57.0	In your experience, you will find that you are the experience there, the subject, and you
2:04.2	experience many things.
	...

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