From Lower Truth to Higher Truth: Vedanta in Practice | Prof. Jeffery Long
Vedanta Talks - Swami Sarvapriyananda
Vedanta Society of New York
4.8 • 714 Ratings
🗓️ 13 December 2025
⏱️ 51 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Dr. Jeffery D. Long, the Carl W. Zeigler Professor of Religion, Philosophy, and Asian Studies, specializes in the religions and philosophies of India. He is the author of several books and numerous articles, as well as the editor of the series Explorations in Indic Traditions for Lexington Books. In 2020, he received Elizabethtown College’s Ranck Award for Excellence in Research, and in 2022, his book, Hinduism in America: A Convergence of Worlds, received the Rajinder and Jyoti Gandhi Book Award for Excellence in Theology, Philosophy, and Critical Reflection from the Dharma Academy of North America. He has spoken in numerous venues, both national and international, including Princeton University, Yale University, the University of Chicago, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Delhi University, and has also given three talks at the United Nations.
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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.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Good morning, everybody and welcome. |
| 0:19.0 | We're so happy to welcome back as our speaker, a dear and very respected friend of our society, Dr. Jeffrey D. Long. |
| 0:33.6 | He is the Carl W. Ziegler Professor of Religion, Philosophy, and Asian Studies at Elizabeth Town College, |
| 0:42.3 | where he has taught since receiving his doctoral degree at the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2000. |
| 0:51.3 | He's written many books and articles, including Hinduism in America, a |
| 0:56.5 | convergence of worlds, which won the Rajinda and Joti Gandhi Award for |
| 1:02.0 | Theology, Philosophy, and Critical Engagement in 2022. |
| 1:08.0 | His latest book is discovering Indian philosophy and introduction to Hindu, Jane, and Buddhist Thought. |
| 1:16.6 | This year he is published through Oxford University Press, a volume of Hindu primary sources with his colleague Dr. Ravi Gupta. |
| 1:26.6 | He has spoken at a wide variety of venues, both national, with his colleague, Dr. Ravi Gupta. |
| 1:33.0 | He has spoken at a wide variety of venues, both national and international, |
| 1:37.1 | including three presentations at the United Nations. |
| 1:46.7 | He has also been interviewed for a PBS documentary on the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda and for the History Channel series Holy Marvels. Dr. Long took initiation into the Vedanta tradition in the year 2005 and is |
| 1:55.9 | a popular and frequent speaker at Vedanta societies across the United States. |
| 2:01.6 | The subject of his talk today is from lower truth to higher truth, |
| 2:07.6 | Vedanta in practice. Welcome, Jeffrey. |
| 2:10.6 | Thank you very much, Diane, for that lovely introduction. |
| 2:13.6 | And to all of you for being here today, |
| 2:16.6 | the weather is not great in New York today, but you still came. |
| 2:19.7 | So thank you very, very much. |
| 2:21.5 | And to quote Swami Vikanata, thank you for your kind and cordial welcome. |
| 2:27.8 | So I would like to begin today with a short prayer. |
... |
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