Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Nov 24th, 2024. List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

02:44 – How can Shri Ramakrishna’s statement “only God is your own” be reconciled with Holy Mother’s “everybody is your own”?

17:51 – Does stopping all thoughts reveal pure witness consciousness and lead to realization?

32:18 – Is the gap between two thoughts where pure consciousness shines, and can it only be noticed afterward?

38:43 – How to address fear of meditating after experiencing non-duality and loss of individuality?

49.36 – Why didn’t you adopt Kashmir Shaivism despite its elaboration compared to Advaita Vedanta?

57.36 – What did Swami Vivekananda mean by “Eternal progression is eternal bondage”?

01:04:28 – How to reconcile Buddhist teachings on emptiness with Vedanta’s views on self and no-self?

01:19:48 – Is pure consciousness the same as God, and why are there so many names for God?

01:26:02 – Why doesn’t the Headless Way result in infinite love and bliss as described in non-duality?

01:34:24 – What is the relevance of spiritual teachings in a future dominated by super-intelligent AI?

01:47:18 – How to practice forgiveness effectively and overcome anger?

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Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches Panchadasi, a fourteenth century manual on Advaita Vedanta written by Vidyaranya.

Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches Panchadasi, a fourteenth century manual on Advaita Vedanta written by Vidyaranya.