Swami Sarvapriyananda has been  Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York since January 6, 2017.

Prior to this, he served as assistant minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California for 13 months, beginning on December 3, 2015.

Swami joined the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in 1994 and received Sannyas in 2004. Before being posted to the VSSC’s Hollywood Temple, Swami served as an acharya (teacher) of the monastic probationers’ training center at Belur Math. He has served the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in various capacities including being the Vice Principal of the Deoghar Vidyapith Higher Secondary School, Principal of the Shikshana Mandira Teacher Education College at Belur Math, and the first Registrar of the Vivekananda University at Belur Math.

Website: vedantany.org

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcripts of this interview:

English

Chinese

Finnish

Swami Sarvapriyananda on the Ethical Foundations of Nondual Spirituality

Interview recorded March 3, 2018.

YouTube Video Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump

00:03:51 - Upanishads and Vedanta

00:07:54 - The Philosophy of Non-Duality

00:12:07 - The Expression of Ultimate Truth in Hinduism

00:16:27 - The Duality of Bliss and Reality

00:20:21 - The Comparison between Vedanta and Particle Physics

00:24:43 - Panentheism and the Nature of Reality

00:28:51 - Advaita Vedanta as Maximally Supporting Religion

00:33:04 - Two distinct approaches to religion

00:37:34 - Overcoming Limitations with Advaita Philosophy

00:41:09 - The Cyclical Nature of Knowledge

00:44:39 - The Value of Sharing Between Science and Religion

00:48:36 - The Conflict Between Science and Religion

00:52:49 - Contributions of Advaita and Madhyamaka Buddhism

00:57:07 - The Complexity of Standardizing Instrumental Procedures

01:01:24 - Path to Enlightenment through Different Religions

01:04:55 - The Realization of Pure Essential Nature

01:08:56 - Serving Society in Vedantic Philosophy

01:12:37 - The Perspectives of Enlightened Beings

01:16:44 - The Three Stages of Spiritual Awakening

01:20:38 - The Importance of Practices and Ethical Life in Advaita Vedanta

01:25:08 - The Importance of Bhakti Yoga and Meditation

01:28:45 - The Bliss Amidst Suffering

01:32:52 - The Conduits of Spiritual Wisdom

01:36:45 - The Truth about Enlightenment and Past Karma

01:40:42 - The Three Tiers of Reality

01:44:33 - Experiencing World and Brahman Together

01:48:07 - The Differences between Kashmir Shaivism and Advaita Vedanta

01:52:24 - The Beauty and Intricacy of the World

01:56:21 - Divine Presence in You

01:59:46 - Farewell