AskSwami Q&A - Swami Sarvapriyananda

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Apr 12th, 2026.

List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Invocation and opening

01:40 — Is enlightenment just a brain event, or different from dissociation and neurological experiences?

19:17 — How does one move from witness-consciousness to Turiya in practice?

29:31 — What should one do when mantra japa brings up disturbing thoughts and impurities?

40:41 — If awareness and experience seem mutually dependent, how can awareness be the ultimate reality?

51:22 — How should a student deal with pressure, competition, and still find life’s real purpose and peace?

01:12:53 — Can the Katha Upanishad’s chariot analogy be reinterpreted through chidabhasa and reflected consciousness in Advaita?

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Lecture Series by Swami Sarvapriyananda

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📖 Scriptures Taught by Swami Sarvapriyananda

   • Aparokshanubhuti | Swami Sarvapriyananda  

   • Bhagavad Gita | Swami Sarvapriyananda  

   • Brihadaranyaka Upanishad | Swami Sarvapriy...  

   • Dṛg Dṛśya Viveka | Swami Sarvapriyananda  

   • The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna | Swami Sarv...  

   • Isha Upanishad | Swami Sarvapriyananda  

   • Katha Upanishad | Swami Sarvapriyananda  

   • Kena Upanishad | Swami Sarvapriyananda  

   • Mandukya Upanishad | Swami Sarvapriyananda  

   • Mundaka Upanishad | Swami Sarvapriyananda  

   • Vedantasara of Sadananda | Swami Sarvapriy...  

🪔 About Vedanta

Vedanta is among the world’s oldest spiritual philosophies and one of its most inclusive. Rooted in the Vedas, India’s sacred scriptures, Vedanta upholds the unity of all existence, the divinity of the soul, and harmony among religions.

🏛️ About This Channel

This is the official channel of the Vedanta Society of New York, a spiritual institution affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order of India and holds the distinction of being its first established Center, founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1894. Swami Sarvapriyananda currently serves as the Resident Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York.

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Mar 29th, 2026.

List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Invocation and opening

01:32 - Why Vedanta first says you are consciousness and not body-mind if everything is Brahman anyway.

22:05 - How to distinguish pure Self from awareness that seems to arise through body and mind.

50:48 - If I am only consciousness and a witness, what is the meaning of life and experience.

01:00:48 - Why Vivekananda’s emphasis on service can seem different from Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings.

01:11:43 - Why profound inner experience should point to one universal Atman rather than only a local conscious state.

01:24:24 - Where Ananda fits into the description “Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma.”

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Dec 28th, 2025.

List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

02:30 - How can there be "pure experience", if there is no object to experience?

17:19 - Does this enlightened one have the ability to manipulate time?

21:32 - Can consciousness truly be objectified and recognized directly?

33:32 - What should I do if I want this to be my last birth? Is God with form part of Maya?

53:06 - Who is experiencing qualia?

01:02:14 - It seems possible that AI could create conscious beings, but it could never create pure consciousness. Why then is there debate about this issue?

01:13:17 - If AI incorporates living cells, could it then be conscious?

01:15:34 - Does Indian philosophy have a position on AI?

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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.

28,001 views Oct 31, 2025 AskSwami Q&A | Swami Sarvapriyananda

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Oct 19th, 2025.

List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:52 - If Brahman is the only reality, doesn’t “Neti, Neti” also reject Brahman?

17:52 - What is the link between Brahman and Jiva?

38:28 - Are not the theories you are discussing also limited?

41:54 - How do we apply Vedanta in our day-to-day life?

51:02 - Why is consciousness considered to be different from the mind?

01:09:24 - Is ChatGPT enlightened?

01:29:10 - Isn’t AI relative consciousness? How could it become enlightened?

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on June 15th, 2025.

List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

00:48 - What is the difference between the soul and awareness?

10:39 - How do we break the link between the real and reflected consciousness? 

27:44 - How is knowledge different from experience?

36:02 - Is enlightenment obtained during meditation or while interacting with the world?

49:38 - Is artificial super-intelligence a feasibility?  Could this lead to the end of humanity?

59:27 - Can we design a generalized template for Karma?  How can I explain it to my grandchildren?

01:05:55 - Doesn't the "consciousness wave" referred to in Buddhism imply duality?

01:09:27 - What is the difference between realization that the dream is unreal within the dream (lucid dreaming) vs. in the waking world?

10,864 views May 25, 2025 AskSwami Q&A | Swami Sarvapriyananda

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on May 11th, 2025.

List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

05:02 - At death, does a fully realized Jivatman merge with Brahman, or does it maintain its identity?

16:11 - The Nasadiya Sukta says there is neither existence nor non-existence. But Swami Vivekananda said that creation is eternal. How can these be reconciled?

24:29 - What is this ignorance and where does it exist?

32:02 - I no longer believe in God or sadhana. What should I do?

38:27 - How can I be free of the ups and downs of frustration and elation?

52:01 - If God exists, why is there so much suffering? How can I make peace with my past faults?

59:22 - The path of Raja Yoga says to shut out the world, while the path of Jnana Yoga requires inquiry into experience. Which one should I follow?

01:11:34 - In the Mahabharata it is said "Dharma protects those who protect it". But Swami Vivekananda heard the divine mother say "Do you protect me or do I protect you?" How can these be reconciled?

24,905 views Apr 15, 2025 AskSwami Q&A | Swami Sarvapriyananda

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Mar 23rd, 2025. List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:43 - Explain the two ways of approaching non-duality: “I am all of it” vs “I am none of it”?

15:24 - Is devotion (bhakti) merely an aid to knowledge in Advaita, or something more?

29:58 - Is the intense love of God (parabhakti) a form of insanity or mysticism?

36:16 - Is Advaita Vedanta falsifiable?

52:06 - The importance of asking questions in the study of Vedanta.

58:44 - Should we always practice unconditional love?

01:11:14 - What is the real meaning of ‘jada’ (insentient) in Advaita?

01:20:30 - What is the relationship between Maya and Chit (consciousness)?

40,831 views Mar 3, 2025 AskSwami Q&A | Swami Sarvapriyananda

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Feb 23rd, 2025. List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

02:10 - How should we pray? What should we pray for?

07:19 - I intend to become a monk. How can I maintain inner peace in the midst of the world before joining?

14:48 - What is the best way to read through a text with others?

18:50 - Is reflected consciousness the same as witness consciousness?

30:28 - How do I apply Vedanta to day-to-day life?  

38:23 - How can the world be an appearance to Brahman?

54:01 - How can I understand consciousness through service?

01:01:21 - How does the mind drop attributes?

01:07:21 - If everything is an illusion why am I not an illusion as well?

01:18:35 - If no company is better than bad company, how can we practice this without hurting others?

01:23:50 - What is it that I want?

45,947 views Feb 5, 2025 AskSwami Q&A | Swami Sarvapriyananda

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Jan 26th, 2025. List of questions with timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

06:25 - How do I see myself as Brahman but still act ethically and lovingly in the world?

22:50 - How do I know that I, this Awareness, am Everything?

43:45 - If Consciousness is the ultimate reality, is God imaginary?

53:35 - How can I think of and worship God when I state that He is only Awareness?

01:12:30 - What is the connection between God and Brahman?  What is the relationship between Consciousness and Existence?

01:25:09 - Can you speak about free will?

01:33:50 - Can we succeed without the fourfold qualifications in Jnana Yoga?

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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