Spiritual Talk given by Pr. Vrajaprana at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple on November 12, 2017. This talk centers on the importance of the "motherhood" of God, especially in the West where the usual paradigm is a patriarchal deity. The Hindu goddess Kali gets special attention because of her many faceted image which can seem a bit uninviting when not fully understood.

Spiritual Talk given by David Nelson on November 5, 2017 at the Santa Barbara Temple entitled "Spiritualizing Life." Here we learn that the wisdom of the ancient Upanishads is as relevant today as it has ever been, speaking to who we think we are and guiding us beyond that to the higher reality of our true being.

Spiritual Talk given at the Santa Barbara Temple on October 29, 2017 by Swami Atmavidyananda. If you've ever wondered why (or even if) your spiritual practice produces benefits to your mind and body, be assured there are several scientific studies that have proved this does happen when practices such as meditation, jampam, prayer, etc. are performed regularly. The effects of spiritual practices on the brain are the key to benefits you may never have known you were getting! Fascinating and illuminating.

Spiritual talk given by Pr. Krishnaprana on October 22, 2017 at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple. Speaking on the subject, "Gratitude," Pr. Krishnaprana reminds us that gratitude for what we have must always be greater than desire for what we don't have if we are to achieve peace in this life. At one point she asks us to think of just 3 things we are grateful for in this moment. Can you do it?

Spiritual Talk given at the Santa Barbara Temple by Pr. Vrajaprana on February 18, 2018 just weeks after deadly mudslides caused loss of life, property and infrastructure in the Santa Barbara community. This impacted the Vedanta Center as well (though luckily sparing it from structural damage), forcing it to close for a month. Pr. Vrajaprana describes in very moving words the human effects of this tragedy on all those involved, and how disasters quickly show us what truly matters in our lives. As the title, "You Are What You Love" suggests, Love is the one quality that defines who we really are. We learn how this was tangibly demonstrated through the kindness and caring of friends and strangers alike. This is a "must listen" spiritual talk.

Spiritual talk given October 15, 2017 by Swami Sarvadevananda at the Santa Barbara Temple. Swami discusses the meaning and power of the Divine Mother Kali, whose colorful image can be somewhat fearsome to those who do not realize her spiritual beauty. Sri Ramakrishna was her ardent devotee, and we learn much through his words and actions.

Spiritual Talk delivered by David Nelson October 8, 2017 on “The Divine Mother: One and Many.” “One” refers to her as the undivided source of all creativity; “many” refers to the ways in which this divine power expresses itself in everything from the vastness of the cosmos to the smallest details of everyday life.

Spiritual Talk delivered by Swami Vedarupananda October 1, 2017 on "The Spiritual Significance of Death." According to Vedanta, there is no death. Swami Vedarupananda explains the logic of this philosophy using stories, parables and excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita and the life of Holy Mother.

Spiritual Talk given September 24, 2017 by Swami Sarvadevananda titled "Nitya and Lila." Nitya and Lila may be thought of as the Absolute and Relative states of awareness according to Vedanta. But does this imply duality, or are they both two sides of the same coin? Swami answers this question and many more in his excellent talk.

Spiritual Talk given by Pravrajika Vrajaprana on Sunday, September 17, 2017 at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple. Karma yoga, the yoga of action or work, is discussed from the Vedanta perspective, citing many verses from the Bhagavad Gita. The takeaway? When your service is devoted to God, it really turns your "working hard" into "hardly working." Learn from the talk how this wonderful transformation works!