Event Title: Vedanta and Yoga: The Raja/Ashtanga system of Patanjali for Settling the Mind and Having Vision of Self / God. Led By: Yuriy Time: 12:00pm - 1:20pm, Sunday January 20th, 2019. Location: Atmananda Yoga NYC, 112 E 23rd St #200, New York, NY 10010 Event description: We will gather for an uplifting meeting on Vedanta, have group meditation, chant sacred mantra, and learn the intricate path of Raja / Ashtanga Yoga that calms the mind and grants vision of Self or God.  Through this way of settling the mind, people can get liberated from their daily stresses and worries of the world, and get established in the supreme bliss and peace of the Self. Everyone is welcome! Note: Arrive early, meeting will start on time. Admittance: is free, by voluntary donation.

Event Title: The Yoga of Love and Devotion to Realize the Supreme Speaker: Yuriy Time: 12:00pm - 1:20pm, Sunday December 9th, 2018. Location: Atmananda Yoga NYC, 112 E 23rd St #200, New York, NY 10010 Event description: The Yoga of Love and Devotion is a sweet and easy path we can walk on to realize the inherent pure consciousness within us. Vedanta teaches that Love is the basic nature of our own True Self. Practicing it we can become established in that reality of Oneness that is a part and behind all of us. Through this universal love, we will become liberated from the daily stresses, worries and burnouts of the world. Everyone is welcome! Note: Arrive early, meeting will start on time. Admittance: is free.

A talk on the complimentary practices of Psychology and Spirituality. Speaker: Yuriy Time: 12:30pm - 2pm, Thursday December 6th, 2018. Admittance: This event is open only to BC students.  Location: Student Building 2705 Campus Road 5th floor (Occidental Lounge), Brooklyn, NY 11210 Event is co-hosted by the BC Psychology Club and BC Society of Bioethics and Medicine. Synopsis: What do western psychology and the Vedanta spiritual tradition have in common? The former aims to heal psychopathology and the latter to realize one's True Self. Delving in we find that many of the practices overlap. The continued advances in modern psychology across schools of thought are beginning to correlate with the attainments of knowledge by Vedantic practitioners thousands of years ago. In this lecture, Yuriy will introduce the practice of Vedanta to the audience and discuss the common theories and practices with modern psychology. Yuriy's Bio

Event Title:  The Yoga of Truth (Jnana Yoga) and Devotional Kirtan Speaker: Yuriy Time: 12:00pm - 1:20pm, Sunday November 11th, 2018. Location: Atmananda Yoga NYC, 112 E 23rd St #200, New York, NY 10010 Event description: Jnana Yoga is the path of truth. It is the path of discerning what is real from what is false by using our faculty in the heart called the “buddhi”. We practice honesty and stick to what is proper in daily situations, and thus purify our mind and proceed towards realizing the Supreme. The Self or God is the Truth Itself, says Sri Sri Bhagavan. Slowly we can get established in this truth and realize the pure consciousness that is our own very Self. Join us for this lively discussion, led by Yuriy from International Vedanta Society. We will sing devotional kirtan together and have brief meditation. Note: Arrive early, meeting will start on time. Admittance: is free.

Event Title:  Discovering The Truth and Love Within: A Gathering for Kirtan, Vedanta Talk and Meditation Speaker: Yuriy Time: 12:15pm - 1:15pm, Sunday November 4th, 2018. Location: Atmananda Yoga NYC, 112 E 23rd St #200, New York, NY 10010 In this one-hour gathering, we will discuss the timeless wisdom of the Vedanta tradition. It is a culmination of all spiritual currents from ancient India that matured to one aim - the realization of the Self. We are all striving for this one aim, knowingly or unknowingly - to know who we are. We look for happiness, seek unconditional love, and try to secure some sense of permanence in life. Yet unbeknownst to most, the very source of these treasures is at the core of our own being, and not somewhere outside. The more of it we discover within, the more of it we reflect out. And our whole life becomes transformed, no matter the circumstance. At this meeting at Atmananda Yoga Studio, we will introduce the teachings of Vedanta, sing s...

The talk at the NYU psychology club concluded successfully. In attendance were undergraduate students majoring in psychology, in their junior and senior years. Some were familiar with spirituality, to others it was a new subject. The discussion was lively.  Here is a recap:  - What are all people striving for, what is everyone searching for in life? Students gave answers: a sense of meaning, to attain happiness, exercise power, leave a legacy behind, and others. - We discussed the evolution of various schools of psychology. Psychodynamic school arrived at intersubjectivity. Child Psychology arrived at the true self. Behavioral/cognitive school and its ACT theory arrived at the observant self. Humanistic school with Gestalt Psychotherapy arrived at the field of awareness and idea of wholeness, and Carl Rogers centered on the agency of the self. - The tradition of Vedanta was introduced and described for its focus on realizing this very Self that is in all of us. Yuriy disc...

A talk on the complimentary practices of Psychology and Spirituality at New York University. Speaker: Yuriy Time: 6:30pm - 8pm, Monday October 29th, 2018. Location: Kimmel Center for University Life, Room 904, 60 Washington Square S, New York, NY 10012 Event is organized by the NYU PSI CHI, The International Honors Society for Psychology. Synopsis: What do western psychology and the Vedanta spiritual tradition have in common? The former aims to heal psychopathology and the latter to realize one's True Self. Delving in we find that many of the practices overlap. The continued advances in modern psychology across schools of thought are beginning to correlate with the attainments of knowledge by Vedantic practitioners thousands of years ago. In this lecture, Yuriy will introduce the practice of Vedanta to the audience and discuss the common theories and practices with modern psychology.

IVS devotees sing the mahamanatra at a community event in Kolkata, India. The tradition of singing the mahamantra in IVS stems back to the year 2004 from a divine command. On April 17th, 2004, at 10:30am, Bhagavan was sitting in his daily morning samadhi, when a somber divine voice came out of the depths, saying: "Become mad and madden the world, say 'Hare Krishna'." This was the message ordained by the Infinite to Bhagavan to engulf the whole of humanity in a single thread of Oneness. Swami Prajnananda-ji writes in the IVS book The Living God: "At IVS, the Mahamantra is chanted not to propitiate Sri Krishna but to mingle with one and all, to feel others as our own Self. This indeed is the essence of Advaita, where the Self is seen in everything, and everything is seen in the Self. The Mahamantra is the platform where people from all walks of life, irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, gender and nationality, dissolve their individual self and have t...

Devotees sing the Vedanta Society Song at the spiritual and cultural program in Kolkata, India on September 30, 2018.

Swami Sankarananda explains that everything is within us. The greatest treasure of life that everybody searches for, namely happiness, is within us, and nowhere else. And this treasure is called God. God is infinite peace, infinite bliss and infinitive knowledge. God doesn’t dwell somewhere in the sky watching over us and judging our actions as good or bad. This is a fable. It is we who first know whether we did something right or wrong. Our heart tells us right away. So Vedanta gives this knowledge of the Inner Self, the inner world. It redirects our mind to go back within instead of going out (the opposite of how the mind normally travels). Going into our Self, there we find the actual peace, the actual knowledge, the actual happiness. You cannot find things externally, they are not in the scriptures, churches, temples or mosques. It is in the realization of these things that matters. It resides within us. The biggest temple on earth is our own body, because that is where God res...

Tejomoyee Ma narrates a charming story from ancient India about a devout man who held a grand worship ceremony in his house, but then as the reception was winding down, a drunk person barged in and trashed the whole place. The man went into terrible grief, complaining how God could let this happen. Then the Lord appeared and chastised the man: "You have enjoyed so much peace, love and devotion throughout the day, but for just five minutes at the end you could not tolerate this one drunk man? I put up with him day in and day out!" The moral of the story is acceptance. We need to learn to accept all things that come our away. We apply the labels of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ to things and events purely based on our egoic desires. That which fulfills our desires - we label as “good”, and that which is contrary to them or is hurtful - we label as “bad”.  But situations vary, and what one person deems as "good" may appear as "bad" to another. It is subjective, based on...

Tejomoyee Ma says we should do a reality check on our identity when feeling overwhelmed with problems. It's so easy to get lost in grandiose ideas like: "I have a big business" or "I have a large family", or self denigrate oneself with ideas: "I am creating many problems for others," "How will I get this done and survive the situation?" But who are we really in this outside world? A mere speck compared to the large scale of the universe. Zoom out of your problems and you will see how tiny and insignificant your correction situation is. Behold this entire creation, the vastness of God; and the egoic idea of your current situation will naturally correct itself. Then joy will flow into you, loosening you from the problems' grip. "Think yourself that you are Brahman, and you are one with everything. Don't make your identity big from the outside, but think you are unlimited from inside." Biography of Tejomoyee Ma

Swami Sankarananda speaks about the existence of two worlds: 1. External world - What we see, feel and deal with in daily life. The outside objects, people, ideas, and pursuits. 2. Internal World - Something people only feel and discover at times, when for example a loved one dies, then all of a sudden we realize we feel sad inside. Then we begin to question whether the external world was all that real to begin with. But as time rolls on, we forget and move on with our lives until another shock in the future stops us. People are constantly running, we are always busy from morning to night. This run began ever since we learned to discriminate between what is good and what was better. Then we began to run after the better. But what is the goal? What do we really want?  Is it a profession? A livelihood? That cannot be it, because we need the livelihood to live, not live to get the livelihood. Actually we all want to enjoy, to be happy. But when we enter into the external world, ...

Devotees celebrate the Hindu holiday of Janmashtami with Sri Sri Bhagavan in 2018 at the Mayer Bari ashram in Birati, Kolkata India. Janmashtami is the anniversary of Lord Krishna's birthday. The devotees in this video are worshiping their beloved guru Bhagavan as the living embodiment of Krishna, and thus fulfilling their devotional aspirations to God. Devotees perform traditional service of adoring their guru with flowers, offering food, burning incense, and carrying out aarti (fire ceremony).  Being completely void of ego and ever united in the realization of Oneness, Sri Sri Bhagavan offers Himself to the devotees for their practice of devotion (bhakti). Biography of Bhagavan

Swami Probbudhanda explains that Oneness is what allows us to love one another because we see ourselves in all and all in ourselves. The One who resides within is the same. Swamiji also cites Sri Sri Bhagavan: that the problem in the world today is not nuclear bombs, aids or cancer but a deficit of love in people’s hearts. This video was recorded on Swami's visit to Brazil in August 2018. Biography of Swami Probuddhananda

Swami Prahladananda explains that the great spiritual masters like Sri Sri Bhagavan do not insist on any particular spiritual path for their students. They fuse all the paths together - be it the path of devotion (bhakti yoga), the path of action (karma yoga), the path of knowledge (jnana yoga), or the path of yoga and meditation (raja yoga). The great masters try to bring their students to the light in a way that is best suited for the students. In IVS, Bhagavan teaches meditation, selfless service, discrimination, and devotion. An aspirant will find everything they need. Even musician devotees get to use their musical talents as a spiritual sadhana. The great thing about realization, Swami Prahladananda explains, is that when an aspirant attains it, no matter what path they originally took to get there, they will automatically come to know about all the other paths. They will get the knowledge about all of them. It all comes together at the end. Biography of Swami Prahladananda...

Raja Yoga, also called ashtanga yoga, has as its goal the attainment of liberation (moksha) through samadhi. In ancient ancient India, there was no such concept of liberation. It was a brahmanical religion with people striving to get to heaven. Then a rishi named Kapil Muni came and brought Sankhya Yoga to the people that contained the concept of liberation. After Kapil Muni, came the saint Patanjali. He codified the path to liberation through the path of Raja Yoga and called it Ashtanga Yoga because it was divided into eight-limbs, or parts. Raja Yoga is a path of self-control. It aims to bring the mind back in by meditating on the truth. But such self-control in meditation is not possible in the beginning, therefore Raja Yoga outlines eight steps to prepare the yogi for this. They are: (1) Yama (Self control), (2) Niyama (discipline), (3) Asana (postures), (4) Pranayama (controlling the breath and vital energies), (5) Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), (6) Dharana (concentrat...

Devotees sing a devotional song with love and reverence to Sri Sri Bhagavan. The words are translated as "Today is a blissful day. The sky, air, etc. - everything is full of bliss. We are free now. Let us enjoy the happiness..."

Swami Sankarananda says that God is inexpressible and indescribable. “He is the expression of infinite love.” We all have love in us, of one sort or another. But it is not the same as divine love. How to recognize divine love? It can be felt when we cry for God, it can be felt when our mind is being transformed by the power of God. Transformation of the mind is the most important but hardest task. Because we cannot control our own thoughts, we cannot transform them ourselves. But Bhagavan has that power which can exert influence over our mind, our thoughts and our tendencies. Merely by His words, wish, or touch, the meanest of the mean can become a wise and holy person. The divinity is already within us, we are all potentially divine. But Bhagavan can ignite that divinity within us, and begin the process of transformation. This video was recorded during swami’s visit to devotees in Barcelona, Spain in 2012. Biography of Swami Sankarananda

Sri Sri Bhagavan with devotees, chanting Hare Krishna. Local gathering at a devotee's house near Kolkata, India. The tradition of singing the mahamantra in IVS stems back to the year 2004 from a divine command. On April 17th, 2004, at 10:30am, Bhagavan was sitting in his daily morning samadhi, when a somber divine voice came out of the depths, saying: "Become mad and madden the world, say 'Hare Krishna'." This was the message ordained by the Infinite to Bhagavan to engulf the whole of humanity in a single thread of Oneness. Swami Prajnananda-ji writes in the acclaimed IVS book The Living God: "At IVS, the Mahamantra is chanted not to propitiate Sri Krishna but to mingle with one and all, to feel others as our own Self. This indeed is the essence of Advaita, where the Self is seen in everything, and everything is seen in the Self. The Mahamantra is the platform where people from all walks of life, irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, sex and nati...

Tejomoyee Ma says people should be grateful for the pain and hurt that comes their way from worldly relationships. For these experiences give rise to detachment, and detachment is necessary to discover and realize the Self, Atman, or God. Relationships in the world are all conditional to one degree or another. People typically seek relationships because they need something in return, and once they don't get it or no longer need it, they lose interest in the other person. This break in attachment causes great heartache and misery. However, from a spiritual standpoint, this is good because it helps the person realize the impermanence of the world and get detached from it. Tejomoyee Ma explains that the more attached we are to other people, the further away we actually are from the Truth, the Self, or God. And the less attached we are to worldly people and things, the closer we are to the Truth. So Bhagavan explained that being hurt in the world will actually help you go towards t...

Tejomoyee Ma discusses the three phases of spiritual practice that purify the mind and help attain to the Supreme. 1. Shravan - the process of hearing about spiritual things. The teachings need to penetrate our being, we must let them into our heart and mind. How? By listening with apt attention. By connecting our mind to the 5 senses. Otherwise if we are distracted when listening then it won’t go into our hearts at all. 2. Manan - the process of contemplating on the subject. After we have heard the spiritual talk, the information must take time to be assimilated into our mind, to settle in and be made sense of. Hence we contemplate after about what was said and how it makes sense to us. In the beginning we may need to exert some intention to turn this wheel of the mind but then our mind will automatically begin to dwell and contemplate on the subjects because we will see their manifestations in our daily life. 3. Nididhyasana - Letting the new spiritual thoughts run through our mi...

Tejomoyee Ma discusses how people are given certain roles to play in life. These roles changes constantly, and people have to adjust accordingly. When things are going well, we are happy, but as soon as the sequence changes and situation turns against our wishes, people become miserable, longing for the happiness they had before, and desiring to end the current situation. But the roles are given by the director - God. If we understand this then we won’t take it so seriously. When director says to cry - you cry, when director says to smile - you smile. Accept it as it comes. Actors accept the roles that come from the director. So people should accept the roles coming from God. If we understand this, then life becomes easy. No need to be so serious. People always ask for bigger and better roles. Bhagavan related a story from his younger theater days when one of the young boys in his play wanted a bigger and better role. Bhagavan agreed. But then the boy died on his way home, neve...

Swami Sankarananda explains that people identify themselves with all kinds of beliefs about the world since childhood. This upbringing ingrains subconscious thought patterns into people’s minds that make them imagine their own versions of reality, and then act accordingly seeing difference and strife everywhere. To counteract this, we should teach children spirituality starting from a young age. Swami Sankarananda gives several great examples of this in the talk. The second example is particularly interesting. A man was walking with his donkeys through a forest when it began to get dark and he had to take shelter for the night. A forest monk dwelling nearby let the man stay in his cottage for the night. The man settled in but needed to tie his donkeys so they wouldn’t run away at night. But they had no rope. So the monk advised the man to act like he is tying the donkeys, i.e. to imitate what he does every day. It worked, the donkeys all stayed in one place thinking they were tie...

Every religion stands on the basis of realization. In Vedanta, this is the direct realization of God or the supreme Self. The lineage of Vedanta goes back to the sages in the ancient Upanishads, the brahmarishis . They first realized the Truth, and only then taught others. Not as an intellectual exercise or philosophical discussion, but an actual realization of Reality. Each successive disciple also realized it, and it got passed down in this way through generations , ultimately to Sri Sri Bhagavan today, and now to us. Vedanta proclaims the Oneness of our individual Self with the universal Self, the cosmic consciousness (otherwise referred to as Brahman, Atman, Jesus, Allah, Hashem, Krishna, etc.) This is a fact, a reality. But we have to realize it to know it. How? We need to hear about it again and again to counteract our lifelong learning and identification with only the individual self (especially in today’s modern culture). This video was recorded from Swami Sankarananda...

Swamiji explains the practical side of Vedanta in daily life. He says that our duty is constantly changing: for example, a man is a husband to his wife one moment, a son to his parents in another, then a father to his children, and then a friend to his buddies, etc etc. So we need to perform these with utmost dedication and care. Like dressing ourselves differently for different occasions of life. Bhagavan always stresses this side of spirituality actually. That we are always projecting ourselves onto this world anyways, and we should remain aware of who and where in each situation, and act accordingly. A lot of suffering in this world comes from failing to do so! (Viewers are encouraged to read the classical book Karma Yoga by Swami Vivekananda.) In general, when we hear spiritual teachings, we have to learn them properly. And it takes time and practice for these teachings to become fully integrated into our lives and make practical sense. Swamiji recounts how Bhagavan taught ...

Swami Nirgunananda narrates the full story of the Buddha and Angulimala in a very touching and relatable way. (Youtube viewers: watch Swamiji’s related talk: “The World is Made of Projections; The Way Out is Through Love”.) Angulimala was a Brahmin at first, highest caste of society, but for some reason his village people rejected and caste him out. He was forced to live alone, and soon became estranged. At first he was verbally outraged but then, after receiving no sympathy, Angulimala began to dwell on revenge, and eventually it escalated to physical aggression. Angulimala began to murder the villagers passing by his forest dweeling and add their finger to his rosary. (Anguli = finger; mala = garland, rosary). This way he killed many people, and everyone was terrified of him. Angulimala assumed a ferocious face that reflected his inner thoughts and how people treated him. One day, Lord Buddha was passing by the forest where Angulimala dwelled, and casting aside warnings from v...

Shiva Tandava is a legendary divine dance of Shiva, representing the cosmic cycle of creation, preservation and destruction, the primal rhytmic energy. In this video, devotees are heard chanting "Hara Hara Mahadev" which is the name of Shiva. In this video, Sri Sri Bhagavan and devotees in International Vedanta Society play the kirtan , sing and dance at the November 2014 Convention for World Peace & Oneness.

What is spirituality?  It is a technique, an attitude with which to look at the world. In general life , people take the world to be real, then drawing on their intellect and past experiences, project onto others labels of ‘good’ and ‘bad.’ How we think of others, that sends them the message (e.g. through our posture, facial expressions, tone of voice), and automatically, the other person reacts to that assuming that very role. Thus, confirming our original belief, no matter how erroneous it was! But in spirituality, we teach that persons are neither good nor bad. Everybody has done some good and some bad deeds in their lives, but it is not who they are.  Hence it is better to project good qualities onto others instead. What will happen, most of the time, is that, in response, the other person will automatically reflect the same good quality back at you. Think of smiling sincerely at a person passing your way, they automatically smile back, and soften their guar...

Swami Probuddhananda asks why is the human mind is so restless and so impatient? Because it is always looking for something, it is looking for peace and love. But we do not get this from the world, do we? Who is there that does? Such people are called the sages. We do not need to go away to the hermitages of India though to attain their state. We just need to learn to think like them. Ask yourself sincerely what you actually need and where to look for it. Swamiji says that he went to his guru, Sri Sri Bhagavan for this, and Bhagavan showed him that all peace and knowledge comes from within. All lies within you. This video was recorded at a lecture Swami Probuddhananda delivered at New York University, in April 2012. Biography of Swami Probbudhananda

The chanting of the Guru Vandana mantra at a public event presented by International Vedanta Society in the Kolkata city center. This video was recorded in May of 2018. Guru Vandana is recorded in the Guru Gita (the Song of Guru), that is a part of the Skanda Purana (a sacred text from the Shaivite  tradition). Guru Gita is a treatise on finding one's true Guru and then surrendering to him with the totality of one's being. At IVS, devotees sing this chant several times per day, and concentrate on our guru Bhagavan.

The chanting of the mahamantra (Hare Krishna Hare Rama) with Sri Sri Bhagavan. This video was recorded at the Mayer Bari ashram of International Vedanta Society in Birati, Kolkata one evening on May of 2018. The tradition of singing the mahamantra in IVS stems began in the year 2004 from a divine command. On April 17th, 2004, at 10:30am, Bhagavan was sitting in his daily morning samadhi , when a somber divine voice came out of the depths, saying: "Become mad and madden the world, say 'Hare Krishna'." This was the message ordained by the Infinite to Bhagavan to engulf the whole of humanity in a single thread of Oneness. Swami Prajnananda- ji writes in the IVS book The Living God: "At IVS, the Mahamantra is chanted not to propitiate Sri Krishna but to mingle with one and all, to feel others as our own Self. This indeed is the essence of Advaita, where the Self is seen in everything, and everything is seen in the Self. The Mahamantra is the platform wher...

Bhagavan's teachings are firmly rooted in Truth and Love. He has always adhered to these values and taught his students the same. There is great strength in these words. One can come to rely on them after getting acquainted with Bhagavan's life , with the history of International Vedanta Society (IVS) and its teachers, and through realizing these things in one's own practice. Bhagavan's teachings have generally come to be organized under the 12 points  sadhana  (spiritual practice) below. These guidelines are not a replacement to the direct instructions received by one's Guru or teacher, but a helpful reminder of the components that your spiritual practice should contain and the ideals you want to be striving for as you make progress towards Self-Realization. Check out the Teachings posted on this website, they are sorted by Post Topics and can be accessed in the drop down menu on the upper right hand corner of the website. These lessons address the various...

Chanting of the wonderful Nirvana Satakam. This hymn was composed 1,200 years ago by the great Shankaracharya, the sage who systematized the philosophy of the Upanishads according to non-dualistic Vedanta into the modern system. He is considered to have been an incarnation of Shiva, of Knowledge. This video was recorded in March 2007, at International Vedanta Society ashram in Varanasi, India. Sri Sri Bhagavan descends from the lineage of Shankaracharya.

A rare footage of Sri Sri Bhagavan inspiring a devotee to attain the state where they no longer feel separate from Him. This is not an intellectual exercise, Bhagavan says but a heart experience. Know the guru to be all, as God, and know that you are one with Him. Otherwise you will continue to feel disturbance of separation.

Sri Sri Bhagavan narrates the early part of the Buddha's spiritual life, who upon coming out of His sheltered palace, for the first time saw the worldly realities of old age, illness and death. What made the Buddha different was that He wanted to find a way to overcome these sorrows, to put an end to them. Bhagavan explains that "Buddha" or "Bodha" means total knowledge. Bhagavan draws a comparison to our contemporary life, including His own, pointing out that these struggles are very much present in our lives today as well. We should become aware of them, and their inevitability; try not to shun them, but face them .

Bhagavan talks about why the great masters come to earth. The enlightened beings always say “Know Thy Self”, “Know the Truth”, obtain Knowledge. They are not saying go get money in the world. But what is knowledge? It is the way things actually are, not just how they appear. The masters have been sharing knowledge with us for our benefit. They want to help us become more perfect, get more peace. Bhagavan gives the example of the Buddha. He is loved by all people of the world. Why? Because of the love and knowledge he gave to all beings, including animals. Similarly, with International Vedanta Society , all the work we are doing are for the people. The people in turn should understand that the world is not just for them, but for all beings, including the animals.

Swamiji discusses the most important holiday of Guru Purnima.  Whereever you find yourself in the world, you can celebrate it alone, in private.   On this day, the disciple meditates on their relationship with his/her guru. Guru is everything - my mother, my father, sister, brother, friend, the guru everything to me! We dedicate this day to this relationship. This holiday stems back to the day of birth of Sage Vyasa. He was the sage who put in writing all the Vedas. Note: t he day is celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) in the Hindu month of Ashadha (June–July). In 2018 it falls on July 27th. Biography of Swami Nirgunananda

Tejomoyee Ma narrates the history and meaning of the Guru Purnima celebration in India, which dates back to the birth of Sage Vyasa (the writer of the Vedas). Tejo Ma says that the guru plays the most important role in the aspirant's spiritual life. The guru is the one who imparts knowledge on you and helps you realize your true identity, as the Self. Biography of Tejomoyee Ma

Tejomoyee Ma says that spiritual practice is like preparing to take an umbrella with you ahead of an impending rain. We must invest in it even when our days are fine and it is not yet raining. Why? Because the fine feeling will not last, and turbulent time  are  certain to come.  Having made the proper investment, spirituality will pay off at a future time when we need it most. Because invariably life always takes its turn. We must think of God or Guru always.  Sri Sri Bhagavan always encourages us to do so. We must develop an unconditional love for God, because in this world all love is otherwise conditional.  Biography of Tejomoyee Ma

Swami Prahladananda explains the sweet path of devotion ( bhakti yoga) for the realization of God. It is a flexible path because the devotee may love and worship God in any way of their choosing. It is therefore considered a much easier path than, say Raja Yoga, which is stricter and more methodical. Swamiji discusses the four main stages of Bhakti Yoga, namely Bhakta , Bhav , Mahabhav  and Prem : 1. In the stage of Bhakta (a devotee) - the person gives God a certain role, like that of a friend, a father, a mother, a child, or a beloved, and assumes a corresponding role of a devotee themselves. Thus practicing, the devotee gains pure love for God. Like Sri Ramakrishna used to practice for years taking care of a Ramlal figurine (Lord Rama as a child): feeding, bathing and putting him to sleep. 2. Proceeding thus, the devotee enters the stage of Bhava , where they develop single-minded devotion for their God ideal ( Ishta ). The love becomes so intense and the mind so one...

Vedanta means the culmination of knowledge, ultimate knowledge. It is where all the spiritual paths and religions end up when sought all the way through, seeking the direct realization of God, or the Universal Self. The aspirant earnestly and bravely makes progress to realize what is actually Real and True in this world and discriminates away the False. Once the Truth is realized, layers and layers of the superimposed ego which have bound the person for so long with sorrow, fears and other afflictions fall away. The knower ( vijnani ) finally rests in the ocean of non-dual oneness, the sat-chit-ananda  (existence-consciousness-bliss) Absolute. The goal worth investing every single moment of one's life. Enjoy!

Maharajji explains that the mind creates the multiplicity of the external world. However, underneath it is all one undivided and absolute reality, Brahman. Just like the wave that appears to have separated from the sea, it will fall down again and reemerge with the sea. Biography of Maharajji (Swami Keshavananda)

Maharajji explains that the mind receives its energy from the soul, but it does not know it!  The soul is like the root of the tree. Our original identity is this consciousness, but it gets superimposed by the instruments of the five sheaths ( koshas ). The instruments constantly go outside to the world, hence do not know they are being directed from within. In meditation we practice going back to the source. And although those instruments are ever changing, our soul on the contrary stays the same. It is our actual I, the Self. Spirituality is a natural process where we go back to our true Self. We are actually the embodiment of peace, knowledge, love, joy, existence, an the all-pervading consciousness. Free from birth and death. Once we realize this, the remaining mind will become the same as the soul, or Atman.

Swami Nirgunananda explains that Vedanta is taught to seekers who are serious about realizing the Self. And as long as seekers have doubts about the path, we do not teach from the scriptures. We first address and resolve the doubts. The intellect must be sanctified through spiritual practice, and satisfied through inquiry and discussion with realized teachers/guru . "You are Brahman, you are the Supreme Conscioussness , you are not just a human being." First this is understood merely through intellect. But with practice and exploration, the intellect begins to consider this as a possibility. The path becomes more open, and eventually realization happens, and this is discovered to be a fact. Bhagavan generally imparts knowledge in two ways: 1. That you are the consciousness, the Brahman, not a human being. 2. The characteristics of a spiritual person, and how to live in this world. After realization, no need to explain anything. You understand everything. Then teacher...