Best Ramakrishna Mission Podcasts (2024)

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159 - Daivam – The Unknown Factor in All Actions | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:17:13

2M ago1:17:13

1:17:13

The 13th, 14th and 15th verses discuss the five factors involved in any kind of activity. 14th verse: “In any activity, there are five factors involved. (1) adhiṣhṭhānam – The body-mind-complex, which is the basis of all actions. (2) kartā – the agent of action, which is the jivatma. (3) karaṇam – Different instruments of action, such as the senses…

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158 - Renouncing the Fruits of Actions | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:15:03

3M ago1:15:03

1:15:03

5th verse: “The three virtues of Yajna, dana and tapah should not be given up. These three virtues become natural to the enlightened and become the means to those aspiring to be enlightened.” 6th verse: “Yajna, dana and tapah should be performed giving up our attachment to the results and our selfish desire to enjoy the results of the work.” Yajna …

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157 - Yajna, Dana and Tapah Should Not be Given Up | Swami Tattwamayananda 53:58

3M ago53:58

53:58

Title: Yajna, Dana and Tapah Should Not be Given Up 18th Chapter: verse 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 3rd verse: “According to Samkhya philosophy, all actions should be given up. According to Mimamsa philosophy, performance of Yajna, dana and tapah should not be given up.” According to Kapila and Samkhya philosophy, every action is mixed with some imperfection and…

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156 - The Four Values: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:09:46

3M ago1:09:46

1:09:46

The 18th chapter is the longest and is about moksha-sannyasa-yoga. It is also considered as a condensation of the previous 17 chapters. Moksha represents the highest value in human existence and means liberation from the bondage of samsara. Sannyasa means giving up the feeling up doer-ship and the renouncement of ego. According to Hindu tradition, …

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155 - What is Sannyasa? | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:04:46

3M ago1:04:46

1:04:46

The 18th chapter is the longest and is about moksha-sannyasa-yoga. It is also considered as a summary of the previous 17 chapters. Moksha means liberation from the bondage of samsara. In modern times, it can be interpreted as liberation from utilitarian values, ultimately reaching a state where we stop searching for continuous happiness, and where …

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154 - Performing Actions with Sattvic Shraddha | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:14:03

4M ago1:14:03

1:14:03

Title: Performing Actions with Sattvic Shraddha 17th Chapter: verses 26, 27, 28; recapitulation of 17th chapter It is difficult for normal human beings to perform their spiritual practices with perfection. With the utterance of “Om Tat Sat”, when we perform any act - Yajna, dana and tapah – they become purified. When we offer our activity to the al…

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153 - Purifying Spiritual Practices with Om Tat Sat | Swami Tattwamayananda 56:58

4M ago56:58

56:58

Title: Purifying Spiritual Practices with Om Tat Sat 17th Chapter: verses 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 23rd verse: “In the Vedic literature, specifically the Upanishads, it is stated that “Om Tat Sat” constitutes the essence of all vedic literature. It represents the triple designation of Brahman. These three words are behind the origin and creation of the B…

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152 - Meaning of Om Tat Sat | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:00:27

5M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

Title: Meaning of Om Tat Sat 17th Chapter: verses 20, 21, 22, 23 Yajna, Dana, and Tapah – these spiritual principles have the triple dimensions of Sattvika, Rajasika and Tamasika. Yajna refers to any noble, unselfish deed that is done with a sense of sanctity and sacredness and as an offering to God. Our everyday activities can be spiritualized whe…

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151 - The Three Levels of Austerities | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:02:42

5M ago1:02:42

1:02:42

Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion. The three gunas reflect in different areas of h…

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150 - Austerity of Body, Speech and Mind | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:16:32

5M ago1:16:32

1:16:32

Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion. These three temperaments are based on our samsk…

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149 - Spiritual Meaning of Food | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:03:02

6M ago1:03:02

1:03:02

Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion. 7th verse: “The food that we eat is linked to t…

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148 - Samskaras Determine Our Level of Shraddha | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:04:17

6M ago1:04:17

1:04:17

Shraddha cannot be properly translated in English. Shraddha refers to a sense of sanctity and sacredness that helps us preserve higher values. It can also mean faith in scriptures, God, teacher, and a sense of integrity. One of the verses says: “A man is only as much as the shraddha he has.” 2nd verse: “The shraddha of human beings is three-fold – …

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147 - What is Shastram? | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:04:18

6M ago1:04:18

1:04:18

21st verse: “There are three gates to a hellish life – hellish conditions created from our own actions. These three gates are lust, anger and greed (kamah, krodhah, lobhah). These three should be abandoned.” Every wrong action has desire or lust as its source. Once we have a desire, we direct our senses and energy to fulfill that desire. Not all de…

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146 - We Build Our Own Spiritual Destiny | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:05:55

7M ago1:05:55

1:05:55

17th verse: “Extremely conceited, haughty, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform all sacrifices with great ostentation disregarding all ordinances.” This is the literal translation. The meaning of the verse is that such people do things in an improper manner without any consideration for propriety. Kama refers to desire – the m…

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145 - Blind Pursuit of Desires | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:08:40

7M ago1:08:40

1:08:40

The 16th chapter is an analytic study on the basic elements of human personality. Its purpose is to help people understand fundamental values that have enriched human civilization. It reminds us that we should not forget those values in our pursuit of wealth, power and comfort. 11th verse: “There is continuous thought in the mind – no control, no r…

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144 - The Danger of Materialism | Swami Tattwamayananda 54:18

7M ago54:18

54:18

The 16th chapter does not just give a list of dos and don’ts. It makes us understand the subtle differences between the characteristics. For example, one of the Asuri traits that is described is Dambhah, big show of one’s status. In relation to it, it describes Darpah as another Asuri trait. Someone who may be humble and calm, may assure himself of…

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143 - Guiding Ourselves Towards Divine Qualities| Swami Tattwamayananda 1:14:20

7M ago1:14:20

1:14:20

16th Chapter: Verses 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Gita’s conclusion is that the essence of spirituality is about becoming a good human being. This is emphasized in the 9th chapter, in the 12th chapter and in the 16th chapter. The qualities described in these chapters should be imbibed and should express themselves in our everyday interaction with fellow beings…

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142 - Daivi and Asuri Sampat | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:09:53

7M ago1:09:53

1:09:53

The 16th chapter discusses human characteristics by dividing them into two groups. The first group is called Daivi Sampat – those who have divine spiritual characteristics and are naturally inclined to do good. The second group is called Asuri Sampat – those who have a natural instinct for the opposite qualities. For example, there are some who liv…

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141 - Purushottama – The Supreme Divine Truth| Swami Tattwamayananda 56:53

10M ago56:53

56:53

15th Chapter: Verses 8, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 The 15th chapter discusses the idea of immanence, transcendence and omnipresence of the Absolute Reality. The Absolute Reality is beyond verbalization and description – it can only be experienced. 15th verse: “This divine principle is present as the indweller in every living being in this world. It man…

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140 - Expressions of the Divine | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:03:59

11M ago1:03:59

1:03:59

Title: Expressions of the Divine 15th Chapter: Verses 12, 13, 14, 1512th 12th verse: “There is one all-pervading, immanent, omnipresent, and supreme divine reality which is the Atman. This Atman is the divine light that is present in every being. The light that is in the sun, in the moon and in the fire – that light is nothing but the light of the …

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139 - Atman – The Light of all Lights| Swami Tattwamayananda 1:01:02

11M ago1:01:02

1:01:02

Title: Atman – The Light of all Lights 15th Chapter: Verses 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 10th verse: “In this body, there are physical senses. There is a perceiver who uses these senses to perceive sense objects. Those who are deluded equate that perceiver to the body-mind complex. Those who are enlightened see him as separate and as the real perceiver.”…

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138 - Evolution of the Karma Ideal in Gita | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:02:51

11M ago1:02:51

1:02:51

15th Chapter: Verses 8, 9, 10 In the 15th chapter, the whole world is compared to the Ashvattha tree – the tree of life. Its roots are above and the branches are below. Roots represent the origin or the source which is the Atman. From this Atman, the empirical world, which is represented by the branches and leaves, evolves and moves downward. Only …

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137 - The Weapon of Non-Attachment| Swami Tattwamayananda 1:03:47

11M ago1:03:47

1:03:47

Title: The Weapon of Non-Attachment15th Chapter: Verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 In the first verse, the whole world is compared to the Ashvattha tree – the tree of life. Its roots are above and the branches are below. Roots represent the origin or the source which is the Atman. From this Atman, the empirical world, which is represented by the branches …

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136 - The Nature of the Empirical World| Swami Tattwamayananda 1:00:44

12M ago1:00:44

1:00:44

Title: The Nature of the Empirical World 15th Chapter: Verses 1, 2 In previous chapters of Gita, various methods of spiritual practices are discussed, such as the path of bhakti, the path of karma yoga, the path of dhyana yoga, the path of jnanam, and the path of transcending the three gunas. One essential characteristic in all these paths is that …

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135 - Characteristics of a Guṇātita | Swami Tattwamayananda 56:30

12M ago56:30

56:30

Title: Characteristics of a Guṇātita 14th Chapter: Verses 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manif…

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134 - The State Beyond the Three Gunas | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:00:53

1y ago1:00:53

1:00:53

14th Chapter: Verses 20, 21, 22 Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion. 20th verse: “Hi…

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133 - Transcending the Three Gunas | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:00:22

1y ago1:00:22

1:00:22

14th Chapter: Verses 18, 19, 20 Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion. Gunas are not v…

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132 - Effects of the Three Gunas | Swami Tattwamayananda 57:50

1y ago57:50

57:50

Title: Effects of the Three Gunas 14th Chapter: Verses 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15; 6th chapter verses 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dy…

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131 – The Bondage of the Three Gunas | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:04:19

1y ago1:04:19

1:04:19

Title: The Bondage of the Three Gunas 14th Chapter: Verses 6, 7, 8, 9 Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as …

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130 – The Secret of Plurality in Human Nature | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:10:48

1y ago1:10:48

1:10:48

Title: The Secret of Plurality in Human Nature 14th Chapter: Verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 6th chapter 46th verse The 14th chapter is important because it describes the secret of plurality in this world. There are many common factors such as the divine spark that is present in everyone. The plurality comes from the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna a…

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129 – Summary of Thirteen Chapters | Swami Tattwamayananda 53:36

1y ago53:36

53:36

Title: Summary of Thirteen Chapters Summary of earlier chapters of Gita; introduction to 14th chapter 55th through 72nd verses of the 2nd chapter of Gita discuss the characteristics of an enlightened person. The 26th chapter of Dhammapada also discusses similar characteristics. Such a person is not worried when there is a problem, and he is not ove…

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128 - Practicing Detachment | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:04:31

1y ago1:04:31

1:04:31

Title: Practicing Detachment 13th Chapter: Verses 29, 30, 31, 32; Summary of 2nd chapter 29th verse: “A spiritual person realizes that all actions of the mind and body (thoughts, words and deeds) take place at the superficial or material level. Our true nature is Atman, which is unchanging and actionless. This Atman when joined with samskaras makes…

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127 - Spiritual Humanism| Swami Tattwamayananda 57:06

1+ y ago57:06

57:06

13th Chapter: Verses 26, 27, 28, 29 26th verse: “There is one supreme divine reality present in everything and everywhere. Everything in this world is nothing but a combination of this divine spark and external elements. 27th verse: “Who is the wise person? The one who sees that there is one unchanging supreme reality in everything in this world, b…

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126 - Spiritual Sameness| Swami Tattwamayananda 1:08:49

1+ y ago1:08:49

1:08:49

13th Chapter: Verses 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 Verses 19-21 deal with the two fundamental categories of Samkhya philosophy. (1) Purusha, which is self-effulgent, eternal and inactive. (2) Prakriti, which is active, non-effulgent, and impermanent. The entire universe comes from Prakriti and exists in Prakriti. The problems that we face in our l…

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125 - Purusha and Prakriti| Swami Tattwamayananda 1:03:37

1+ y ago1:03:37

1:03:37

Title: Purusha and Prakriti 13th Chapter: Verses 19, 20, 21, 22 These verses deal with the Samkhya school of Indian philosophy. There are two main schools of thoughts in Indian philosophy. (1) Theistic schools which accept Vedic testimony and (2) Atheistic schools, which do care much for Vedic testimony. The six theistic schools were the Mimamsakas…

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124 - Attaining Deathlessness | Swami Tattwamayananda 49:30

1+ y ago49:30

49:30

Kshetra or the phenomenal world is constituted by 24 elements. These are Prakriti, Mahatattvam or cosmic intelligence, Ahamkara or ego-sense, the mind, the five senses of perception, the five senses of action, the five subtle elements and the five gross elements. The sixth verse adds seven other elements to kshetra - desire, hatred, pleasure, pain,…

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123 - The Divine Reality is All-Pervading| Swami Tattwamayananda 1:05:04

1+ y ago1:05:04

1:05:04

By Vedanta Society, San Francisco

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122 - Highest Devotion and Highest Knowledge are the Same | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:02:14

1+ y ago1:02:14

1:02:14

By Vedanta Society, San Francisco

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121 - Spiritual Qualities to Gain Knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetrajna | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:03:17

1+ y ago1:03:17

1:03:17

The 13th chapter is about the discrimination between kshetra and kshetrajna. Human life in its empirical form is kshetra or the field. Kshetrajna is the knower of the field. Within the field there is something that is not subject to modification – that is kshetrajna. It is the Atman, which is immanent, all-pervading and transcendental. In this fiel…

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120 - Discrimination Between the Real and the Unreal | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:08:30

1+ y ago1:08:30

1:08:30

The 13th chapter begins with another question from Arjuna. He asks in the 1st verse: “What is Prakriti or matter? What is the nature of consciousness? What is kshetra or field? Who is kshetrajna, knower of the field? What is known, who is the knower, and what is knowledge?” Lord Krishna starts answering in the 2nd verse. He says that this body is t…

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119 - Distinction Between Body and Spirit | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:01:34

1+ y ago1:01:34

1:01:34

The 12 th chapter on Bhakti Yoga begins with a question from Arjuna. He asks: “Some people worship God with name and form – they chant and pray. Others worship the imperishable, the unmanifest. Which is better?” Arjuna’s question came from a conflict he was facing. From earlier chapters, Arjuna knew that there are two ways of looking upon God. (1) …

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118 - The Ideal Devotee Sees Oneness in Existence | Swami Tattwamayananda 51:50

1+ y ago51:50

51:50

Its meaning is: “O’ Mother Gita, I bow down to you. I invoke your divine presence in my heart. This text has 18 chapters and was preached by Lord Krishna to his disciple Arjuna. It was written by the great sage, Vyasa, and is placed in the middle of a much great work, Mahabharata. Its central theme is the philosophy of Advaita – it preaches that cr…

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117 - Characteristics of a Devotee | Swami Tattwamayananda 56:21

1+ y ago56:21

56:21

12th chapter: verse 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 In the 8th through 11th verses of the 12th chapter, Lord Krishna describes the spiritual journey of a seeker in descending order of evolution. 8th verse: “You fix your mind and intellect on Me. There upon, you will always live in Me.” When we identify with a higher ideal, both mentally and intellectually…

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116 - Sarva-Karma Phala Tyagam – Philosophy of Desireless Actions | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:03:33

2y ago1:03:33

1:03:33

Title: Sarva-Karma-Phala-Tyagam – Philosophy of Desireless Actions 12th chapter: verse 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 In the 8th through 11th verses of the 12th chapter, Lord Krishna gives four options for devotion, in descending order of evolution. 8th verse: “You fix your mind and intellect on Me. There upon, you will always live in Me.” This is the hi…

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115 - Spiritual Journey - The Four Stages | Swami Tattwamayananda 57:30

2y ago57:30

57:30

Title: Spiritual Journey - The Four Stages 12th chapter: verse 8, 9, 10, 11 In the 8th through 11th verses of the 12th chapter, Lord Krishna describes the spiritual journey of a seeker in descending order of evolution. 8th verse: “You fix your mind and intellect on Me. There upon, you will always live in Me.” Mind (manah) is the contemplative aspec…

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114 - The Two Paths of Worship| Swami Tattwamayananda 1:06:47

2y ago1:06:47

1:06:47

Title: The Two Paths of Worship 12th chapter: verse 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 1st verse: Arjuna asks: “Some people worship God with name and form – they chant and pray. Others worship the imperishable, the unmanifest. Which is better?” Arjuna’s question comes from a conflict he is facing. From earlier chapters, Arjuna knew that there are two w…

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113 - Navadha Bhakti Nine Methods of Worship | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:04:37

2y ago1:04:37

1:04:37

Title: Navadha Bhakti – Nine Methods of Worship 12th chapter: verse 1, 2, 3, 4 1st verse: Arjuna asks: “Some people worship God with name and form – they chant and pray. Others worship the imperishable, the unmanifest. Which is better?” Arjuna’s question comes from a conflict he is facing. From earlier chapters, Arjuna knew that there are two ways …

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112 - Evolving Our Idea of God from Sakara to Nirakara | Swami Tattwamayananda 1:02:04

2y ago1:02:04

1:02:04

12th chapter: verse 1 1st verse: Arjuna asks: “Some people worship God with name and form – they chant and pray. Others worship the imperishable, the unmanifest. Which is better?” In his introduction to 12th chapter, Shankaracharya says - from earlier chapters, Arjuna knew that there are two ways of looking upon God. (1) God as Sakara - the creator…

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111 | Bhakti Yoga | Swami Tattwamayananda 56:40

2y ago56:40

56:40

12th chapter: verse 1 is about Bhakti Yoga – the path of devotion. Gita classifies spiritual practices in three categories depending on the temperament of the person. Those who are intellectual in nature and have complete sense control can pursue Jnana Yoga. Those involved in action can pursue Karma Yoga by performing all actions with detachment an…

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110 | Spiritualizing the Secular | Swami Tattwamayananda 45:49

2y ago45:49

45:49

11th chapter: verses 29, 48, 54, 55 29th verse: “As moths rush towards a blazing fire only to perish, so also all of us are rushing towards Your mouth only to perish.” 32nd verse: “I am the mighty, all-consuming time. “ To those who look upon the world as a place for sensual pleasures, the world is like a blazing fire, and they are like moths rushi…

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