Gospel | Chapter 4: Oct 16, 1882 (Part 4) | Swami Sarvapriyananda

Dec 8, 2025

Swami Sarvapriyananda delves into the significance of meditation and the metaphoric dive into the divine. He identifies six inner obstacles that hinder spiritual progress and offers remedies through discernment and renunciation. The discussion highlights the importance of genuine humility and unconditional giving while navigating spiritual life. Interesting anecdotes illustrate true devotion, and the contrast between worldly-mindedness and dedication to God sets a poignant backdrop. The conversation wraps up with insights on the essence of focus and unwavering commitment to spiritual liberation.

01:07:52

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ADVICE

Practice Viveka And Vairagya

Do cultivate discrimination (viveka) by recognising God as the only reality and the world as appearance.
Do develop renunciation (vairagya) so fleeting desires and attachments lose their power over you.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

The Fool Blowing A Conch In A Ruined Temple

Padmalochan blows a conch in a ruined temple with no image or worship, and villagers ridicule him.
Swami Sarvapriyananda uses this to illustrate empty external ritual without inner purification.

insights

INSIGHT

Absorption Is The Heart Of Meditation

True meditation requires absorption, not mechanical technique or shallow repetition.
Swami Sarvapriyananda says deep inward focus reveals the witness-self or a vivid presence of the deity.

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Setting: October 16, 1882 Conversation

00:29 • 42sec

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Dive Deep: Meditation and Absorption

01:11 • 58sec

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The Six Alligators: Inner Obstacles

02:09 • 37sec

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Turmeric of Discrimination and Renunciation

02:46 • 40sec

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Discrimination: God Alone Is Real

03:26 • 32sec

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The Temple Parable: Clean the Heart

03:57 • 2min

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Practice Before Teaching

05:51 • 33sec

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M's Worry: Dispassion vs. Domestic Duties

06:23 • 28sec

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Harsh Counsel and Softer Guidance

06:52 • 2min

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Householders and Devotion

08:51 • 39sec

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Meditation: Absorption Over Technique

09:30 • 1min

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Quiet Mind: See the Witness Self

10:52 • 2min

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How the Alligators Disrupt Practice

12:51 • 1min

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Explaining Each Enemy

13:56 • 2min

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Anger, Desire, and Spiritual Maturity

16:18 • 2min

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Pride and Humility in Spiritual Life

18:18 • 4min

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Generosity Without Looking Back

21:51 • 2min

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Examples of True Humility

23:34 • 3min

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Envy, Misapprehension, and True Nature

26:41 • 3min

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Viveka and Vairagya as Defense

29:31 • 3min

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Reality: Brahman Alone Is Real

32:23 • 5min

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Vairagya: Dispassion in Practice

37:52 • 52sec

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Sadhanachatushtaya: Qualifications for Inquiry

38:44 • 4min

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Samadhana, Shraddha, and Mumukshutva

42:20 • 2min

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Padma Lochan Revisited: Inner Temple Imagery

43:59 • 3min

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Turn Inwards: Poetic Appeal to the Heart

47:23 • 3min

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Purify the Mind Before Installing God

49:58 • 27sec

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Practical Advice for M: Strengthen Your Practice

50:24 • 3min

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Prayer for Others and Gradual Change

53:11 • 3min

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Worldly-Mindedness vs. Devotion

55:51 • 45sec

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Righteous Anger and Nonviolence

56:36 • 2min

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Why Give Without Looking Back

58:51 • 2min

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Beyond Causality: Yogas and Unconditional Practice

01:01:08 • 38sec

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Contextual Advice: Duties vs. Escapism

01:01:46 • 1min

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Parallel Practices: Buddhist and Yoga Ethics

01:03:03 • 2min

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Active Withdrawal and Inner Focus

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Swami Sarvapriyananda reads and discusses the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is an English translation of the Bengali spiritual text Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita by Swami Nikhilananda. The text records conversations of Ramakrishna with his disciples, devotees and visitors, recorded by Mahendranath Gupta, who wrote the book under the pseudonym of "M."

This session was recorded on Dec 21, 2021.

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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.

ABOUT US

Vedanta Society of New York is affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order of India. In fact, this is the Order's first Center started by Swami Vivekananda, in 1894. It was a historic event, for the seed of the world-wide Ramakrishna Movement was sown here in New York over a century ago. Swami Sarvapriyananda is the present Resident Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York.

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