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.
May 01, 2018•45 min
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.
Apr 22, 2018•44 min
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 illumi...
Mar 30, 2018•50 min
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?
Mar 27, 2018•35 min
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. A...
Mar 07, 2018•44 min
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.
Feb 23, 2018•52 min
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.
Feb 05, 2018•50 min
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.
Jan 18, 2018•47 min
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.
Dec 29, 2017•53 min
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!
Nov 27, 2017•36 min
Spiritual Talk given by Swami Mahayogananda at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple on September 10, 2017. Can you remember your past life? Is there a past life to remember? Swami discusses fascinating scientific research on the subject and how it relates to the Hindu philosophy of reincarnation.
Nov 20, 2017•52 min
Spiritual Talk given at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple on September 3, 2017 by Swami Vedarupananda, called "The Law of Justice." Nearly every religious philosophy has a concept of reward or punishment for personal human behavior during one's lifetime. Swami Vedarupananda discusses the Law of Karma that prevails in Indian philosophy.
Nov 12, 2017•47 min
Spiritual Talk given by visiting Swami Dhyanayogananda at the Santa Barbara Temple on August 27, 2017 on "Mindful Worship." Swami reminds us that the goal of all yoga is to realize freedom of the soul, and that we actually have never been in bondage. Calling upon Pantanjali's Sutras and other texts, he shows how we must worship with our full awareness and attention, both mental and external, to claim our freedom. A mindul spiritual talk!
Oct 29, 2017•58 min
Spiritual Talk given on August 20, 2017 by Swami Sarvadevananda at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple. "Ramanuja and his Philosophy" is the title of this very educational talk, which introduces us to the important Vedanta philosopher, Ramanuja, whose birth was one thousand years ago in 1017. Ramanuja opened a new path for spiritual seekers in the Vedanta tradition. Swami gives an excellent explanation of how it enhanced Vedanta thought.
Oct 25, 2017•50 min
Spiritual Talk given by Pravrajika Krishnaprana at the Santa Barbara Temple on August 13, 2017 on the subject of Japa. The talk is beneficial for beginners as well as experienced practitioners of mantra repetition. It includes a question and answer period that covers many questions common to all. A lesson in which almost everyone can learn something new about japa!
Oct 23, 2017•34 min
Spiritual talk given by Swami Vedarupananda at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple on August 6, 2017 entitled "The God of Vedanta." We learn that the central point which permeates all Vedantic concepts of God is that there is one God who is known by many names. This talk concentrates on the personal God. Enjoy!
Oct 09, 2017•40 min
Spiritual talk given by visiting Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple on July 30, 2017 on "The Way of Love." Swami gives an in-depth talk on the Path of Bhakti Yoga, often referred to as the Way of Love. Anyone who has ever heard a lecture by Swami Sarvapriyananda knows that it is always a special treat - don't miss this one!
Sep 26, 2017•58 min
Spiritual Talk delivered by Swami Sarvadevananda on Sunday, July 23, 2017 at the Santa Barbara Temple. Swami discusses the Srimad Bhagavatam, considered by many to be the topmost of Hinduism's spiritual teachings. Swami focuses on that portion of the Bhagavatam concerning Bhakti Yoga, especially the stages of Bhakti worship that one goes through to reach the goal of God realization. Extremely educational but never dry!
Sep 18, 2017•52 min
Spiritual Talk entitled "Light," given by Swami Atmatattwananda at the Santa Barbara Temple on July 16, 2017. The idea and metaphor of light pervades nearly all spiritual traditions, and Swami Atmatattwananda illuminates us through music, facts of physics, stories, writings of spiritual teachers, and of course through his own special Light. A highly entertaining and inspirational talk!
Sep 10, 2017•49 min
Spiritual Talk given on July 2, 2017 by Swami Vedarupananda at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple. In his talk, "What is Enlightenment," Sw. Vedarupananda explains that the goal of the Vedantic spiritual aspirant is to seek enlightenment, which is best defined as knowledge of the Self or Self Realization. Using helpful metaphorical stories throughout his talk, Swami teaches us how to achieve our goal with both intuitional knowledge and direct experience.
Aug 21, 2017•49 min
Spiritual Talk given by Pr. Vrajaprana on July 9, 2017 at the Santa Barbara Temple on "Freedom, Song of the Soul." Presented close to the Fourth of July, the theme of freedom is timely for Americans, and given from a Vedantic point of view. As the title implies, real freedom in Vedanta is the freedom of the soul. A wonderful explanation of this kind of freedom is explored in the talk. Enjoy!
Aug 15, 2017•42 min
Spiritual talk given at the Santa Barbara Temple by Pravrajika Krishnaprana June 25, 2017 on the topic of "Peace." Pr. Krishnaprana concentrates on how to attain the lasting peace sought by spiritual seekers. She devotes much of the talk to the practice of japa, or repetition of the Lord's name, and answers questions from the attendees. A very educational and inspirational talk!
Aug 03, 2017•43 min
Spiritual Talk given on June 28, 2017 at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple by Swami Sarvadevananda titled "How Long Should We Do Spiritual Practice." It's a question many, if not most of us, ask as we follow our spiritual path. To find a good answer, just listen to this talk.
Jul 26, 2017•49 min
Spiritual Talk on The Theory of Reincarnation given June 11, 2017 by Swami Vedarupananda at the Santa Barbara Temple. Swami discusses the concept of reincarnation that is an integral part of Vedanta, as many other religions... some would say even Christianity. How the idea of rebirth affects our approach to life and death is shown to have many facets. Very thought provoking talk!
Jul 17, 2017•42 min
Spiritual talk given on June 4, 2017 at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple by Swami Harinamananda, visiting from the San Diego Center. The effects of the three gunas(Satva, Rajas and Tamas), the different states of mind which operate in all of us, are explored in this talk. We learn to be aware of which quality is acting at different times, how it influences our actions, and how our actions can change the operative guna when we choose to do so. Excellent talk!
Jul 05, 2017•54 min
Spiritual Talk given at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple on May 28, 2017, entitled "Buddha." A brief summation of the guiding principles of the Buddha, along with a discussion of the several paths that may be followed in living these principles through his teachings. Excellent and highly informative talk.
Jun 23, 2017•52 min
Spiritual Talk delivered by Swami Vedarupananda on May 14, 2017 at the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple. Swami discusses how human beings are constantly producing vibrations as thought waves through the medium of mind. He illustrates how these can influence our own physical appearance, as well as relationships with each other and the world. Fascinating topic!
Jun 13, 2017•39 min
Spiritual Talk given by Pravrajika Krishnaprana at the Santa Barbara Temple on April 30, 2017. Pr. Krishnaprana helps us understand what happiness is and what it isn't from a spiritual perspective. A very thought provoking talk that includes some audience participation.
Jun 05, 2017•39 min
Spiritual talk delivered on May 21, 2017 by Pravrajika Vrajaprana at the Santa Barbara Temple entitled "Learning From the Buddha." A comprehensive overview of Buddhism that includes history of the birth and early life of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha, explanation of the Four Noble Truths and the five rules of conduct to be practiced, and much, much more. A wonderful summary of the teachings of Buddhism.
Jun 05, 2017•43 min
Spiritual Talk given by Swami Mahayogananda at the Santa Barbara Temple on May 7, 2017. Swami illustrates that we are not separate bodies, nor separate minds, but all are the Atman, one spiritual consciousness. Using ideas from Physics, the writings of Swami Vivekananda and thought-provoking stories, Swami Mahayogananda leads us to look at ourselves in a whole new way. Not to be missed!
May 25, 2017•47 min
