Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna | Swami Sarvadevananda [09/23/2022]

This lecture covers Saturday, December 22, 1883 Discusses the devotee's love for God as a mutual attraction, using the analogy of magnet and needle, and contrasts the paths of bhakti and jnana. The lecture explores the intimate relationship between God and the devotee, where divine love creates a mutual, irresistible attraction. Sri Ramakrishna contrasts the dry, renunciative path of the jnani with the joyful, love-filled path of the bhakta, illustrating with stories of Krishna, the gopis, and Bilvamangal. He emphasizes that loving an incarnation of God is the culmination of spiritual practice. Topics 01:08 God sports in the world and is under the devotee's control 02:01 The gopis' previous births and longing for form 03:20 Contrast between Vedantic and devotional understanding 11:11 Story of Bilvamangal and God serving the devotee 25:52 Yashoda's preference for Krishna's human form 39:44 Loving an incarnation is the end of spiritual practice 42:51 The gopis' ecstatic love and search for Krishna 54:54 Need for a pure mind and blending jnana with bhakti Please Support the Vedanta Center of Greater Washington, D.C. https://www.vedantadc.org/Donate Please Visit Us • Website: https://www.vedantadc.org • YouTube:    / @vedantadc   • Lectures: https://www.vedantadc.org/lectures • Facebook:   / vedantacenterdc   Playlists •    • Lectures by Swami Atmajnanananda   •    • Lectures by Swami Bhaswatananda   •    • Lectures by Swami Brahmarupananda   •    • Lectures by Swami Chidbrahmananda   •    • Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Atmajna...   •    • Bhagavad Gita by Swami Brahmarupananda   About Vedanta Vedanta is among the world’s oldest spiritual philosophies and one of its most inclusive. Rooted in the Vedas, India’s sacred scriptures, Vedanta teaches the unity of existence, the divinity of the soul, and harmony among religions. About Vedanta Center of Greater Washington, D.C. Dedicated to “one’s own liberation and the welfare of the world,” the Vedanta Center of Greater Washington, D.C. is a branch of the Ramakrishna Order of India. The Center was established in 1997 under the spiritual guidance of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, with headquarters at Belur Math, India. About This Channel This is the official YouTube channel of the Vedanta Center of Greater Washington, D.C. Here you will find lectures, readings, classes, retreats, and spiritual discourses on Vedanta, the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, and related spiritual texts and traditions.