Live Vedanta Chinmaya Mission Niagara

We all feel we can create joy but that only leads to disappointment. When we have guidance in our lives we realize that joy cannot be created. How can one go from acting (karma), to depending (bhakti), to having insight (jnana), to prioritizing (viveka) to independence (vairagya)? How does one step lead to the next on this journey to joy?

Our mind is like a river -- sometimes it’s dashing and splashing with a never-ending flow of uncontrollable tides, and other times it’s calm and serene, slowly passing by like a lazy river. How do we tame this mind, so that we can use it for our own Higher purpose, rather than be controlled by its instinctive, impulsive, lightning-fast strikes? How can we best use the teachings (mantra) of the Scriptures, so that we have a chance of practicing them in daily life? And before that, how do we even remember (japa) these teachings as we attempt to captain our humble boat among the rapids of our minds?

In life we have many ups and downs. Why do we feel moments of happiness and other times moments of sadness or anger? What can we do to always have this feeling of completeness no matter the situation? In this episode Vivekji talks about how our sense of individuality (jiva) leads to attachment or incompleteness and how this cycle continues because of our relationship with the multiverse (jagat) and creator (Ishwara).

Everything and everyone around us are made up of matter (prakriti) but do we depend on these things or people to make us feel complete (purusha)? When we know all is changing and existence is the only constant, then why do we ever feel anything but joy?

We often find ourselves feeling weighed down by changing circumstances and unending responsibilities -- but are our ropes really external, or internal? When we look inwards at our own temperament (guna), do we find ourselves tired and complaining in laziness (tamas), anxious about results in selfishness (rajas), or living with vision and inner harmony (sattva)? Only when we analyze our self-made bonds can we untie them, to feel true Freedom.

Like Neo in The Matrix, has something always felt wrong about the world? Why is everyone looking for a permanent happiness in impermanent places, and then after it doesn’t last, wondering what they’re still missing? Why do we project (vikshepa) happiness onto every new food, vacation, and position, rather than remember where happiness always was? Why do we give into the illusion (maya) that an Infinite Reality could have become a finite, incomplete individual?