Light of the Spirit Podcast

Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke)
Light of the Spirit Podcast

A Practical Resource for the Spiritual Student. Discover the timeless wisdom of India and the yoga path to freedom. This podcast channel offers you a wealth of practical and thought-provoking knowledge about the Oriental origins of Christianity, the simple and classic tradition of Yoga and the Yoga Life, the practical messages of the Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures, and much more. Journey beyond the forest of cliches, contradictions, and confusion about Yoga, Hinduism, Christianity and metaphysical thought, through the unconventional wisdom of Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke), director of Light of the Spirit Monastery.

  1. OCT 7

    Learn Real Spirituality – October 2024 Satsang with Swami Nirmalananda

    Join Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) in this October 2024 Satsang to elevate your spirit by growing your knowledge of meditation, yoga, and spiritual awakening. Listen to his new Talks on the Bhagavad Gita here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzUa3GQViSbVFbfQW_yugfTi5u9x8W7bb In his many pilgrimages to India, he had the opportunity of meeting some of India’s greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma. During his first trip to India he was given sannyas by Swami Vidyananda Giri, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, who had himself been given sannyas by the Shankaracharya of Puri, Jagadguru Bharat Krishna Tirtha. In the United States he also encountered various Christian saints, including Saint John Maximovich of San Francisco and Saint Philaret Voznesensky of New York. Use these timestamps below to navigate to topics which he discusses in this month's satsang: 00:00 Introduction 00:28 Notice: Talks on the Bhagavad Gita 01:21 Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Religion 02:34 Hinduism The Universal Religion 05:27 Yogananda and the Candles story 17:38 A special thanks to our friends 25:00 Ahimsa & Satya: handling conflict resolution 33:00 The difference between Spirit and Soul 35:51 Stories of Mahatama Gandhi 39:02 Karma Yoga in our daily lives 40:57 Long hair vs. shaving the head for the yogi 45:32 Why do monks wear a monastic habit? 56:28 “Emptiness” in the Heart Sutra 58:23 Asking personal advice 1:03:10 Question about pranayama 1:04:30 Question about Gajanana Maharaj 1:06:38 Stories of Swami Nirmalananda’s healing grandmother 1:23:07 What is the difference between Jiva and Atman? 1:25:00 What is the Witness Consciousness? 1:28:13 Does the personality survive death? #spiritualawakening #satsang #spiritualgrowth OCOY.org RESOURCES Get FREE pdf spiritual ebooks at our E-Library: https://ocoy.org/site/e-library/ Listen to Podcast on practical spiritual topics: https://ocoy.org/podcasts/ Website: https://ocoy.org A Practical Resource for the Spiritual Student–Discover the timeless wisdom of India and the yoga path to freedom FREE Meditation Guide and weekly blog updates, podcasts and more: https://ocoy.org/signup FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL https://www.facebook.com/light.of.spirit/ https://twitter.com/Light_of_Spirit https://instagram.com/lightofthespirit/

    1h 32m
  2. SEP 9

    Grow Spiritually – September 2024 Satsang with Swami Nirmalananda

    Join Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) in this September 2024 Satsang to elevate your spirit by growing your knowledge of meditation, yoga, and spiritual awakening. Listen to his new Talks on the Bhagavad Gita here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzUa3GQViSbVFbfQW_yugfTi5u9x8W7bb In his many pilgrimages to India, he had the opportunity of meeting some of India’s greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma. During his first trip to India he was given sannyas by Swami Vidyananda Giri, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, who had himself been given sannyas by the Shankaracharya of Puri, Jagadguru Bharat Krishna Tirtha. In the United States he also encountered various Christian saints, including Saint John Maximovich of San Francisco and Saint Philaret Voznesensky of New York. Use these timestamps below to navigate to topics which he discusses in this month's satsang: 00:00 Introduction 00:20 Recommendations 03:31 Gita Talks 05:09 What are the gunas? 13:36 Soul contracts? 14:33 Humor in spiritual life (tag link to referred Gita talk in youtube) 25:54 Is it OK to teach others Soham Yoga? 28:12 Comment on Jesus’ words in the Gospels 36:18 Is it OK to skip japa? 37:52 Who is the Supreme Being, Krishna or Siva? (short 38:15-38:41) 39:32 Stories of Warren Vickerman, Yogananda’s early disciple 43:20 Why would a practicing yogi reincarnate? 50:20 Sri Ramakrishna’s story 51:53 Tapah lokas–world’s for spiritual discipline 56:47 Saying of St. John Vianney #satsang #spiritualawakening #spiritualgrowth OCOY.org RESOURCES Get FREE pdf spiritual ebooks at our E-Library: https://ocoy.org/site/e-library/ Listen to Podcast on practical spiritual topics: https://ocoy.org/podcasts/ Website: https://ocoy.org A Practical Resource for the Spiritual Student–Discover the timeless wisdom of India and the yoga path to freedom FREE Meditation Guide and weekly blog updates, podcasts and more: https://ocoy.org/signup FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL https://www.facebook.com/light.of.spirit/ https://twitter.com/Light_of_Spirit https://instagram.com/lightofthespirit/

    58 min
  3. AUG 5

    Grow Your Spiritual Life – August 2024 Satsang with Swami Nirmalananda

    Join Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) in this uplifting August 2024 Satsang. Elevate your spirit by growing your knowledge of meditation, yoga, and spiritual awakening. Also, watch his new Talks on the Bhagavad Gita here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzUa3GQViSbVFbfQW_yugfTi5u9x8W7bb In his many pilgrimages to India, he had the opportunity of meeting some of India’s greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma. During his first trip to India he was given sannyas by Swami Vidyananda Giri, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, who had himself been given sannyas by the Shankaracharya of Puri, Jagadguru Bharat Krishna Tirtha. In the United States he also encountered various Christian saints, including Saint John Maximovich of San Francisco and Saint Philaret Voznesensky of New York. Use these timestamps below to navigate to topics which he discusses in this month's satsang: 00:00 Introduction 00:27 The book “Hindu America” 03:38 Talks on the Bhagavad Gita 04:05 Sacred Places (Pithas) 14:38 Reincarnation in the Gita and Buddhist teachings 17:17 Maya vs. Mara 29:47 Life as a training film 31:30 Imagining God? 33:30 Soham as Nirguna Brahman 36:20 How to pray 42:44 About mantras 44:29 Continuing spiritual practice in the next birth 50:37 What is a Sad Guru? 1:07:57 Being free from karma 1:09:09 Defining the Second Coming #satsang #spiritualawakening #spiritualgrowth OCOY.org RESOURCES Get FREE pdf spiritual ebooks at our E-Library: https://ocoy.org/site/e-library/ Listen to Podcast on practical spiritual topics: https://ocoy.org/podcasts/ Website: https://ocoy.org A Practical Resource for the Spiritual Student–Discover the timeless wisdom of India and the yoga path to freedom FREE Meditation Guide and weekly blog updates, podcasts and more: https://ocoy.org/signup FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL https://www.facebook.com/light.of.spirit/ https://twitter.com/Light_of_Spirit https://instagram.com/lightofthespirit/

    1h 13m
  4. JUL 7

    Grow Your Spiritual Knowledge –July 2024 Satsang with Swami Nirmalananda Giri

    Join Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) in this uplifting July 2024 Satsang to elevate your spirit by growing your knowledge of meditation, yoga, and spiritual awakening. Listen to his new Talks on the Bhagavad Gita here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzUa3GQViSbVFbfQW_yugfTi5u9x8W7bb In his many pilgrimages to India, he had the opportunity of meeting some of India’s greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma. During his first trip to India he was given sannyas by Swami Vidyananda Giri, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, who had himself been given sannyas by the Shankaracharya of Puri, Jagadguru Bharat Krishna Tirtha. In the United States he also encountered various Christian saints, including Saint John Maximovich of San Francisco and Saint Philaret Voznesensky of New York. Use these timestamps below to navigate to topics which he discusses in this month's satsang: 00:00 Introduction 00:36 The use of incense in meditation 02:23 New talks on the Bhagavad Gita 03:24 The Importance of a sense of humor 08:29 Appreciation for the questions 09:25 Can you explain the law of rebirth? 16:05 Will the "world" ever get better? 20:04 How to maintain self awareness during conversation 22:41 Like minded communities around? 23:19 Can you progress spiritually with parents who are not spiritual? 26:20 The best amount of time for meditation 31:49 What is Buddhi? And What is Buddhi Yoga? 38:36 The story of Matsyendranath, Gorakhnath, and the Nath Yogis 48:58 Is Brahman, the formless, active or passive? 50:42 A question about Brahmacharya 54:01 What are the different levels of our being? 55:10 What is the difference between intellect and emotions? 56:52 What separate man from God? 59:50 Some observations about Astrology 1:06:04 Observations about Soham Yoga practice #satsang #spiritualrealization #spiritualawakening OCOY.org RESOURCES Get FREE pdf spiritual ebooks at our E-Library: https://ocoy.org/site/e-library/ Listen to Podcast on practical spiritual topics: https://ocoy.org/podcasts/ Website: https://ocoy.org A Practical Resource for the Spiritual Student–Discover the timeless wisdom of India and the yoga path to freedom FREE Meditation Guide and weekly blog updates, podcasts and more: https://ocoy.org/signup FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL https://www.facebook.com/light.of.spirit/ https://twitter.com/Light_of_Spirit https://instagram.com/lightofthespirit/

    1h 8m
  5. JUN 14

    June 2024Satsang with Swami Nirmalananda Giri – Elevate Your Spirit

    Join Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) in this uplifting June 2024 Satsang to elevate your spirit by growing your knowledge of meditation, yoga, and spiritual awakening. In his many pilgrimages to India, he had the opportunity of meeting some of India’s greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma. During his first trip to India he was given sannyas by Swami Vidyananda Giri, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, who had himself been given sannyas by the Shankaracharya of Puri, Jagadguru Bharat Krishna Tirtha. In the United States he also encountered various Christian saints, including Saint John Maximovich of San Francisco and Saint Philaret Voznesensky of New York. #satsang #spiritualrealization #spiritualawakening Use these timestamps below to navigate to topics which he discusses in this month's satsang: 00:00 Introduction 00:16 Christ of India recommendation 07:01 Raising the Kundalini 12:01 About the Gnostic Texts 12:42 How to break free of mental and spiritual bondage to those in my life? 15:35 Insights on the death experience and aftermath 17:20 Thoughts about St. Germaine 18:10 About a scandalous yogi in the Nath tradition 20:39 Soham Meditation or Om Meditation? 21:48 About "God helps those that help themselves." 25:55 About certain "tamasic" foods 28:37 Kashmir Saivism and Advaita Vedanta 29:20 "if the world hates you..." 43:23 Carl Jung and mental conditioning (samskaras) 48:34 What is the difference between the subtle and causal worlds? 51:34 About the "Maha Mantra" 58:21 Practices regarding Sri Saraswati 1:02:15 Thoughts on Astrology and Divination OCOY.org RESOURCES Get FREE pdf spiritual ebooks at our E-Library: https://ocoy.org/site/e-library/ Listen to Podcast on practical spiritual topics: https://ocoy.org/podcasts/ Website: https://ocoy.org A Practical Resource for the Spiritual Student–Discover the timeless wisdom of India and the yoga path to freedom FREE Meditation Guide and weekly blog updates, podcasts and more: https://ocoy.org/signup FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL https://www.facebook.com/light.of.spirit/ https://twitter.com/Light_of_Spirit https://instagram.com/lightofthespirit/

    1h 11m
  6. MAY 7

    May 2024 Satsang with Swami Nirmalananda – Grow Your Spiritual Knowledge

    In this recording of the May 2024 online satsang with Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke), Swamiji answers questions submitted by the attendees (see the timestamps below for the topics discussed). To get word of future online satsangs and get a FREE Meditation Guide and weekly blog updates, podcasts and more, sign up at: https://ocoy.org/signup 00:00 Introduction 00:20 About Orthodox Pascha (Easter) 04:15 Soham Meditation and the breath 07:33 The Origins of the Hebrews from India 12:47 About Brahmacharya 13:35 Meditating on Divine Forms 15:15 Dealing with pain due to emotional trauma 18:28 Forgiving one’s self 18:56 How do I practice the yoga of Jesus Christ? 19:17 How do I forgive people who have hurt me? 22:30 Are you part of ISKCON? 23:22 About Vairagya 25:35 Becoming aware of Pure Consciousness experientially 28:53 Lower consciousness when higher consciousness attained 35:02 Spiritual practice and monastic life 40:24 Swami Vidyananda Giri, sannyas guru of Swami Nirmalananda 50:17 Jesus: Son of God, Son of Man 52:23 What does “dwija” (twice born) mean? 55:37 Bishop Leadbeater and his “Science of the Sacraments.” 56:31 Using our books for studies 56:56 Spiritual links of photos of relatives 1:00:46 Can we speak with God? #spiritualawakening #satsang #spiritualgrowth OCOY.org RESOURCES Get FREE pdf spiritual ebooks at our E-Library: https://ocoy.org/site/e-library/ Listen to Podcast on practical spiritual topics: https://ocoy.org/podcasts/ Website: https://ocoy.org A Practical Resource for the Spiritual Student–Discover the timeless wisdom of India and the yoga path to freedom FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL https://www.facebook.com/light.of.spirit/ https://twitter.com/Light_of_Spirit https://instagram.com/lightofthespirit/

    1h 20m

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

A Practical Resource for the Spiritual Student. Discover the timeless wisdom of India and the yoga path to freedom. This podcast channel offers you a wealth of practical and thought-provoking knowledge about the Oriental origins of Christianity, the simple and classic tradition of Yoga and the Yoga Life, the practical messages of the Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures, and much more. Journey beyond the forest of cliches, contradictions, and confusion about Yoga, Hinduism, Christianity and metaphysical thought, through the unconventional wisdom of Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke), director of Light of the Spirit Monastery.

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada