Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
In this lecture, Rabbi Benjamin Spratt reflects on the human search for the Divine through the lens of Jewish theology, exploring how uncertainty, questioning, and evolving ideas of God are central to authentic spiritual life. Drawing on Jewish thought and interfaith dialogue, he suggests that faith is not about rigid certainty but about a continuing journey of inquiry, humility, and deeper connection with the sacred.
Rabbi Benjamin Spratt grew up in Salt Lake City and was ordained by The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in May 2008, with a concentration in Jewish Philosophy. In his years at JTS, he received many awards and prizes in Talmud, philosophy, homiletics, and Bible.
Rabbi Spratt spent his early years exploring his Jewish identity. His Jewish journey took him through the Conservative, Renewal, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist worlds of Judaism before finding a home within the Reform movement. Rabbi Spratt now serves as senior rabbi of Congregation Rodeph Sholom. rodephsholom.org
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🪔 *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 upholds the unity of all existence, the divinity of the soul, and harmony among religions.
🏛️ *About This Channel*
This is the official channel of the Vedanta Society of New York, a spiritual institution affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order of India and holds the distinction of being its first established Center, founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1894. Swami Sarvapriyananda currently serves as the Resident Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York.
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In this lecture, Rabbi Benjamin Spratt reflects on the human search for the Divine through the lens of Jewish theology, exploring how uncertainty, questioning, and evolving ideas of God are central to authentic spiritual life. Drawing on Jewish thought and interfaith dialogue, he suggests that faith is not about rigid certainty but about a continuing journey of inquiry, humility, and deeper connection with the sacred.
Rabbi Benjamin Spratt grew up in Salt Lake City and was ordained by The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in May 2008, with a concentration in Jewish Philosophy. In his years at JTS, he received many awards and prizes in Talmud, philosophy, homiletics, and Bible.
Rabbi Spratt spent his early years exploring his Jewish identity. His Jewish journey took him through the Conservative, Renewal, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist worlds of Judaism before finding a home within the Reform movement. Rabbi Spratt now serves as senior rabbi of Congregation Rodeph Sholom. rodephsholom.org
🙏 *Please Support the Vedanta Society of New York*
vedantany.org/donate
🌐 *Please Visit Us*
* Website: vedantany.org
* Apple & Spotify Podcasts: vedantany.org/media-channels
* YouTube (Main Channel): youtube.com/@VedantaNY
* YouTube (Archives): youtube.com/@VedantaNYArchives
* Facebook: facebook.com/VedantaNY
* X / Twitter: twitter.com/VedantaNY
📙 *Books by Swami Sarvapriyananda*
* vedantany.org/swamis-books
*Lecture Series by Swami Sarvapriyananda*
📓 Introductory Lectures: vedantany.org/introductory-lectures
📚 Vedanta Scriptures: vedantany.org/by-scriptures
🧩 Lectures by Topics: vedantany.org/by-topic
💬 AskSwami Q&A: vedantany.org/ask-swami-qa
📖 *Scriptures Taught by Swami Sarvapriyananda*
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🪔 *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 upholds the unity of all existence, the divinity of the soul, and harmony among religions.
🏛️ *About This Channel*
This is the official channel of the Vedanta Society of New York, a spiritual institution affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order of India and holds the distinction of being its first established Center, founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1894. Swami Sarvapriyananda currently serves as the Resident Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York.
📜 *Content Use Policy*
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![166. Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verses 11-15 | Swami Sarvapriyananda
Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches verses 11-15 from the fourteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. This series of talks unfolds the highest truths of Vedanta through the study of The Song of God.
Chapter 14 is devoted to an understanding of the Gunatreya Vibhaga Yoga, or the three qualities/components of Maya. The entire universe is created by a projection of the three gunas - satva, rajas, and tamas. Understanding the science of the three gunas and how we can apply it to our lives is the focus of Chapter 14.
In this episode, Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches chapter 14, verses 11-15, of the Bhagavad Gita. These verses describe what happens when one guna predominates over another. Swami Sarvapriyananda explains how we can observe this in ourselves but notes that the gunas are part of the material world and, as such, are constantly changing within us, whereas Consciousness, which is what we really are, is pure and constant.
Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 11
सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते |
ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत || 11||
sarva-dvāreṣhu dehe ’smin prakāśha upajāyate
jñānaṁ yadā tadā vidyād vivṛiddhaṁ sattvam ity uta
⧫ When, through all the sense openings in this body, the light of knowledge radiates, then indeed one should know that satva predominates.
Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 12
लोभ: प्रवृत्तिरारम्भ: कर्मणामशम: स्पृहा |
रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ || 12||
lobhaḥ pravṛittir ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśhamaḥ spṛihā
rajasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe bharatarṣhabha
⧫ Greed, activity, undertaking of works, restlessness, desire - these prevail, oh best of the Bharatas, when rajas predominates.
Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 13
अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च |
तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन || 13||
aprakāśho ’pravṛittiśh cha pramādo moha eva cha
tamasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe kuru-nandana
⧫ Darkness, inactivity, inadvertence, as also delusion, these prevail, oh descendant of Kurus, when tamas predominates.
Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 14
यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् |
तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते || 14||
yadā sattve pravṛiddhe tu pralayaṁ yāti deha-bhṛit
tadottama-vidāṁ lokān amalān pratipadyate
⧫ If the embodied self meets with death when satva is predominant, then it attains the pure spheres of the worshippers of the highest dietes.
Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 14, Verse 15
रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते |
तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते || 15||
rajasi pralayaṁ gatvā karma-saṅgiṣhu jāyate
tathā pralīnas tamasi mūḍha-yoniṣhu jāyate
⧫ If it [sentient beings] meets with death when rajas is predominant, then it is born among those who are attached to work; likewise, when it meets with death when tamas is predominant, then it is born in the wombs of irrational species.
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📙 *Books by Swami Sarvapriyananda*
* https://www.vedantany.org/swamis-books
*Lecture Series by Swami Sarvapriyananda*
📓 Introductory Lectures: https://www.vedantany.org/introductory-lectures
📚 Vedanta Scriptures: https://www.vedantany.org/by-scriptures
🧩 Lectures by Topics: https://www.vedantany.org/by-topic
💬 AskSwami Q&A: https://www.vedantany.org/ask-swami-qa
🪔 *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 upholds the unity of all existence, the divinity of the soul, and harmony among religions.
🏛️ *About This Channel*
This is the official channel of the Vedanta Society of New York, a spiritual institution affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order of India and holds the distinction of being its first established Center, founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1894. Swami Sarvapriyananda currently serves as the Resident Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York.
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