Sometimes, the commitment and joy associated with the path of liberation or enlightenment is so strongly rooted in Absolute Stillness that the seeker may become what is know as a “sanyasi” or renunciant.
By taking vows of renunciation, one fully and wholeheartedly commits to commune with all of creation in a loving and intimate manner.
While the path of a renunciant (sanyasi) is less common and generally less relevant than the path of a householder (gṛhasthī), there’s a lot we can learn from surrendering ego and desires, and there’s a lot we can learn from this episode’s very special guest: best-selling author, Himalayan yogi, renunciant & social activist, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati.
Based on the banks of the Himālayas in Rishikesh, India, but originally born in LA, California, Sadhviji renounced her life in the West at age 29 after a career at Stanford University and has now become one of the premier female authorities in the Yoga-Vedantic tradition in the world.
Her wisdom and light exude from her as she elevates us with stories and insights on how to find purpose in life & how to live in harmony with our Selves and the world that surrounds us.
ABOUT OUR GUEST: SADHVI BAGHAWATI SARASWATI
Sadhviji is a renowned spiritual leader and motivational speaker, based in Rishikesh, India. Originally from Los Angeles, California, and a graduate of Stanford University, Sadhviji has lived on the banks of the sacred Ganga river, in the lap of the Himalayas for nearly 25 years engaged in spiritual service, wisdom teaching, sacred action, and deep spiritual practice.
At Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, where she lives most of the year, she gives daily spiritual discourses (satsang), teaches meditation, provides spiritual counselling and mentoring, and oversees myriad charitable and humanitarian projects and activities. She is President of Divine Shakti Foundation,
a charitable organisation bringing education and empowerment to women and children.
She is Secretary-General of Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, the first alliance of religious leaders for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
The Meaning of The Name: Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati
Sadhvi – renunciant (the female form of the word “Sadhu”)
Bhagawati – divine mother
Saraswati – the goddess of creation, wisdom & music. It is also a signature of her lineage (Shankaracharya tradition).
Doing a PhD in Stanford and Leaving to India
She was seeking something different, something that resonated with the strict vegetarian lifestyle she was living.
Experiencing major consciousness shifts while in India and tuning into a higher calling – her true dharma.
Becoming A Sanyasi (Renunciant)
What motivated her to take vows of renunciation.
Her view on materialism and the mainstream path re-enforced by capitalism.
How celibacy and renunciation impacted her life and why she continues to keep her vows.
Spirituality and The Importance of Having a Spiritual Practice
How spirituality enhances our lives and helps us feel more fulfilled and blissful.
Ganga Devi (a.k.a. The Ganges River)
The story of Ganga explains how she was a goddess, long before she became embodied in the river that we today know as Ganges.
She came down from heaven onto earth to bring about liberation.
Our Relationship to Nature and Ecology
The decrepit state of affairs of the ecology in India.
Sadhviji’s ecological start-ups.
How us as humans have a serious responsibility to maintain and take care of nature, the source of all life.
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