Report: Talks on 'Five Verses on Enlightenment'

A special lecture on the ‘Five Verses of Enlightenment’ was organized by the Vedanta Society Berkeley back-to-back on Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26, 2019^. Swami Sarvapriyananda, who was appointed at the Vedanta Society New York in 2017 as Minister-in Charge, delivered the lectures. The venue for this lecture was at the next heritage building of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Berkeley, having magnificient architectural work, constructed in 1910.

The talk ‘Five Verses of Enlightenment’ was based on the Manisha Panchakam. The lectures had two parts with the first part focusing on the first verse and the second part focusing on the next four verses. The lecture was accepted and appreciated widely by all the 400 attendees on the first day, the Oct. 25, and the 300 attendees on the second day, the Oct. 26, despite it being the Diwali weekend and warnings of widespread power outage.

Because of the huge request from the audience, a Q & A session was arranged on the Oct. 26, which was very engaging, enlightening and participative. Sw. Prasannatmananda, Swami-in-Charge, Vedanta Society Berkeley welcomed and introduced Swami Sarvapriyananda to the audience before his talk and thanked him for these special lectures at the end of the second day. Sw. Prasannatmananda also welcomed all attendees and conveyed thanks to all at the end of the program. Organist of the Church Mr. Willam Ludtke’s beautiful playing of grand pipe organ created unique ambience and setting before the lecture both the days.