This interview centered around Sadhvi’s new book, Hollywood to the Himalayas: A Journey of Healing and Transformation.
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Ph.D. is a renowned spiritual leader, author, and motivational speaker based in Rishikesh, India. Originally from Los Angeles and a graduate of Stanford University, Sadhviji has been ordained into the sacred order of Sanyas by her guru HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and has been living at Parmarth Niketan Ashram for the past twenty-five years. She is the Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, an international interfaith organization dedicated to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; president of Divine Shakti Foundation, a foundation that runs free schools, vocational training programs, and empowerment programs; and director of the world-famous International Yoga Festival at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh—which has been covered in Time, CNN, the New York Times and other prestigious publications and has been addressed by both the Prime Minister and Vice President of India. She serves on the United Nations Advisory Council on Religion and on the steering committees of the International Partnership for Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) and the Moral Imperative to End Extreme Poverty, a campaign by the United Nations and World Bank. She was also the Managing Editor for the monumental project of the 11-volume Encyclopedia of Hinduism. She oversees a variety of humanitarian projects, teaches meditation, lectures, writes, counsels individuals and families, and serves as a unique female voice of spiritual leadership throughout India and the world.
Websites:
- Sadhviji.org (personal site)
- Sadhviji’s TED talk
- @SadhviBhagawatiSaraswati (Sadhviji’s Facebook page with announcements of events, videos, etc.)
- @ParmarthNiketan (Parmarth’s Facebook page where they stream Sadhviji’s satsangs live daily when she is in town.)
- Youtube channel with all of the videos of Sadhviji’s lectures (and also a lot of other good stuff…)
- Twitter: @SadhviBhagawati
Book: Vegetarianism: For Our Bodies, Our Minds, Our Souls & Our Planet
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and Transcript of this interview.
First BatGap interview with Sadhvi.
Interview recorded July 25, 2021.
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump interview
- 00:03:30 – Honesty and Humaneness in Spiritual Awakening
- 00:07:49 – Bridging the Gap: Hollywood to the Himalayas
- 00:11:38 – The Shift in Perception
- 00:15:15 – A Sudden Knowing in Rishikesh
- 00:19:19 – A Profound Spiritual Experience on the Banks of Ganga
- 00:23:52 – Swarg Ashram: The Heavenly Abode
- 00:27:41 – The Beauty of Being Non-Verbal
- 00:31:29 – Living in the Deepest Level of Awareness
- 00:34:52 – Shame and Authenticity
- 00:38:01 – The Humility of an Enlightened Master
- 00:41:14 – The Qualities of the Guru
- 00:44:41 – The Light of the Guru
- 00:48:02 – The Garden and its Animals
- 00:51:03 – The Story of the Sleeves and the Cat
- 00:54:17 – Emptying the Cup and Finding the Guru
- 00:57:46 – Overcoming Unconscious Patterns with Mindfulness
- 01:01:24 – Being Present in Daily Life
- 01:04:39 – Productivity in Moments of Freedom
- 01:07:10 – The Experience of Grace without Spiritual Practice
- 01:10:43 – A Transformational Experience
- 01:14:11 – Renunciation and Transformation
- 01:17:36 – The Biological Urge for a Baby
- 01:21:01 – The Journey of Forgiveness
- 01:24:25 – The Power of Forgiveness
- 01:27:47 – The Stain on Our Hearts
- 01:30:53 – Letting Go with Forgiveness
- 01:34:05 – Understanding Dis-ease and Harm towards Others
- 01:37:10 – The Transformation and Healing Journey
- 01:40:39 – Sharing and Appreciation
- 01:43:26 – The Spiritual Path
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