Jason Unrau
Northern News Services
Friday, July 27, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Those with an interest in spiritual matters may be interested in hearing the thoughts of Swami Kripamayananda when he comes to speak in Yellowknife this August.

A practitioner of the Vedanta sect of Hinduism, Kripamayananda is head minister of the Vedanta society of Toronto, and a monk of the Ramakrishna Order of India.

He said he is making the journey North to share the Vedanta founder's message to the West.

"God according to Vedanta is everywhere," explained Kripamayananda. "It's up to the person to express the divinity within, in their life and behaviour."

The principal tenets include the maxim "no person is free until all are free" and that each faith exists to assist subscribers in achieving the same goals; among those being personal betterment and inner peace.

While celebrities like the Beatles dabbled in Hindu mysticism in the 1960s, paving the way for more widespread acceptance of Eastern religion and philosophy in the West, Kripamayananda said Swami Vivekananda introduced Vedanta and yoga to England and North America in the late 19th century.

This is the second trip to Yellowknife for Swami Kripamayananda, who gives lectures all over North America.

"It's so nice, calm and peaceful in Yellowknife, especially coming from a city like Toronto," Kripamayananda said. "I feel I'm closer to God in such places... I would like to come in winter some day, to see when the lakes and rivers freeze and the cars and trucks can drive on them."

Kripamayananda will be speaking at Northern United Place on Aug. 6 and 8.